Financial lawsuit against Gateway Church and Robert Morris remains active following judge's ruling to reject dismissal requests
In a significant development, a lawsuit alleging mismanagement of church donations by Gateway Church and its former founding pastor Robert Morris can proceed. The court has denied motions to dismiss the suit filed by Gateway and Robert Morris in November.
Penelope Rivera, KERA's breaking news reporter, has been following the case closely. The lawsuit, filed by disgruntled former members of Gateway Church, accuses the church of failing to uphold a promise to distribute a significant portion of its annual church revenue to global missions and Jewish ministry partners.
The court documents state that only $3 million of annual revenue was given to these causes, and it's unclear where the rest of the tithes went. This has led to a demand from the former members to reclaim their tithing donations.
Gateway Church argued in November that it should be dismissed from the suit because the former church members did not make a legitimate claim. However, the court order found that Gateway has not disclosed where the donations went, and it has not proven that the church donations in dispute were approved by a committee based on religious doctrine.
The suit also alleges that Robert Morris previously promised congregants could get their money back if they were unhappy, creating a contract under Texas law, which was not upheld. This is not the first time Robert Morris is embroiled in controversy. He now faces criminal charges for sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.
Cindy Clemishire has filed a civil lawsuit against Robert Morris for the alleged sexual abuse. The suit also names Gateway Church and its elders for allegedly covering up the abuse for years and defaming her.
The scandal has taken a toll on Gateway Church. In November, the church reported that tithes were down between 35% and 40% due to the scandal. The church has declined to comment due to ongoing litigation.
Lance Livingston, an attorney for the former church members, stated that the judge's rulings will allow them to start moving the case forward. Meanwhile, the Diocese of Regensburg is currently involved in a similar court case due to allegations of abuse of church donations.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of its members. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
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