A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Gateway Church and its former pastor Robert Morris that accused the church of misusing tithing funds. The lawsuit, filed in October 2024 by four former members of the Southlake megachurch, alleged misrepresentation, fraud, and breach of contract, claiming that the church promised to donate tithes to foreign missionary work but failed to do so.
In a ruling issued on June 23, Chief Judge Amos L. Mazzant III of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas agreed with the defendants’ argument that the case should be dismissed under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. This legal principle, grounded in the First Amendment, prohibits courts from intervening in the internal affairs of religious organizations. Judge Mazzant noted that determining whether the church’s use of funds constituted a charitable expenditure would require the court to delve into religious doctrine, which is beyond the judiciary’s scope. The judge referenced a recent decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reinforcing this principle.
Robert Morris, the founding pastor of Gateway Church, resigned in 2024 amid public accusations of sexual abuse dating back to the 1980s. In October, Morris pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd or indecent acts involving a child and received a 10-year suspended sentence, along with a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender. Morris has maintained that tithing money was never misused and was consistently applied toward advancing the church’s mission.
Gateway Church expressed appreciation for the court’s decision, emphasizing the importance of protecting religious autonomy. The former members who brought the initial lawsuit filed an amended complaint, which was also dismissed by the court.
Separately, Morris and Gateway Church are currently involved in a $1 million defamation lawsuit filed by Cindy Clemishire, who has accused Morris of abuse. That case remains pending in state court. As part of a plea agreement related to the abuse allegations, Morris agreed to pay Clemishire $270,000. Clemishire has described the recovery from her experience as an ongoing, lifelong process.
The dismissal of the funds misuse case follows an earlier out-of-court resolution involving a multi-million dollar retirement package dispute between Morris and Gateway Church. The judge’s ruling highlights ongoing legal and reputational challenges faced by the church and its former pastor.