“A Young Lady,” An Old Story of Ongoing Sin

Like so many others I find myself taken aback by the recent resignation of Robert Morris, senior pastor of the massive Gateway Church in Texas. Morris resigned his position after it was made public that when he was a young, married pastor he had sexually abused a girl under his care over the space of four years. It’s bad enough that it was sexual sin. Worse still that it was sexual abuse of a child.

What is truly shocking, however, is that none of this is news. The sin came out right after it happened. Morris repented. Those in authority at the church affirmed their forgiveness. They removed Morris from the pulpit for two years, put him through a program of rehabilitation and restored him.

Over the years two things happened. Morris planted Gateway in 2000, starting with a flock of 180. It grew exponentially. Second, Morris occasionally made reference in his preaching and teaching to his moral failure. His references were admittedly vague. He acknowledged having engaged in sinful sexual behavior as a young, married pastor. He referred to the girl as “a young lady.” His confession wasn’t merely vague- it was a lie. She was no more a young lady than a drag queen is a young lady.

The leadership at the original church knew that the girl was 12 when this started. The leadership at Gateway says they did not know. The police knew nothing because they were never told. Not by Morris. Not by the girl. Not by her family. Not by the leadership of the church. No one told the ones who had proper jurisdiction over the crimes. Morris went on his way, now equipped with a nice story about his humility and God’s grace. The girl grew up, became a young lady, and languished, hung out to dry.

Pundits tend to say that the cover-up is always worse than the sin. That is not the case here. The cover-up, however, a deep and grievous sin, lasted not 4 years but 40 years. This secret sin endured the whole of his public ministry. This is the shame that rests on Morris and the elders of his first church.

It is true enough that things were handled differently back then. Sweeping these things under the rug was quite common. It just wasn’t talked about. All of which is likewise deep and grievous sin. One can no more excuse this cover-up on the grounds of it being a different era than one can excuse any other sin, like racism, that shamefully got a pass in another era.

No, the solution was never blaming the culture of the time, pretending a 12 year old girl is a young lady, hoping the whole thing would just go away. The solution then and now is repentance. From Morris, to the Lord who reigns, to the now woman, her family and the elders at Gateway. From the elders of the previous church to the Lord who reigns, the now woman, her family and the elders at Gateway.

We find, whether we are utterly unknown or pastor of one of the largest churches in the nation, forgiveness when we confess, judgment when we deny. May God be pleased to expose all our deepest failures, and may we all cry out for His mercy.