A longtime elder at Gateway Church in Southlake, TX., Tra Willbank, revised his advice for sex abuse victims of current or former leaders from reporting to the elders of the church to now reporting the abuse "to the police first."
"We are relieved to share with you that in the course of their investigation, Haynes and Boone did not learn of any other sexual assault allegation by Robert Morris. So, no other abuse by him has been reported or uncovered in the investigation. At this time, to our knowledge, there are no other victims beyond Cindy Clemishire," Willbanks told the congregation as he read from a prepared statement Sunday morning.
"However, we do want to be very clear to those of you sitting here today and to those of you that are not with us but who may hear or read our comments. If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse by a current or former leader of this church and you have not felt comfortable sharing your story, we ask that you would do so. You can contact us directly at connect@gatewayelders.com," Willbanks continued.
During the church's Saturday afternoon service, Willbank urged members to report any claims of sexual abuse by current or former leaders to the church, The Christian Post reports.
Survivor advocate Amy Smith posted Willbank's comments, stating, "In a now-deleted video on the Gateway Church YouTube account, elder Tra Wilbanks instructed church members yesterday to submit their allegations of sexual abuse at Gateway via email to church elders without mention of reporting to law enforcement."
In a now deleted video on the Gateway Church YouTube account, elder Tra Wilbanks instructed church members yesterday to submit their allegations of sexual abuse at Gateway via email to church elders without mention of reporting to law enforcement. @GatewayPeople pic.twitter.com/kPpqMpgnoB
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) November 3, 2024
She also pointed out that Gateway Church was criticized on social media for advising them to report crimes to elders instead of the police.
"Elder Tra Willbanks instructed church members yesterday to submit their allegations of sexual abuse at Gateway via email to church elders without mention of reporting to law enforcement," Smith noted on X Sunday, noting the discrepancy between the two statements.
During Willbanks' statement to the church on Sunday, victims were advised to report to the police first and tell the church only if they think it's necessary.
"If you or anyone you know is a victim of sexual abuse by a current or former leader of this church and you have not felt comfortable sharing your story, we ask that you please do. You can go to the police first, and if it's information that you believe we as leadership of Gateway need to know, you can contact us directly at connect@gatewayelders.com," Willbanks advised. "Your email will be held in the strictest of confidence. And to anyone out there. If you are a victim of sexual abuse as a child, please know that you cannot have consented. No child can consent to sexual abuse."
@watchkeep Replying to @Sue Ann #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen In a now deleted video on the Gateway Church YouTube account, elder Tra Wilbanks instructed church members yesterday to submit their allegations of sexual abuse at Gateway via email to church elders without mention of reporting to law enforcement.#gatewaychurch #shewas12 #notadragqueen #churchtoo ♬ original sound - watchkeep
When asked why didn't Willbanks initially tell the congregation about reporting the abuse to the police first, a spokesperson for Gateway Church told The Christian Post on Tuesday that "The elders' message, which is available on Gateway's YouTube, is all we can provide at this time."
Gateway Church founder Robert Morris resigned from Gateway Church on June 18, just days after Cindy Clemishire, 54, alleged that Morris sexually abused her in the 1980s starting when she was 12 years old. The abuse, which began on Dec. 25, 1982, went on for four-and-a-half years until it came to light. However, Morris was allowed to return to ministry.
At the time the allegations were made, Morris told The Christian Post he initially confessed to being involved in "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady" over 35 years ago and said he repented and was restored to ministry.
Elders at Gateway Church, who commissioned the independent investigation into Clemishire's allegations, initially defended Morris, stating that he was a married, traveling evangelist at the time of the alleged abuse, had already repented, and was biblically restored to ministry.
The elders later revised their public statement on the allegations in their announcement of Morris' resignation, explaining they were unaware Morris had sexually abused a child.
According to Willbanks, results of the Haynes & Boone investigation, which was completed a few weeks ago, were initially presented to a subcommittee of elders who have denounced sexual abuse in "all of its forms."
"What happened to Cindy was heartbreaking and vile, and we denounce any sexual abuse in all of its forms," he said. "We feel deep sorrow for those who have been victimized by such despicable actions, but I do want to take a minute, and I just want to appreciate Cindy for her bravery and for telling her story for helping bring some awareness to this issue. She has positively impacted countless lives."
WATCH: Gateway Church Live | An Update from the Elders | November 2–3
Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Gateway Church
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.