Recent court documents filed in 2025 reveal that Robert Morris, the disgraced founder and former senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, demanded millions of dollars in retirement compensation from the megachurch following his resignation in June 2024.

The demands come amid serious allegations of child sexual abuse from the 1980s, which led to his indictment in Oklahoma and sparked significant backlash from church members and the broader community.

Morris resigned from Gateway Church after Cindy Clemishire publicly accused him of sexually abusing her starting in 1982, when she was 12 years old, with the abuse allegedly continuing for over four years.

In March 2025, Morris was indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in Oklahoma, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for September 4, 2025.

The allegations and subsequent legal actions have caused significant reputational and financial damage to Gateway Church, one of the largest megachurches in the United States, with annual revenues reportedly exceeding $100 million in recent years.

According to court filings in Tarrant County District Court on May 13, 2025, Morris sought substantial financial compensation shortly after his resignation.

The demands included a $1 million lump-sum payment, $800,000 annually in retirement benefits until he reaches age 70, and $600,000 per year thereafter for the rest of his life and that of his wife, Debbie Morris.

Additionally, Morris requested ownership of intellectual property rights to his books, sermons, social media accounts, and domain names such as pastorrobert.com.

Gateway Church has firmly rejected Morris’s demands, arguing that his actions have disqualified him from receiving such benefits.

The church’s court filings emphasize that Morris’s employment agreement required disputes to be resolved through mediation before arbitration, a step Morris allegedly bypassed by filing for arbitration with the Institute for Christian Conciliation on April 23, 2025.

Gateway is now seeking a court order to block the arbitration process, asserting that Morris’s claims are invalid under the terms of his contract.

The church’s legal team highlighted that the employment agreement did not include provisions for the $600,000–$800,000 annual retirement payments Morris claimed were verbally promised by elders Jeremy Carrasco, Tra Willbanks, and Dane Minor in early 2023.

The agreement stipulated that amendments must be made in writing and signed by both parties, rendering any alleged verbal commitments ineffective.

Furthermore, the contract included a clause stating that no benefits would be payable if Morris’s departure was due to actions causing harm to the church, such as a felony conviction. Given the ongoing criminal case in Oklahoma, Gateway argues that Morris’s demands are unjustifiable.

In its public response, Gateway Church stated, “The revelation of Morris’s alleged child sex crimes has caused tremendous damage both to Gateway and the reputation of the church nationwide.

Morris was right to resign from his position as pastor. And Gateway is confident that Morris’s definitive but tragic disqualification from the pulpit also precludes him from obtaining the millions of dollars in present and future retirement benefits he now seeks.”

Morris’s attorneys argue that he was “forced out” of Gateway Church, claiming that elders threatened termination if he did not resign immediately following the public disclosure of the abuse allegations.

They contend that this constituted a termination without cause, entitling Morris to the $1 million in accrued retirement benefits within 60 days, as outlined in his contract.

Additionally, Morris’s legal team asserts that the church orally promised the substantial annual retirement payments, a claim Gateway vehemently denies.

Morris’s lawyers have also argued that the church’s refusal to honor these commitments violates the terms of his employment agreement.

However, legal experts, such as attorney Mary Nix, who is not involved in the case, suggest that Morris’s demands may face significant hurdles.

Nix noted that the damage caused to Gateway Church by Morris’s actions could offset any financial obligations, stating, “How much damages has he caused to Gateway by his actions, and does that offset any money that he would ultimately be owed in retirement?”