(CNN) 鈥� Dallas-area megachurch pastor聽Robert Morris admitted to 鈥渋nappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady鈥� in the 1980s after a woman accused him of molesting her when she was 12 years old, according to a statement obtained by聽.
The woman, Cindy Clemishire, told WFAA the abuse started on Christmas Day in 1982 and continued until 1987, when she told her parents. The Wartburg Watch, a church watchdog blog, her account Friday.
Morris, a senior pastor at Gateway Church and a member of锘� then-candidate Donald Trump鈥檚 Evangelical Executive Advisory Board during the 2016 campaign, did not mention the name or age of the girl in his statement but said the inappropriate behavior lasted several years.
鈥淲hen I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years,鈥� the pastor said in his statement.
Morris鈥� behavior was 鈥渂rought to light鈥� in 1987 while he was a pastor at Shady Grove Church in Grand Prairie, which has since become one of Gateway Church鈥檚 11 locations, WFAA reported.
鈥淚n March of 1987,聽this situation was brought to light, and聽it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady鈥檚 father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area,鈥� Morris said in his statement, adding he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in 1989.
鈥淚 asked their forgiveness, and they graciously forgave me,鈥� he said.
Clemishire told WFAA that though her family forgave him, they never supported Morris returning to the ministry.
鈥淚 think leaders can get caught up and think it鈥檚 our responsibility to protect God and it鈥檚 not. Our responsibility is to protect the people,鈥� she added. 鈥淕od is bigger than all of that.鈥�
CNN has sought comment from, Morris and Gateway Church, as well as Clemishire and her attorney.
In a statement to WFAA, Gateway Church said Morris underwent a two-year 鈥渞estoration process鈥� after a 鈥渕oral failure鈥� in his twenties.
鈥淧astor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper Biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process,鈥� the church鈥檚 statement said.
鈥淭he two-year restoration process was closely administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included him stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving professional counseling and freedom ministry counseling,鈥� the statement continued. 鈥淪ince the resolution of the 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures.鈥�
In 2016, Morris was part of Trump鈥檚 Evangelical Executive Advisory Board, the campaign announced in a聽 at the time. Trump also held a聽 in 2020 and Morris led a prayer before the event.
Morris does not have a role with the 2024 campaign, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told CNN.
Morris鈥� son,聽聽duties in 2025 with the elder Morris remaining a primary speaker on weekends, according to聽the church鈥檚 website.
The-CNN-Wire
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