The son of Gateway Church founder Robert Morris has resigned after previously being anointed to lead the megachurch, the organization said.
Gateway said in a statement Thursday that church elders earlier this week met with James Morris and his wife, Bridgette, and made the decision for Morris and his wife to step down from their current positions and from leading the church in the future.
James Morris, 39, had previously been chosen to become the lead pastor at Gateway starting in 2025, succeeding his father, Robert Morris. The elder Morris founded the church in 2000 and led the Southlake-based church to become one of the largest megachurches in the country.
Robert Morris resigned from his position as senior pastor in June, several days after an Oklahoma woman said Robert Morris had sexually abused her from 1982 to 1987, beginning when she was 12 years old.
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Morris, 62, has not been criminally charged, and the statute of limitations for a criminal or civil case may have passed.
A Thursday post on Gateway’s Facebook page said the church planned to share several “important updates” with the congregation during services this weekend.
