this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2024
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Robert Morris, who founded and led Gateway Church for nearly 25 years in the affluent Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Southlake, Texas, resigned after the scandal came to light in June. His exit sent thousands of evangelicals into a season of struggle that has lasted months.

Last week, a pastor who oversaw all of Gateway’s campuses departed amid an undisclosed “moral issue,” becoming the latest in a series of changes for the church: The cancellation of its annual conference. The departure of Morris’ successor. The renaming of its Houston campus and an exodus of worshippers.

At each weekend service, worshippers continue to face reminders of the scandal, with interim or guest pastors kicking off their sermons saying “I’m sorry,” talking about grief or finding hope in difficult times. They’ve noticed people who have sat and prayed around them for years are once again not showing up for service.

The church has seen a decrease of 17% to 19% in weekend services attendance, a church spokesperson told CNN.

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[–] Sgt_choke_n_stroke@lemmy.world 113 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Not a trans person always a priest

[–] aramis87@fedia.io 67 points 2 months ago

Not a drag queen, either :(

[–] n3m37h@sh.itjust.works -2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Mr Beast had one in his company, no group is immune from POS.

[–] 20hzservers@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Yeah he's a leach not surprised lol.

[–] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 44 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not covered in this story: The church leadership says hey he told us about it but we thought it was with a “young lady” and whatevs it was all cool, we’re as shocked as you are it is horrible

The victim says what the fuck I have been telling them about it FOR YEARS NOW

[–] InverseParallax@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Church: "Curses! And I would have gotten away with it to, if it weren't for you meddling reporters and the fact that the victim wasn't a girl!"

[–] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

?

I think you may be thinking of a different scandal; this one’s victim was a girl named Cindy.

[–] InverseParallax@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

My bad, I'm used to "alive boy or dead girl" being the standard.

[–] braindefragger@lemmy.world 43 points 2 months ago
[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 34 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Weird how many christian pastors see their church as their personal dating service.

[–] irotsoma@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

It's a power thing. Many people choose jobs that give them power over unfortunate people for the express purpose of abusing those people's vulnerability, not because they like to help people.

[–] tilefan@lemm.ee 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

being paid millions to act like a good person it can't be that hard

[–] Davel23@fedia.io 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

being paid millions act like a good person

Choose one.

[–] tilefan@lemm.ee 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

He was consistently sexually assaulting the 12-17yr old victim before the millions rolled in.

He has 100% been acting like a good person when he made millions by pretending that his repeated pedophilia was just an "moral failing" that had been "restored." He even lied about getting her father's blessing to resume being a pastor.

The man has been lying to himself and everyone around him for nearly four decades.

[–] tilefan@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago
[–] arin@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

They need to update the title, it's satutory rape of a child umder 18.

Morris molested her in 1982 when she was 12 years old. It started on Christmas Day and it continued until she told her parents in 1987, she said.

Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Morris admitted to having “inappropriate sex

[–] leauxhigh@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

we need to call it rape, or raping children, it's not sex! I hate when anyone calls it an inappropriate sexual relationship!

[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 20 points 2 months ago

The case that came to light started in 1982. I feel like there’s approximately 0% chance she’s his only victim.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Gateway Church draws an estimated 100,000 people to its weekend services and has more than 560 employees at nine locations in Texas, and two others in Missouri and Wyoming, according to the church.

Imagine how much money they’re raking in.

Religion should be private. Better yet, wake up from that long-con and give it up altogether.

[–] TimLovesTech@badatbeing.social 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

With numbers like that it sounds more like a cult with tax exemptions. And why do they have so employees, shouldn't people be happy to do "the work of God" for free as volunteers?

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If you do a single thing of value for a MEGAchurch, fucking bill them out the nose. That's not a religion it's GOOP with a significantly more exploitative and evil business model.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Yeah, a megachurch provides only one real source of societal value: a great setting for urban fantasy demons and vampires. Everything else they provide society is a pitiful product at a premium price

[–] PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

They bring new people in and show them a really fun time and then pressure them to sign a payroll deduction form so that their tithe can come directly out of their paychecks.

[–] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Honestly, I'm always in favor of people leaving religious institutions... I'm cool with people having faith but supporting these large organizations is fucking awful.

[–] garpujol 14 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Under 19% though, that means over 81% didn’t care. 😳

[–] DogPeePoo@lemm.ee 15 points 2 months ago

Jesus Christ— did someone drop water on Trump and feed him after midnight? He’s multiplying

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

The less potential victims they have, the better.

[–] Got_Bent@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

I used to work at a place where several partners were members of this church. The open disdain directed toward me for not being a churchgoer and the ostracization the occurred were a significant factor of my decision to leave.

After I left, one of the partners harassed me for several years via phone calls, text messages, and hand written letters mailed to my home trying to get me to turn my heathen ways around.

One of those letters said something asking the lines that while I had chosen eternal damnation for myself, I owed an opportunity of salvation to my daughter, so I needed to bring her to this church.

I don't remember how many years this continued, but it finally stopped.

The hell is the matter with these people?

[–] DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone 7 points 2 months ago
[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago

This is just the WOKE MIND VIRUS Waging a WAR on RELIGION! WHO CARES if a Priest touches a couple hundred kids in their penises and vaginas when DRAG QUEENS EXIST!

[–] Wrench@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

And I doubt many of those who left are reevaluating the ethos imparted by the leaders they now are distancing themselves from.

[–] ConHoliousDonFrankle@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Ah, the thing they're famous for. Come to my church, I'll "handle your family right". Classic shitstains on humanity.

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

All part of god’s plan ~~to continue extracting wealth from suckers~~.