Cindy Clemishire stood in an Oklahoma courtroom, recounting the trauma that began when she was just 12 — facing the man she says stole her childhood and shattered her adult life: Gateway Church founder Robert Morris.
“I am no longer the silenced little girl you abused,” she said.
Guilty plea brings long-awaited justice
As Robert Morris pleaded guilty to five felony counts of child sexual abuse on Thursday, Clemishire told him, “Even if you never see the truth, the state of Oklahoma does and has finally done what should have been done decades ago — brought you to justice. For that I am deeply grateful.”
“While you built a megachurch, authored books, and gained fame, I dropped out of college, endured divorces, and struggled with self-worth, battled depression, made countless poor decisions, and added more shame to my life,” Clemishire said. “And when I finally spoke, you tried to call it consensual. Robert, the abuse itself was horrific. But when you and your church rewrote the story, you multiplied the harm.”
Morris silent as survivor speaks
Morris entered the courtroom flanked by family, hugging each one and kissing his wife before the hearing began. But when Clemishire and her sister spoke, he kept his gaze fixed downward – never once looking at them, never acknowledging the pain laid bare before him.
Though Robert Morris remained silent in court, his attorneys released a post-sentencing statement on his behalf. They said Robert Morris accepted responsibility before God, viewed Gateway Church as part of his spiritual repentance, and pleaded guilty to bring closure for himself, his family, and Clemishire’s family.
The statement marked the first time Morris publicly apologized for what he did to Clemishire. His attorneys said he asked them to extend that apology to her and her family, and expressed gratitude to friends, relatives, and Gateway Church members for their support and forgiveness.
His legal team emphasized his remorse and sincerity.
“He sincerely hopes that his plea and jail sentence coupled with probation brings Ms. Clemishire and her family the finality that they might need,” the statement said. “… He is at peace with his sentence and, in an odd way, looks forward to fulfilling this penance, namely going to jail for his past sin and crime.”
Abuse began with trust and grooming
In her victim’s statement, Clemishire said she was raised in a loving, faith-filled home with strong family values and that her family welcomed Robert and Debbie Morris into their lives, forming close bonds.
Clemishire said Robert Morris began grooming her and her family, starting the abuse on Christmas Day, 1982, and that the abuse lasted over four years and was emotionally, spiritually, physically, and psychologically manipulative.
“Let me be clear: there is no such thing as consent from a 12-year-old child,” Clemishire said.
She said Robert Morris told her, “You can never tell anyone, or it will ruin everything,” creating a prison of silence.
Trauma seeped into every corner
She said the trauma seeped into every corner of her life — straining her relationships, derailing her education, affecting her parenting, and leaving lasting damage to her mental health.
“You did not just harm me as a child—you stole my innocence, the most sacred possession a child has, and you murdered the future woman, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, and friend I was meant to become,” she said.
Her father, she added, carries deep guilt for having trusted Morris, while she has spent decades in therapy, trying to reclaim a sense of peace and identity that was taken from her.
“Your crimes didn’t just wound me—they wounded my family, they wounded the church, and they wounded faith itself,” she said.
Church’s response deepened the wounds, Clemishire says
She said Gateway Church and Robert Morris released misleading statements in 2024 that minimized her abuse and that these statements led to public harassment, threats, and victim-blaming.
She said Robert Morris’ actions damaged her faith, her family’s faith, and the integrity of the church and that her father still struggles with reconciling the abuse with his devotion to God.
Survivor calls for change and healing
She said she hopes her testimony helps other victims and leads to stronger laws and accountability in churches.
She said she reclaimed her voice and identity.
“I am not a victim. I am a survivor,” Clemishire said.