Gateway Church, Robert Morris agree to arbitrate lawsuit over retirement

The Dallas-area megachurch reportedly reached an agreement in the lawsuit brought by Robert Morris, the church’s disgraced former pastor, over millions of dollars’ worth of retirement funding. The parties agreed to move the proceedings out of state court and into arbitration, according to reporting by CBS News. Morris resigned from leadership in 2024 over allegations of child sexual abuse from the 1980s. The Gateway founder pleaded guilty last October to child sex abuse charges brought in Oklahoma. The apparent settlement with Gateway came less than two months after Morris served six months for the Oklahoma charges.

If Morris left because of sex abuse claims, how can he claim the church owes him anything? Morris initially sued the church in May 2025, alleging that church elders verbally promised him an $800,000 annual retirement income, according to CBS News. The payments would be reduced to $600,000 after Morris turned 70 and would continue as long as either he or his wife lives. The church’s filing took issue with Morris’ claim, arguing that at the time, Gateway was struggling to manage the fallout within the church after the accusations against Morris.

Tarrant County court records showed a settlement filed late last week, where both sides agreed to move the case to arbitration and pay for their own legal fees, according to CBS News. The case was also dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled at some point in the future. It remains unclear whether Morris or his wife, Debbie, will receive any payments from the church.