Ep. 480: Gateway Church, Trinity Broadcasting, Burk Parsons and the PCA

On today’s program, sexual abuse victim Cindy Clemishire has filed a civil lawsuit against Gateway Church and its founding pastor Robert Morris. She claims church leaders knew she was 12 years old when Morris began abusing her, and defamed her when they tried to cover it up. We’ll have details.

And cuts to federal funding are sending some nonprofits into a tailspin…some see the cuts as an attack. Others see opportunity. We spoke with ministry experts who weigh in.

Plus, Trinity Broadcasting is set to open a $134-million senior living facility in Orlando, Florida.

But first, the Burk Parsons has been suspended as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America after a church commission found him guilty on several charges. Burk Parsons, senior pastor of St. Andrew’s Chapel and chief editorial officer and teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries, has been found guilty by a church judicial commission on three charges and indefinitely suspended from his role as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Jessica Eturralde, Adelle Banks, Clemente Lisi, and Brittany Smith.

A special thanks to Religion UnPlugged for contributing material for this week’s podcast.

Until next time, may God bless you.

 

MANUSCRIPT: 

 

FIRST SEGMENT

Warren:

Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Natasha:

And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast.

Warren:

On today’s program, sexual abuse victim Cindy Clemishire has filed a civil lawsuit against Gateway Church and its founding pastor Robert Morris. She claims church leaders knew she was 12 years old when Morris began abusing her, and defamed her when they tried to cover it up. We’ll have details.

And cuts to federal funding are sending some nonprofits into a tailspin…some see the cuts as an attack. Others see opportunity. We spoke with ministry experts who weigh in.

Plus, Trinity Broadcasting is set to open a $134-million senior living facility in Orlando, Florida.

Natasha:

But first, the Burk Parsons has been suspended as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America after a church commission found him guilty on several charges.

Warren:

Burk Parsons, senior pastor of St. Andrew’s Chapel and chief editorial officer and teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries, has been found guilty by a church judicial commission on three charges and indefinitely suspended from his role as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

At a public meeting on June 12, the judicial commission of the Central Florida Presbytery announced the decision. The defense told the commission it plans to appeal.

Natasha:

What was he convicted of?

Warren:

Specifically, Parsons was unanimously found guilty on three charges of “being harsh, ungentle, and unkind to those under his care or with whom he interacts”; “not being a humble servant leader but instead ‘lording it over others’ (i.e, autocratic) and being domineering, contentious, and quarrelsome/pugnacious in his leadership so that those in his care and in his ‘leadership orbit’ were intimidated, bullied, and/or afraid”; and “slandering and/or demeaning other servants and churches of our Lord.”

He was found not guilty on two other charges, which were not specifically listed in the report.

Natasha:

According to the judicial commission’s report, Parsons’ trial was held between May 12 and 28 and included over 55 witnesses and 45 hours of proceedings.

Warren:

Parsons is indefinitely suspended from his duties as a teaching elder, including preaching, teaching, administering the sacraments, and participating in church courts. He is not suspended from receiving the sacraments.

Natasha:

Next, more news from the Dallas megachurch Gateway, and its former pastor Robert Morris, who resigned after admitting to having an inappropriate sexual relationship with an underage girl.

Warren:

That girl is Cindy Clemishire. Now, she and her father Jerry filed suit last week in Dallas County, Texas, against Gateway Church and its elders, plus founding pastor Robert Morris and his wife Deborah, for defamation, conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Clemishire claims that when Morris declared he’d been “involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” and claimed the Clemishire family had “graciously forgiven [him],” that he was making false and defamatory statements that had a tendency to harm or lower her reputation.

Natasha:

The lawsuit asserts that the Gateway defendants have benefited financially from Morris’s moral failures, having “made millions of dollars…preaching about sexual immorality and redemption all while concealing the true facts.”

Warren:

Much of the lawsuit surrounds allegations of when the Gateway leadership knew the specifics of Morris’s actions, including Clemishire’s age. She was 12 and Morris was 22 when the abuse began.

Warren:

In 2000, Morris founded Gateway Church.

In 2005, Clemishire emailed Morris to confront him about his abuse. She said she received a response from then-elder Tom Lane. In it, Lane says that Morris “has been completely open with the Elders of Gateway Church about his past and specifically about his indiscretion with you.”

In February 2007, Morris’s attorney Shelby Sharpe, who represented him in response to Clemishire’s communications, sent an email to Clemishire’s attorney that blamed Clemishire, at least in part, for the abuse.

Natasha:

These communications are important because they plainly show that church leaders knew of Morris’s behavior. Some of the elders of the church at that time are now claiming they did not know.

Warren:

Clemishire asserts that no later than 2011, the Gateway elders knew that she was a child when Morris began sexually abusing her.

Clemishire’s lawsuit seeks damages for loss of her reputation, for mental anguish and psychological pain, and for exemplary damages because she claims the defendants acted with malice.

MinistryWatch reached out to Gateway, but a spokesperson declined to comment.

Natasha:

Aside from her own case against Morris and Gateway, Clemishire also testified in favor of Trey’s Law—a bill that makes nondisclosure agreements unenforceable in child sexual abuse cases. Last week, Missouri signed that bill into law.

Warren:

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has signed a bill into law voiding nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in child sexual abuse cases.

Trey’s Law, so titled for Trey Carlock who died by suicide after suffering sexual abuse at the hands of Peter Newman at Kanakuk Kamps, makes NDAs signed after August 28, 2025, unenforceable in childhood sexual abuse claims, the Springfield News-Leader reported.

The law was passed as an amendment to House Bill 737 in April.

Natasha:

Until now, Tennessee had been the only state to have passed a law — in 2018 — specifically prohibiting NDAs in civil child sexual abuse settlements, rendering them “void and unenforceable.”

Warren:

Senate Bill 835 by Sen. Angela Paxton also passed in Texas in late May and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Greg Abbott. It makes an NDA “void and unenforceable as against the public policy of the state” if it “prohibits a party from disclosing an act of sexual abuse or facts related to an act of sexual abuse to any other person.”

Natasha:

Next, authorities have cleared charges of sexual assault and indecent assault against a Texas pastor.

Warren:

Last July, MinistryWatch reported on the arrest of Rev. Ronnie Goines, lead pastor of Koinonia Christian Church, who turned himself in to authorities after police issued two warrants for his arrest.

Investigators filed two criminal charges against Goines — one for indecent assault and another for sexual assault. According to WFAA News 8 and court records, a woman who joined Goines’ church in 2022 accused him of making repeated unwanted advances during two encounters at his apartment in March 2023—allegations he denies, though a recording reportedly captures him apologizing for making her uncomfortable.

Natasha:

This March, a grand jury no-billed Goines on the sexual assault charge, concluding insufficient evidence to justify proceeding with a formal indictment, confirming that he will not go to trial in a sex assault case.

Warren:

According to Tarrant County court records, the prosecutor dismissed the misdemeanor indecent assault charge in April.

However, although authorities have dropped all charges against Goines, he now faces a civil lawsuit.

Natasha:

Court records show the same woman who accused him of sexual assault filed a separate civil suit in Tarrant County in February.

Warren:

She is seeking $1 million in damages.

Goines announced in October that he was returning to the church after the interim lead pastor said he was asked to resign. In a statement earlier this year, Koinonia said that the church supports Goines and believes the accusations against him are motivated by financial reasons.

Natasha:

Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, What foundations are doing in the face of Federal funding cuts.

I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.

 

BREAK

 

SECOND SEGMENT

Natasha:

Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.

Next, the story we promised before the break.

Warren:

In the wake of federal funding cuts affecting nonprofits, over 150 organizations have signed a pledge urging grantmakers to extend their support and funnel fresh funds to hard-hit advocacy groups that have lost federal contracts.

Earlier this year, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, a funder-to-funder advocacy initiative, launched the “Meet the Moment” campaign.

Natasha:

More than 144 grantmaking organizations have already signed the Meet the Moment pledge as funder signatories, with 31 nonprofits, membership bodies, and philanthropy-influencing groups that have formally endorsed the commitment.

Warren:

While some non-profit leaders have criticized President Trump for cutting funding, others say this government pull back creates opportunity.

James Whitford is author of The Crisis of Dependency and founder of True Charity—a growing network of more than 200 like-minded organizations dedicated to revitalizing civil society’s role in the fight against poverty.

Whitford claims that America “never got out of the relief business” following the Great Depression. He argues that accepting government funds prevents Christian nonprofits from applying the Gospel’s transformative power, leaving them to treat symptoms rather than root causes. He contends that government intervention “crowds out” private charity, and individual giving and civil society initiatives inevitably shrink when the state meets basic needs.

Natasha:

How should charity work?

Warren:

In a recent interview with MinistryWatch, Whitford said grassroots nonprofits, churches, and local charities in True Charity’s network increasingly move away from one-way handouts and embrace “poverty-resolution” strategies that foster relationships, track measurable outcomes, and empower individuals to earn income. He says civil society is bridging the gap as federal support declines.

Flourishing happens when individuals are restored in their relationship with God, others, work, and self—not just through financial assistance, he said. He added that while larger organizations still have a role, all ministries should lean into a theology of trust, knowing God is not surprised by the upheaval and remains at work even in seasons of scarcity.

Natasha:

Next, some lost retirement funds owed to retirees of the AME church might be returned.

Warren:

Some 4,500 clergy and staffers who lost funds in a retirement plan of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, continue to await the fulfillment of a pledge made by the historically Black denomination to make “participants whole.”

Natasha:

The AME Church has been accused of mishandling the retirement funds, leaving many plan participants with about 30% of what they had hoped to use for retirement.

Warren:

The denomination accused its former retirement department head of embezzlement after discovering in 2021 that he provided “deceptive, false and grossly inflated financial statements” about the retirement plan.

AME Church staffers could soon see a court’s final approval of proposed partial settlements with the church and Newport Group Inc., a third-party administrator involved with the church’s retirement services, which would return a portion of lost funds.

Under a preliminary settlement agreement, the AME Church was to make two payments totaling $20 million into a settlement fund and Newport was to deposit $40 million in that fund.

Others are continuing with litigation, scheduled for trial next April, which is not part of these settlements.

Natasha:

Next, a Colorado church settles case to operate temporary housing on its property.

Warren:

The Rock church can continue its ministry to temporarily house homeless persons after it reached a settlement agreement with the town of Castle Rock, Colorado.

According to a press statement by First Liberty, a non-profit law firm that defends religious liberty, Castle Rock will recognize the church’s ability to operate on-site temporary shelters, to use its building as an emergency shelter, and to operate its coffee shop.

The city will also pay $225,000 toward the church’s attorney’s fees.

Natasha:

The church, which occupies 54 acres on the edge of Castle Rock, has two trailers located on the property that serve as temporary shelters for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Warren:

Its goal is to help them get back on their feet with stable employment and stable living arrangements. The church also has entered into a partnership with the Red Cross to provide shelter in its main church building during times of emergency, such as after a severe winter storm or fire.

Now, the two parties have reached a permanent settlement agreement allowing The Rock to use its property to provide temporary housing for those in need. Additionally, the Town of Castle Rock may install fencing or landscaping to help screen the temporary housing units from the surrounding neighborhood.

Natasha:

Warren, we’re going to take another break. When we return, our lightning round of ministry news of the week.

I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith. More in a moment.

 

BREAK

 

THIRD SEGMENT

Natasha:

Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch Podcast.

Warren, we like to use this last segment as a sort of lightning round of shorter news briefs.

What’s up first?

Warren:

Trinity Broadcast Network, a broadcast network built with the donations of millions of donors over the years, is now getting into the senior living center business.

Last month, Trinity Community Development Foundation, a nonprofit subsidiary formed by Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), secured $134 million in publicly offered tax-exempt bonds to build Millenia Moments Orlando, which will include 151 independent living units, 78 assisted living units, and 32 memory care units.

The release says TBN formed the Trinity Community Development Foundation in 2024 to own TBN’s senior living projects.

In January, mostly due to high net assets and leadership salaries, TBN’s donor confidence score fell from 45 to 25, placing it in the “Withhold Giving” category in the MinistryWatch Database. Its overall financial efficiency rating is now 2 stars.

Natasha:

What’s next?

Warren:

More Americans believe that religion is important in shaping public life.

A 27-page report, put together by the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations project, reports that more Americans say their faith is stronger, their churches more vibrant and their involvement more consistent than at any point in recent memory.

The EPIC study mirrors one put out last week by Gallup, which showed that 34% of U.S. adults said they believe religion is increasing its influence in American life — up from 20% just a year ago.

A majority of Americans (59%) continue to say religion is losing its influence on U.S. society, but that figure is down from 75% a year ago. A Pew Research Center report from this past February also showed that the decline in Christianity had stabilized following a two-decade slide.

Now there’s a lot more to this study, so if you’re curious to learn more, I’d recommend reading the whole story at MinistryWatch.com

Natasha:

Next, we’ve got an update from our MinistryWatch 1000 Database:

Warren:

With summer upon us, the mid-June list includes the 20 largest Christian camps and conference centers by total revenue in the MinistryWatch 1000 database.

Total revenue for the 20 camps and conference centers on the list is almost $310 million. The largest is Echoing Hills in Ohio, a camp for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with revenue of about $39 million. The smallest is Sandy Cove Ministries, a camp and retreat center on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Its total revenue was about $7 million.

To learn more about these ministries, click on the ministry’s name and read its complete MinistryWatch profile.

While the list is not meant as recommendations for giving, it includes each ministry’s transparency grade, financial efficiency rating, and donor confidence score.

Natasha:

Who did Brittany look at in this week’s Ministry Spotlight?

Warren:

One Collective, formerly International Teams, saw a number of its Ministry Watch ratings change over the last month. It is now in the bottom 40% for financial efficiency in the Foreign Missions sector.

The organization, based out of Elgin, Illinois, serves in communities around the world. One Collective’s mission is to bring “people together around the ways of Jesus to create lasting change in our world today.”

This month, One Collective’s overall financial rating dropped from 3 Stars to 2 Stars. In part because it has a 1-Star resource allocation rating. It spends 7% on fundraising and 14% on general and administrative costs.

From 2023 to 2024 its revenue decreased from $15.1 million to $12.9 million.

One Collective has an A Transparency Grade—it posts both its Form 990s and audited financials on its website.

Natasha:

Warren, any final thoughts before we go?

Warren:

Warren Ad-Lib JUNE 52 of 70 raised.

WEBINAR next week

Recurring Donor Appeal.

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Natasha:

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Jessica Eturralde, Adelle Banks, Clemente Lisi, and Brittany Smith.

A special thanks to Religion UnPlugged for contributing material for this week’s podcast.

I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado.

Warren:

And I’m Warren Smith, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Natasha:

You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.  Until next time, may God bless you.