The founding pastor of Gateway Church in North Texas, Robert Morris, was accused of sexually assaulting a child in the 1980s. He has recently resigned from the church, leading to widespread outrage and causing many to question Christianity and its leadership.

According to the Christian Post, Cindy Clemishire reported that the megachurch founder began sexually abusing her during a visit with her family during the Christmas holidays in 1982, when she was just 12 years old. The abuse continued for four-and-a-half years before it was revealed to the elders of the church, but Morris was later allowed to return to ministry. Morris has since confessed to being involved in “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” more than 35 years ago, stating that he repented and was restored to ministry.

Morris, who was in his 20s and married at the time, did not inform the elders that Clemishire was a minor. In his 2011 book, Dream to Destiny, Morris stated that he resumed his ministerial duties just one month after the “Lord had arranged the conditions for him to step away from the ministry.” Morris acknowledged that he was grappling with issues of pride at that time. While the elders believe there have been no further moral transgressions, Clemishire is worried that there may be other individuals affected.

Many people mistakenly think that being a Christian means you are flawless, but this is far from the reality. However, just because we have moral shortcomings does not mean we are exempt from the consequences of our actions when we harm others. We have a duty to safeguard those who are in vulnerable positions. Churches should be havens of safety, but there is a troubling history of them failing to protect those who often lack the means to advocate for themselves.

The Houston Chronicle published a series titled ‘Abuse of Faith (2022)’ that revealed sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Southern Baptist Church. Their investigation identified 380 alleged sexual abusers and 700 victims over the past 20 years. The article also found that 35 Southern Baptist ministers, who had been accused of sexual misconduct or abuse, were still hired by churches, suggesting a pattern of institutional failures in addressing allegations of sexual abuse. Further research indicates that in the United States, more than 5,300 priests and other members of the clergy have been accused of sexually abusing children.

Children’s voices are frequently disregarded when they share their personal experiences. I will always remember a child protection training I conducted years ago, where a pastor stated that she did not believe a young congregant. I informed the pastor that our role is not to judge whether a child is being truthful, but rather to fulfill our legal obligation as mandatory reporters and allow the authorities to make that determination. Sadly, many children have been dismissed and overlooked because adults choose to ignore the situation, preferring to trust those in positions of leadership.

Children are precious in God’s sight, and we have a responsibility to safeguard them, regardless of whether they are our own or not. The passages in Psalm 127:3-5 and Matthew 18:1-35 emphasize this truth. As leaders, we will be held answerable for how we care for those we are entrusted to shepherd.

We must not be distracted by individuals’ talent, charm, authority, or status. This is a chance for the church to pause, reflect, investigate, and establish safeguards to protect those who are in a vulnerable position. Scripture reminds us: “And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words,” 2 Peter2: 1-22.

We cannot continue to allow the destruction of more lives or accept this as a normal occurrence in our congregations. It is time to stop turning a blind eye and becoming enthralled by those who claim to be divine messengers, while losing focus on our true purpose of worshipping God and serving others.

(Dr. Froswa’ Booker Drew is founder of the  Reconciliation and Restoration Foundation and president of Soulstice Consultancy. Visit <drfroswabooker.com> or email <info@drfroswa.com>.)