Gateway Church congregation reeling after Robert Morris revelations

SOUTHLAKE — It's been a difficult week for the congregation of the Gateway church's nine campuses across North Texas after their founding pastor Robert Morris was accused of sexually assaulting a child in the 1980s.

He resigned from the church earlier this week.

It was a packed house at the Southlake location of the Gateway Church as they held their Saturday service.

The congregation is still reeling from the news that their founding pastor was accused of sexually assaulting a young girl beginning in 1982 when she was just 12 years old. A church elder began Saturday's service with an emotional message for the church community.

"As an elder, I did not know the truth and, frankly, like many of you my wife and I are shocked, devastated and grieving," said Tra Willbanks, a Gateway church elder.  "I'd like to express my personal compassion for Cindy Clemishire I can't imagine carrying a burden like that for so many years and I want to say to you Cindy I'm so sorry."

Morris' accuser Cindy Clemishire says the abuse continued until 1987. Morris was a traveling evangelist at the time and was close to the accuser's family.

In a statement to the Christian Post, Morris admitted to "inappropriate sexual behavior" and a statement posted on social media from elders at the church said the allegations were brought to light 35 years ago and Morris stepped away for two years to receive counseling.

"Simply put abuse in any form cannot be tolerated and we as elders have the responsibility to do whatever it takes to learn the truth," said Willbanks.

Outside Saturday's service protesters held signs supporting Morris' accuser and called on the church to protect children. Some got into heated exchanges with church members.

"When I heard that this pastor had got away with molesting a child and is now worth 100 million dollars and has people following him in this church I felt like a voice needed to be heard for the voiceless," said protester Lori Arnold.

Protesters are also calling for accountability from church leadership.

"To find out who really knew about this from the elders from their leadership it would be nice to see Pastor Morris go to jail," said Arnold.

But longtime church members like Lou Comunale say it was important for them to be here today to hear what church leadership had to say.

"I think it was on target, I think he did not hide behind the shame there was a certain amount of shame that it brought to the church but we went beyond that and we're not just looking to one man, were looking to Jesus Christ and this church is going to thrive because they fessed up," said Comunale.

The church says it hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations.