Pastor Advocates for Forgiveness of Convicted Church Founder
In a notable display of forgiveness, Pastor Landon Schott of Mercy Culture Church in Texas has publicly stated that God has forgiven Robert Morris, founder of Gateway Church, who is currently incarcerated for child sex abuse. Morris is serving a six-month sentence in Osage County Jail, Oklahoma, and is anticipated to be released around Easter.
Schott, a protégé of Morris, shared his experience of visiting the jailed pastor and the spiritual insight he gained during this visit. Having established the Mercy Culture Church based on a blessing from Morris in 2017, Schott explained in a Facebook post that God conveyed a message of forgiveness for Morris on the day of his imprisonment, coinciding with the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.
Schott remarked, “Today was deeply personal for me. I visited Pastor Robert Morris in prison… The Lord spoke to me, ‘I have forgiven him.’” This message was kept private until Schott realized Morris was slated for release during the Easter period, resonating with themes of resurrection and new beginnings.
According to Schott, despite the gravity of sin, divine mercy prevails. He emphasized, “Sin is serious. It grieves the heart of God. But the cross is more serious. The blood of Jesus is stronger than failure. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
In 2025, following allegations of sexual abuse from the 1980s involving Cindy Clemishire, Morris was indicted and pled guilty to charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child. He accepted a plea deal for a 10-year suspended sentence, with the condition of serving the initial six months in jail. His lawyer, Bill Mateja, stated, “He simply accepted responsibility for his crime from the mid-1980s and pled guilty… He readily accepted responsibility in the eyes of the law by virtue of his guilty plea.”
For more details on the legal proceedings, refer to the official indictment documentation and the surrender announcement.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
