I was thrown out of Gateway Church by armed guards for speaking out over ‘child sex abuse’ scandal

A woman says she was thrown out of a Texas megachurch by armed guards after speaking out about claims that child abuse allegations were mishandled.

Valentina Hansen, 47, of Grapevine, says her membership at Gateway Church, where she served on the congregation for three years, was revoked in retaliation for her public criticism of the church.

Hansen, a federal law enforcement officer for the DOJ, told DailyMail.com that the megachurch attempted to silence her for revealing the truth about senior members of the church.

Despite having her membership revoked, Hansen said many people have applauded her for standing up.

“The reason I did it is because since I started exposing the truth about Gateway, so many people have contacted me, ex-members, staff, current staff, current members, and said, ‘Thank you so much because I was my voice, I wasn’t strong enough. That happened to me.

“So there’s so many of those messages, you know, that’s what’s kept me going,” Hansen said.

Robert Morris, 63, the founder and senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, has been accused of sexually abusing former family friend Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s when she was just 12 years old. He has since resigned

Robert Morris, 63, the founder and former senior pastor of Gateway Church, one of the nation’s largest megachurches, has been accused of sexually assaulting former family friend Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s when she was just 12 years old.

On Aug. 23, Hansen said in a Facebook post that she and another longtime member of Gateway sat down with Tra Willbanks, a Gateway elder, and Lena Valle, the campus pastor, to discuss Clemishire’s case.

On September 6, she received a letter from the church saying she was no longer welcome, and when she tried to show up for service the next day she was denied entry.

During the meeting, Hansen said Willbanks “falsely claimed” that the church’s attorney had been in contact with Clemenshire’s legal team “about recovery efforts for her trauma” caused by Morris’ alleged actions.

On September 7, Hansen filmed herself trying to enter Gateway Church, but was soon stopped by an armed guard (pictured)

After Morris made allegations of “sexual conduct with a child,” he confessed to a “moral failure” and resigned from his ministry.

Hansen and another member spoke with Willbanks, a Gateway elder, and Lena Valle, the campus pastor, to discuss Cindy Clemishire’s case. (photo: Cindy Clemishire)

The letter Hansen received from Gateway, reviewed by DailyMail.com, said: ‘The past three months have been the most challenging in Gateway Church’s history, and it has been a time of completely understandable concern and appropriate, serious questions about the interests of the Church. leadership of its members.

“While we recognize that we must rely on the power of Christ to guide all our actions, the Council of Elders believes that it has done and continues to do its utmost to be responsive and empathetic to the current concerns of its members.

“As believers, all members of the Gateway community are bound by the commandments of the Bible, even in difficult times.

“Despite our sincere efforts to walk with you on the path to understanding and reconciliation, the Council believes that you have violated the Biblical requirements by continuing to sow discord and conflict.

Despite having her membership revoked, Hansen said many people have applauded her for standing up, including former members, current members and staff of Gateway Church (pictured).

After raising her concerns, Hansen received a letter from the church’s board of elders on September 6, accusing her of “disagreement and conflict” when they revoked her membership.

“Considering the wisdom of Titus 3:10, and consistent with our role as the highest ecclesiastical authority of the Gateway Church as set forth in the Church’s bylaws, it is with heavy hearts that we now inform you that we believe that it is necessary to make the difficult decision to release yourself from your church membership and volunteer work at this time.

The church added: “Please understand that this decision was not made lightly and is rooted in our deep commitment to pursuing the well-being of the entire church body. We will of course continue to care for you, pray for your continued spiritual growth and wish you the best in your next church home.’

On September 7, Hansen filmed herself trying to enter Gateway Church, but was soon prevented from doing so by an armed guard.

Although she said she “expected” to face consequences if she showed up for the service that day, “the letter did not mention that I cannot attend church.”

“It just said my membership had been revoked and my volunteer work was no longer needed,” she added

Hansen explained that you do not have to be a member of the church to attend the service.

During the meeting, Hansen said Willbanks (pictured) “falsely claimed” that the church’s attorney had been in contact with Clemenshire’s legal team “about recovery efforts for her trauma” caused by Morris’ alleged actions.

In the video, she was seen walking through the entrance just before an armed guard approached her and told her she couldn’t come in.

Hansen then asked to speak to his manager and was soon introduced to Mr Miles and three other men who confirmed she was not allowed.

She admitted that she felt “embarrassed” and “intimidated” not because they were armed men, but because of the way they handled the situation so publicly after being asked to leave by Southlake Police Department security guards and officers .

On September 13, she received another letter from the church stating that she was not allowed to attend services at Gateway.

“So I sent a letter back saying, ‘I need clarification. I need to know which businesses you actually own and operate. “I don’t want to violate this, so you need to be more detailed,” she said. .

Lawrence Swicegood, a spokesperson for the church, told DailyMail.com that Hansen’s membership was revoked “due to her continued actions and proactive stance against” the megachurch.

“Within hours, she took to her social media account to discredit the facts given to her, calling out the elders as ‘providing false information’ that is baseless and untrue,” Swicegood said.

He added that this isn’t the first time Hansen has been told to leave a church because of “her disruptive behavior.”

“She told a staff member at Gateway Church several years ago, when interviewed for a volunteer position, that she had been removed from another church because of her actions.

“We are saddened that Mrs. Hansen has chosen not to believe the truth and we wish her all the best in her search for a new church.”

Hansen said she was previously drawn to the popular church because of the sense of community it offered, but now she will never go back. (photo: Robert and his wife Debbie Morris)

Hansen told DailyMail.com that of the four churches she has attended in her life, “Gateway Church is the only church that has dismissed me as a member.”

She added, “And here it goes… if I supposedly had a conversation with someone at church about my dismissal from a previous church, why not mention the name of the church?”

On Wednesday, Hansen sent a defamation letter to the church, demanding that the religious institution stop “spreading false and defamatory information about my church affiliations and personal experiences.”

She hasn’t heard from the church since September 13.

Hansen said she was previously drawn to the popular church because of the sense of community it offered, but now she will never go back.

“I’m not going back to Gateway. “I believe that the entire eldership of Gateway Church, especially those personally selected by Robert Morris, should leave,” she said.

‘Gateway needs to be completely cleaned up. They must make the bride of Christ pure again,” she said.

Hansen recalled another church member telling her that “Gateway Church is prostituting the bride of Christ.

‘And that has to stop. And the only way that’s going to happen is a complete cleansing of the church,” she added.