Robert Morris of Gateway Church Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Abuse: Here Are 5 Other Controversial Religious Leaders in History

A Texas pastor who once led one of the largest megachurch congregations in the United States has admitted to sexually abusing a child more than four decades ago. Robert Morris, 64, the influential founder of Gateway Church, pleaded guilty on Thursday to felony charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child, according to reports.

Morris' case stems from his abuse of Cindy Clemishere, who was just 12 years old at the time in 1982. The abuse continued for four years while Morris was staying with her family in Hominy, Oklahoma, working as a travelling evangelist. In court, Clemishere told Morris through tears that his abuse had 'rippled into every part of her life.' She added, 'We were never in an "inappropriate relationship." I was not a "young lady" but a child.'

Under the plea deal, Morris was sentenced to 10 years, though he will serve only six months in jail, followed by probation. He must also register as a sex offender and pay $250,000 (approximately £184,831) in restitution, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office.

Gateway Church, founded by Morris in 2000, grew to over 100,000 active attendees across nine campuses in Texas. Morris also served on President Donald Trump's evangelical advisory committee in 2016. He stepped down from his role in 2024 after Clemishere went public with her allegations.

Sadly, Morris' case is not an isolated incident. History shows numerous examples of religious leaders who exploited their spiritual authority for abusive or criminal ends. Here are five other infamous cases.

1. Warren Jeffs

Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting underage girls. By the time of his arrest in 2006, Jeffs had 78 wives, including 24 minors.

In 2011, he was convicted of child sexual assault in Texas.

2. Jeffrey Lundgren

A former Mormon splinter leader, Lundgren, manipulated followers with doomsday prophecies. In 1989, he murdered Dennis and Cheryl Avery, along with their three children, after declaring them a 'blood sacrifice.'

He was executed in Ohio in 2006.

3. Asahara Shoko

On the other side of the world, in 1995, Japan's Tokyo witnessed a tragedy which is still gruesome enough to send shivers down the spine.

Shoko Asahara, cult leader of Aum Shinrikyo, a doomsday spin-off of Buddhism, apparently became a mastermind behind the killings of 13 people through sarin gas inside the Tokyo subways.

According to reports, Asahara wanted to start 'world war 3' was also to take people and the authorities' minds away from the criminal activities in his cult, which were being investigated. He was experimenting with chemical and biological weapons. He and his accomplices were executed in 2018.

4. Graham Capill

In New Zealand, Graham Capill, former leader of the Christian Heritage Party, was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2005 for raping and indecently assaulting multiple girls under the age of 12. His crimes shocked the conservative Christian community where he once preached 'family values'.

5. Paul Schäfer

Founder of Colonia Dignidad in Chile, Paul Schäfer established a secretive, cult-like community that masked systemic child sexual abuse and torture under Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.

Convicted in 2006 of abusing 25 children, he was sentenced to 20 years before his death in prison in 2010.

Furthermore, cases like Morris, Jeffs, and Schäfer underscore how unchecked spiritual authority can foster environments of exploitation. As faith communities reckon with these scandals, the challenge lies in upholding trust in spiritual leadership while ensuring transparency and safeguarding vulnerable members.