Gateway Church has officially named its new senior pastor who will replace Robert Morris.
The announcement comes just one year shy of Morris' exit in disgrace from the megachurch after admitting to "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady" after 55-year-old Cindy Clemishire claimed he molested her decades ago when she was 12 years old.
In March, the former senior pastor of the Southlake, Texas turned himself in to authorities at the Osage County Courthouse in Oklahoma. He was indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.
After his tumultuous resignation, the Southlake campus saw a steep decline in church attendance. And as CBN News Digital previously reported, Kenneth Fambro, one of the church's three remaining elders announced last year that tithes at the church had dropped by 35%-40% since Clemishire first revealed her allegations against Morris.
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In the latest development, Morris has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is now "demanding millions of dollars in payments and retirement benefits from the church following his resignation in 2024," CBS reports.
However, despite what's being described as the "chaos of his conduct" that has been "unleashed" on the congregation, the megachurch is moving forward to rebuild.
In February, Gateway elder Tra Willbanks shared that four new interim elders had come on board to support the church and he announced they were searching for a new senior pastor.
Over the weekend, Willbanks shared some good news for that local church.
"After a lot of prayer we're thrilled to announce that Pastor Daniel Floyd has accepted the call to become the senior pastor of Gateway Church," Willbanks said.
Floyd and his wife, Tammy, gave a heartfelt message to the congregation saying they were "honored and humbled to be stepping into this new role."
"For us, this isn't just a new assignment. It's a sacred calling. Twenty years ago, we had the privilege of planting Lifepoint Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and it's been the honor of our lives to shepherd that community. So, when we say this next season is a calling we don't take that lightly, and we mean it with all of our hearts," Floyd said.
Floyd shares that he and Tammy have been working with Gateway's elders over the last few months and received counseling from mentors about whether to step into the role.
After they "leaned into the voice of the Holy Spirit," they felt confirmation to go to Gateway.
"We're passionate about reaching those who are far from God with the life-transforming message of the gospel," Floyd said. "We're passionate about developing the next generation of leaders, and we're passionate about helping every person become everything that God's called them to be."
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