LINK Rocked by scandals, North Texas churches faced a reckoning in 2024 | KERA News
Damn, churches ought to be banned...
Rocked by scandals, North Texas churches faced a reckoning in 2024
Cindy Clemishire was just 12 years old when she says she was first sexually abused by her pastor in 1982.
Robert Morris was close friends with Clemishire’s family and had been staying at their home for Christmas, she said. During a car ride, Clemishire said Morris asked her to visit him in his room later that night.
She thought nothing of it. But Clemishire said Morris told her to lie down and close her eyes before he molested her.
Before returning to her room, Clemishire said Morris warned her: “Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything.”
She said it continued for more than four years. Morris went on to found Southlake-based Gateway Church, one of the largest megachurches in the country.
Clemishire, now 54, detailed the ordeal on a church watchdog blog and later at a Texas House committee hearing in October, during which she said it took 20 years for her to understand what she experienced was abuse.
“People think that it's about what happened physically to us,” Clemishire told lawmakers. “But what actually carries on throughout our life is the disconnect that was made and the development that we missed out on both physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally.”
“I was trying to make sense of my brokenness in my life and rebuild and protect my own children from child sexual abuse.”
Morris left the church in the wake of those allegations. Since then, Gateway has also faced multiple unrelated lawsuits, a significant drop in attendance and church donations, and a dwindling number of church elders.
Head church elder Tra Willbanks addressed the findings of a four-month internal investigation into the now-disgraced Morris, which led to a criminal investigation.
“What happened to Cindy Clemishire was heartbreaking and vile, and we denounce sexual abuse in all of its forms,” Willbanks said.
The scandal surrounding Clemishire’s story rocked Gateway Church — but it was just among the first dominoes to fall in a growing number of scandals involving North Texas church leaders this year.
Since Morris’ departure, more than a dozen pastors and church leaders have been removed or stepped down due to sexual and physical abuse accusations.
The controversies sparked conversation about accountability against those in power — and the way churches handle abuse allegations.
Morris has not been arrested or convicted. He did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Abuse is about power, according to Victor Veith, director of the Center for Faith and Child Protection at the Zero Abuse Project. Those power dynamics leave younger victims vulnerable.
But power and respect can also mean victims sometimes go unbelieved, and sharing an experience of alleged abuse can even change the way a community sees a victim they may know personally.
And when these kinds of accusations are leveled again a community leader or close friend, people can experience a sort of cognitive dissonance, Veith said.
“When we see it, it's in our family, it’s in the church, at the hands of a pastor, a rabbi or college professor, or somebody else that we know, respect and revere,” Veith said. “So, our brain floods itself with memories of all the good things this person has done, and we block out all the countervailing information.”
But when one victim comes forward, Veith said, it encourages others to share their stories — which is what could be happening in North Texas.
“Typically, when one person breaks the ice other survivors feel more comfortable now sharing their own history of trauma," Veith said.
Keeping watch
While allegations against church leaders and staff members vary, this pattern of accused church leaders is familiar to Amy Smith, who runs a blog dedicated to sharing stories of abuse victims — and helped Clemishire reveal the alleged abuse.
Smith has been running WatchKeep for more than a decade, and for her, the effort is personal.
Her family began attending Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano during the 1980s. In 1989, youth music minister John Langworthy was quietly fired after child sexual abuse allegations.
But Smith said the church never publicly addressed the allegations or reported them to police.
“He left within a week, and he was gone,” Smith said. “It always haunted me, you know, but no one talked about it anymore.”
Twenty years later, Smith's friends confided in her that they were also victims of Langworthy.
After that, she made it her mission to warn anyone who would listen.
Langworthy eventually confessed and was convicted in Mississippi, but only after he'd been hired at another church Smith also tried to warn.
“It shatters even your faith,” she said. “This person that was supposed to be the most trustworthy had betrayed our trust and it harmed some our friends.”
That pushed her to continue finding and breaking stories about allegations against church leaders across the country.
Smith’s written about pastors like Scott Crenshaw in Fort Worth, who was accused of looking at inappropriate images online. He has not been arrested, but was fired from his position once the allegations came to light.
McKinney church leader David Scarberry was arrested in October on a family violence charge.
Another church leader, Marvin Scales in Waxahachie, was convicted of impregnating a 14-year-old child.
Smith said she she's seen the dark side of Christianity — but that's helped her understand her own faith and what she wants it to look like.
"What we're seeing is empowerment of people that say, 'this is not OK, this is my church,'" Smith said. "This is wrong."
Generational trauma
Researchers have found that abuse as a child can lead to what’s known as a cycle of abuse, in which some victims become the abusers themselves.
That’s what former Pennsylvania minister Duane Youngblood said happened to him. He shared his story on a podcast called Larry Reid Live.
Youngblood accused Dallas megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes of sexual abuse when he was a teenager.
“He pulled me to himself, wrapped his arms around me, and tried to kiss me,” Youngblood said. “And in that moment, I literally died.”
Jakes did not respond to a request for comment but has publicly denied the claims. Shortly after that interview, Youngblood was sued for defamation.
But as an adult, Youngblood himself was convicted of corruption of minors and sexually assaulting a teenager while working as a pastor.
While the religious world deals with growing scandals, Texas lawmakers say they’re working on ways to respond to abuse.
During Clemishire’s hearing, North Texas Rep. Jeff Leach said Texas needs to do more to protect victims — and he wants to get rid of nondisclosure agreements like the one Clemishire was offered.
Clemishire told lawmakers Morris’ lawyers offered her $25,000 in 2007. But only if she signed a non-disclosure agreement and took blame for the alleged abuse.
She said she declined because she wanted to tell her story.
“I'm sitting here today because I did not accept that offer and refused to sign an NDA saying I couldn't speak about my life,” Clemishire told the lawmakers.
A month later, Leach filed a bill that could increase the criminal penalty for people who knowingly cover up child sexual abuse.
“We are behind in where we need to be and where we should be,” Leach said at the hearing. “And I fear if we don’t act, in a real meaningful and strong way, we’re almost going to become a sanctuary for these criminals who are preying on our children.”
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3 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Wow, you actually got a post! Lucky you.
This has been going on since the beginning of religion and it would be interesting (but not) to see how many Mullahs and clergy in other faiths are guilty of child molesting and just plane rape. Again, FFRF has two pages (and often more) of these sorts of things going on mostly in the US but elsewhere as well. Members send them media notices whenever something like this appears in their local papers. I submitted one item in Seattle but was told 5 others had already submitted the same item. It's listed under black collar crimes. The huge problem is, of course there will be a huge effort to cover up such crimes and the loss of public media only makes matters worse. The cattle industry will sue anyone who they say defames the meat industry and lobbied congress to pass laws against those who infiltrate their property and release information that the industry does not want known. The mega churches and many of the clergy are wealthy and since congress has so many 'christians' they will try and stop their sick lifestyle from getting out.
pedigojr
Level 7
Jan 4, 2025
1
So if there really is a sky daddy watching, when does he get involved in stopping abuse? Or is this proving that religion is just a scam to make money and gain sexual access to women and children?
Killtheskyfairy
Level 9
Jan 4, 2025
7
Yeah but it's trans people grooming children.
michelle666gar
Level 8
Jan 4, 2025
8
Don't forget the Gays.... Research has shown that sexual abusers of children actually tend to be straight but will molest boys or girls as the opportunity presents. They enjoy the corruption of innocence that is what gets them off the sexual act is just the tool they use. they always look for institutions with lax standards and oversight that gives them access to children....
Do NOT even get me started on the new dog whistle for the GOP. The one republican friend I have on FB is still shit posting about the maybe 10 trans youth out of 500,000 in NCAA sports. The House makes a bathroom rule for one person!! Nationwide LGBTQ, trans, bi or however you love are a minority and NOT the real problem.
Churches and people in power are the problem.
I don't know that trans people are grooming children. Maybe they are if they encourage the children to also become trans. The right seems to think this is what the left is doing. If that was so it would be political suicide. One thing that is so is Democrats thinking you include LGBTQ by constantly mentioning them and wanting everyone to go to a drag show. This is just a little bit too far for most of us. I'm fully aware of sexuality, real, pretend, or otherwise and I have no desire to see a drag show live or on TV.
@silverotter11 Exactly 
@silverotter11, @pamagain I agree! I had friends back when I was a cosmetologist who performed in drag shows, one dressed up as Annie Lenox and she was so spot on!
@DenoPenno Drag, it use to be a thing among many gay men, but it is passe'. Sadly many white folk have no clue but they are easily frightened by what they do not understand or which is not familar.
I don't get it but here we are just another dog whistle to get some folks riled up.
@DenoPenno, @michelle666gar It's somewhat passe' in some circles but I love a good bitchy queen act. My friend in Seattle does a good one. Like any other 'culture' unless you are close to someone other than our usual white selfs we don't really see or know anyone other than ourselves. One thing is for sure and for certain about myself is I am not concerned with how others love. What does bother me is that htey can not feel free to always live their best or full selves.
@silverotter11 Exactly! Love is love! We should be accepting of most forms of it! I have no problems with it at all! I grew up with gay friends and I never was upset about who they loved. I used to go to gay bars because they had a better scene and would stay open until 5am just to dance, it was fun! Yes, the extra bitchiness from my gay friends was comical! Lost some of these human treasures to AIDS, but I still have memories!
@DenoPenno what dems are encouraging everyone to go to a drag show and constantly mention LGBTQ?
@michelle666gar Another friend of mine has never come out, he's a few years older than me. His family is pretty religious and he grew up in redneck eastern WA. One thing we laugh about is our poor judgement when it comes to men. LOL
@Lizard_of_Ahaz I think I'll share this on FB.
@silverotter11 That will piss a few of these conservatives off.... Be sure and mention that the two lousy shots who tried to shoot DonOld were both MAGAs...
@ecowellness What Dems are encouraging people to go to drag shows? Seems like political suicide to me, but the right is making that claim without providing names. What the Dems are doing is feeling they have to uphold this idea so as to be fair to LGBTQ. We need a little adjustment here.
@DenoPenno you didn't answer my question.
@ecowellness You did not read it right. No political person by name or party is being quoted as wanting you to go to a drag show. The right says the Dems are doing it but the right says lots of things. Many people stir us all up in politics. Stephen Miller coined the term "tampon Tim" about Tim Walz. He might have wanted tampons in restrooms but I never saw him wear one on his ear.
@DenoPenno you still didn't answer the question. Perhaps you should read my question again before responding. The question asks for details, you provided none. Here's your quote "One thing that is so is Democrats thinking you include LGBTQ by constantly mentioning them and wanting everyone to go to a drag show. This is just a little bit too far for most of us." If anything is a bit too far, it's your comment. You had the chance to back up your claim and didn't. You speak like what you said is fact. Where's proof to back up your comment? All dems? You also speak like you speak for the majority. What qualifies you to speak for "most of us"? So far I haven't seen anyone here say anything to support your comment so to suggest "most" as you said, is a bit too far in my opinion. Tim Miler? Tampon Tim? How does either relate to my question? Here's my simple question again. It asks for names. What dems are encouraging everyone to go to a drag show and constantly mention LGBTQ? The only dem you mentioned doesn't have a history of suggesting people go to drag shows, nor does he have a history of constantly mentioning LGBTQ.
@ecowellness You asked for names. Sorry. I do not have them. I have been grilled and constantly badgered on something that I said and I am now done with. So, you win. I give up, and I am gone. Goodbye! Why in the hell argue such a silly goddamned thing?
@DenoPenno When people get caught with their foot in their mouth, it often ends with them saying "goodbye" hoping it's forgotten. You don't get off that easy. You say why argue over such a silly thing? All of a sudden what you said is silly? You were judgmental and confident you were speaking on behalf of most people. It obviously was important to you. Honesty, fairness and decency is silly to you? I don't consider false and demeaning claims silly. Pretending you speak for others to add credibility to your opinion is weak. People who make lame comments often feel a need to include "we" or "us" to shore up the claim. Using LGBTQ to vent your personal issues is worse than silly. Falsely singling out democrats with extreme over exaggerations is worse than silly... Of course you had no names. Instead of admitting what you said was wrong, you deflect suggesting people are badgering and grilling you. It's about you, not your mistake. Have you given any thought to why you think you're being badgered? I haven't seen any. Please give an example of the badgering you talk about. Did you understand your comment could harm your credibility and invite questions or comments? When you avoid supporting your comment with substance, you pretty much admit your comment was weak. Your last attempt to end your disaster weakens your credibility even more. Why the hell did you knowingly demean democrats using LGTBQ? If you're bothered by your badgering claim, failing to do the right thing won't help your problem go away.
@ecowellness Are you drunk or are you just a bully? Just askin'. If others read this clap trap they will find you used the name Tim Miler in regards to what you thought I had said and a name you thought I had used. I did not use that name. BTW, I am not a Trumper and fall to the far left. This means I am not trying to demean Democrats. This is also why I say just let it go. You won, so we are done.
@DenoPenno How special to say just let it go? How hard is it to admit you lied? Liars would love for everyone to let it go. Honest people usually admit when they're wrong, but not Mr special. He's entitled to lie and how dare anyone challenge him about it? And when he's challenged, the crying starts, followed by more lies. It's ironic you claim I could be a bully without explaining. That's typical of people who pull shit out of your ass, don't give a shit if it makes sense, is true or has any relevance. Mentioning drunk adds to your inability to bring up things that have any relevance or reason to believe. Once again this is about you, your lies and the false and demeaning claim you made. How is it you forget? You keep changing the subject or draw attention to the person who exposed you. After getting caught lying, why can't you admit it? You had your chance to slither out of this, you weren't embarrassed enough? The band-aid you tried does not cover your massive dishonest wound. You're a liar, hypocrite and a phony. You said you were done before and here you are, not done. You lied multiple times. You continue saying far fetched things... I didn't win anything, but you lost big time. Bully? Drunk? Neither fits concerning how I addressed you. You're wasting energy to deflect and not take responsibility for your demeaning dishonesty. What kind of person makes false claims to make dems look bad by weaponizing LGBTQ? You play your game hoping to create the illusion you have done nothing wrong. That's grade school, dishonest. You cried and lied again claiming people were badgering you. Every time you post a lie, it further exposes you.
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