DALLAS, Texas — Founder of Gateway Church Robert Morris is currently involved in a legal battle with the church over financial disputes while facing criminal charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child dating back to the 1980s.
Morris admitted to having an inappropriate past relationship but denies the current criminal allegations. He contends that Gateway Church is using the charges to avoid fulfilling financial obligations under agreements he claims the church has breached.
The prominent evangelical pastor, who resigned as senior pastor last year, has sought to resolve the financial conflicts through Christian arbitration, a process that emphasizes dispute resolution based on religious principles rather than traditional court litigation.
Morris’s legal team argues that the church’s actions constitute a breach of contract and aims to settle the matter through arbitration to avoid prolonged court proceedings. Meanwhile, the criminal charges remain under separate judicial review.
Gateway Church has not publicly commented on the allegations or the ongoing financial dispute. Church representatives have neither confirmed nor denied claims regarding breaches of financial agreements.
No date has been set for arbitration proceedings, and it remains uncertain how the criminal case will affect the financial dispute.