Ex-Gateway Church Pastor Robert Morris’s Wife, Debbie, Was With Him When He Sought Forgiveness From Cindy Clemishire’s Parents
Marshall, Texas: Robert Morris, the founder of the Gateway Church, was accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, Cindy Clemishire, in the 1980s and was indicted on five counts of “Lewd or indecent acts to a child” in March 2025.
Robert and his wife, Debbie, were introduced to the Clemishire family at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was 20, and Cindy was 11.
Highlights
- Robert Morris met Debbie during high school and attended the same church and youth group.
- They married in May 1980 and have three children, who serve directly with Gateway Church.
- He was arrested after 43 years for the horrific crimes he committed against Cindy as a child.
Robert and his wife became friends with the Clemishire family as he preached on Sundays and even occasionally stayed with his wife at Clemishire’s family home.
However, things changed on Christmas in 1982 when Robert asked Cindy, then 12 years old, to visit him in his room that night. He sexually abused her and warned her not to tell anyone about it.
His abuse continued in Oklahoma and Texas until 1987, when she eventually confided to a good friend and parents about the abuse. Later, he stepped down from ministry for two years.
Cindy tried to sue him in 2005, but her actions did not generate much attention. One pastor advised her to share her story with The Wartburg Watch, which published her story on Friday.
When the charging document was filed in Osage County District Court in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Robert turned himself into the Osage County jail.
After 43 years, authorities arrested him for the horrific crimes he committed against Cindy as a child.
It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father. They asked me to stop out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area.
Robert Morris And His Wife Asked For Forgiveness
Robert Morris and his wife, Debbie, met during high school and attended the same church and youth group.
Debbie said they met in fifth grade, but Robert claimed in sixth.
“I was very, very involved in sexual immorality for many, many years. Things shameful, too shameful to speak of. I don’t want to speak to them. I don’t speak of them publicly. Debbie knows all of them. The elders know them.” – Robert Morris @haynesboone @GatewayPeople #shewas12 pic.twitter.com/CLwObH0IqD
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) September 10, 2024
While growing up, she was quiet and a rule-keeper, but he was never far from trouble. The leadership always threatened to send him home on a Greyhound bus on their youth group trips.
Despite the difference, Morris captivated Debbie. He asked her out when he was 17 and she was 16.
Debbie fell in love with him at the end of their date when he gave him a goodnight kiss. Since their first date, she has fallen in love with him daily.
They married in May 1980, and his extent of abuse and scandals with 12-year-old Cindy Clemishire was brought to light in March 1987.
Since then, he has walked in purity, and the married couple met with the Clemishire family to ask for their forgiveness. They forgave him, and his sins were dealt with correctly by confession and repentance.
Happy Anniversary to my Sweetie! We have taken thousands of photos together but none of them capture the whole picture of us. They don’t show how special I feel when you look me in the eye. They don’t depict how safe I feel in your arms. They don’t revel how many times a day you make me laugh. They don’t expose how you have cared for me. They don’t highlight how we have overcome. They don’t bind together all the memories we have shared.
Thank you for loving me so well. The true portrait of us is beautiful!
I love you!
Robert Morris’s Three Children Followed in His Footsteps
Robert and Debbi have three children, James, Josh, and Elaine, and they became grandparents.
Their children work directly with Gateway Church, which the married couple founded in 2000, alongside their spouses.
James married Bridgette in January 2009, and they have three children: Parker, Mitchell, and Brae. James is an assistant senior pastor, and Bridgette leads Gateway Women as an executive pastor of ministry experience and communication.
Similarly, Josh married Hannah in 2004, and they have two children, Grady and Willow, who are now in their teenage years.
After 13 years of marriage to Hannah, he became a pastor in 2017. Hannah founded BibL, a company that makes entertaining games and items to help youngsters playfully engage with religion.
Nonetheless, Elaine married Ethan Fisher in 2010, and they have four children: Addelynn, Katelynn, Preston, and Jackson. The married couple celebrated their 14th anniversary on June 19, 2024.
Elaine and Ethan are both pastors. Elaine is engaged with Gateway Church, whereas her husband is a pastor at the Houston location of Gateway Church.
Additional Information
- 63-year-old Robert Morris was born in Marshall, Texas, on July 29, 1961.
- He graduated from Pine Tree High School and attended East Texas Baptist College and Criswell Center for Biblical Studies.
- He was on a spiritual advisory board during President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign but wasn’t part of his 2024 re-election effort.
- As of 2025, his net worth is estimated at $117 million.
