Gateway Church founding Pastor Robert Morris released from Oklahoma jail

Former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris walked out of the Osage County jail in Oklahoma overnight, after six months behind bars as part of his sentence on child sex abuse charges.

An automated notice sent by court officials showed Morris left the jail in Pawhuska just after midnight.  

Morris, who built his church in Southlake into one of the largest congregations in the country, pleaded guilty last October to charges he molested Cindy Clemishire, the now adult woman he admitted to molesting beginning in 1982 when she was just 12 years old.

Morris will serve 9.5 years of probation and spend the rest of his life on the sex offender registry.

Plea deal reached

The plea deal was reached with the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office and Clemishire.

"The most important thing for me was that he pled guilty to all five counts, and that he'd served some amount of time," she told CBS News Texas following the verdict.  "And, while most people think it's not enough, for me, it ensured that he would spend time behind bars."

Court records indicate Morris now plans to serve out his probation at his $1.5 million lakefront home in Palo Pinto County.

He'll be required to report his whereabouts to a probation officer and be barred from consuming alcohol, carrying a gun, or associating with other convicted felons.

How the case began

The allegations against Morris first came to light in 2024, after Clemishire shared her story with the Wartburg Watch, a blog chronicling cases of church abuse. The revelation led to Morris' resignation from Gateway.

At the time, Morris had radio and television programs with a global reach. He'd also written books and served as an advisor to President Trump.

Morris' son, who had been chosen to take over leadership of the church the following year, in 2025, also left, as well as elders who were alleged to have known about Morris' history with Clemishire.

Ongoing legal issues

Morris and the church are still immersed in several legal battles linked to his conviction.

Clemishire and her father have sued both Morris and the church, alleging they tried to cover up her abuse and defame her by suggesting she was to blame. The church has denied those claims.

Morris has also sued Gateway, claiming it promised him and his wife a retirement package paying out between $600,000-800,000 a year as long as either is alive. The church has denied that, as well.

A jailhouse visit Morris received in February from Fort Worth pastor Landon Schott has raised questions about Morris' future in the church.

Schott, who has criticized what he calls "cancel culture," proclaimed God had forgiven Morris.

"I loved the religious foul comments I got of, 'Why are you platforming him?'" Schott joked in a video posted to Instagram in response to criticism of his visit.

Morris family remains involved in ministry

Morris' family remains involved in various Texas churches and ministries.

James and Bridgette Morris, his son and daughter-in-law, now lead Passage Church in Southlake, just two miles from the Gateway campus.

Ethan Fisher, his son-in-law, leads Newlands Church in Katy, Texas, where Morris' daughter, Elaine, also serves as a pastor.

The Morrises' son Josh left Gateway and now heads up a life and leadership coaching company that serves the church community and non-profits.

Morris himself has not commented on his future plans.

CBS News Texas has reached out to Gateway Church for a statement about Morris' release, but has not heard back.