Former Dallas-area pastor released from prison after six months

Robert Morris was released from jail on Tuesday after serving six months for five counts of felony child sex abuse, his lawyer, Bill Mateja, confirmed to WORLD. Morris’ sentence at the Osage County Jail in Oklahoma was officially scheduled to end on Thursday. Morris also released a statement saying that what he did was wrong, and he was deeply sorry, according to a document shared with WORLD.

The former founder of Gateway Church will remain on probation, supervised by the state of Texas, for more than nine more years. As part of a plea deal, he also agreed to register as a sex offender and pay restitution to Cindy Clemishire, the woman who brought the charges against him. She accused Morris of sexually abusing her in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12. Morris pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2025 after previously maintaining his innocence.

When did Morris resign from Gateway Church? He left his pastoral position at the Dallas-area megachurch in 2024 after Clemishire’s allegations became public. The church also removed several other leaders after an investigation found they knew of the claims but stayed silent.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on Morris’ guilty plea.