Dallas pastor removed for ‘inappropriate’ conduct as replacement’s ties to disgraced Gateway church are revealed
The IndependentThe latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Over the “past few years,” Josiah Anthony of Cross Timbers Church was involved in unexplained “events and circumstances… past few years” that church elder John Chalk said were disqualifying. Following Chalk’s announcement on Sunday, Cross Timbers founding pastor Toby Slough asked congregants to “let unchanging truth be our guiding light, even when it doesn’t feel that way.” “I’m grateful the Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” he said. Pastor Copeland subsequently sent her an apology via Slack later that evening.” Gateway Chuch recently made headlines when its founding pastor, Robert Morris, a former spiritual adviser to former President Donald Trump, admitted to past “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady.” The “young lady,” as it turned out, was 12 years old when the abuse began, and allegedly went on for five years. Cross Timbers, which boasts a membership of some 5,000 people, calls itself “A community of Jesus followers committed to sharing hope both locally and around the world.” The church, according to its website, is dedicated to “eeting emotional, practical and spiritual needs in the name of Jesus.” Anthony served at Cross Timbers for more than 10 years, oversaw a staff of 60, and was the congregation’s senior pastor at the time of his ouster.
History of this topic
Elders are removed from Texas megachurch in latest fallout from Trump pal Robert Morris sex abuse scandal
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Gateway Church: Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scandal set off a summer of turmoil
CNN
Texas Megachurch Pastor Resigns After Woman Says He Sexually Abused Her In The 1980s
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