Son of Gateway Church’s disgraced former pastor abruptly resigns

Son of former Gateway Church pastor also resigns

There's another major leadership shakeup at a North Texas megachurch that saw its founder leave amid a scandal.

SOUTHLAKE, Texas - A Southlake megachurch is dealing with another shakeup.

A month after the founder of Gateway Church resigned as lead pastor, the church announced his son is also stepping down.

Pastor James Morris

Gateway Church has seen explosive growth since its founding 24 years ago. Its reported membership is now 100,000.

But exactly who will serve in the church’s most visible leadership roles in the future is not known.

The church elders announced Thursday that Pastor James Morris and his wife, Bridgette, have resigned from their positions at Gateway.

Bridgette Morris

The 39-year-old pastor is the son of disgraced former Pastor Robert Morris.

It had earlier been announced that James Morris would succeed his father as senior pastor of the church starting in 2025. But that was before the revelations about his father were widely reported.

Last month, an Oklahoma woman said Pastor Robert Morris had sexually abused her during a five-year period starting when she was 12 years old.

Morris had previously acknowledged having an inappropriate relationship with a "young lady" decades before, leaving out her age.

He resigned from his position as the senior pastor of Gateway several days after the woman’s accusation.

He has not faced any criminal charges related to his alleged conduct. And because the statute of limitations has passed, no future civil or criminal case will be filed against him.

Gateway said Pastor Max Lucado will step in as the church’s teaching pastor on an interim basis.