“The details of which we cannot share at this time, and it prevents prohibits us from saying more,” he said. However, Willbanks did clarify that neither “the church nor its current leadership are subjects of this criminal investigation.”
According to a report by CBS News Texas’ Amelia Mugavero, who was on location at Gateway Church when Willbanks first gave the announcement during the church’s Saturday worship service, Gateway Church said that Morris is the subject of the criminal investigation.
Gateway Church denied that claim in a statement to ChurchLeaders. “The elders’ statement, which is all we can provide at this time, did not include that,” the church said.
Gateway Church’s long-time Executive Director of Gateway Media, Lawrence Swicegood, is no longer with the church.
Elders Jeremy Carrasco, Gayland Lawshe, Kevin Grove, and Thomas Miller Removed
As of Saturday afternoon, Gateway Church elders Jeremy Carrasco, Gayland Lawshe, Kevin Grove, and Thomas Miller were no longer listed on Gateway Church’s website.
Before Morris’ resignation in June, Gateway Church had 10 elders listed on its website, which included Morris and Morris’ son, James. Now the site lists just three: Willbanks, Minor, and Fambro.
Willbanks shared that Gateway Church has commissioned an independent forensic audit of Gateway Church’s financial practices and is also working to amend its bylaws to strengthen oversight for future leaders. Willbanks also announced that Gateway Church will “no longer have apostolic elders at this church,” saying that the elders have concluded that the office did not serve its purpose for Gateway Church.
RELATED: After Robert Morris Allegations, Texas Legislators Vow To Expand Statutes of Limitations on Abuse
With the exception of the church’s future senior pastor and executive pastor, who will have voting privileges on the elder board, Gateway Church “will no longer have staff members serve as elders,” Willbanks said.
“The truth is,” Willbanks said, “the events of the last few months have demonstrated that there was a massive governance failure and accountability failure here at our church.” He added, “It was a failure of culture, and we must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that our culture allowed the truth to be buried for far too long. When a church becomes centered around one pastor alone, it’s lost its way.”
“Unfortunately…at some point in the past, the culture here at Gateway became one where power was centralized and the leader at the top was surrounded by people who wanted to protect him. Some of them,” Willbanks said, “at all cost.”
