Gateway Church has secured a significant legal win after a federal judge dismissed a class-action lawsuit accusing the Texas megachurch of misleading members about how their tithes were spent.
In a ruling issued June 23, U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant dismissed all claims against Gateway Church and its former founding pastor, Robert Morris, concluding that the First Amendment prevents courts from deciding disputes involving internal church governance and religious doctrine.
The lawsuit, filed by former members Katherine and Garry Leach and Mark and Terri Browder, alleged Gateway promised that 15% of tithes would fund global missions and Jewish ministries but instead redirected the money elsewhere. The plaintiffs also claimed the church failed to honor an alleged promise to refund dissatisfied donors.
Judge Mazzant ruled that deciding whether Gateway properly allocated donated funds would inevitably require the court to interpret religious beliefs and ministry decisions-something the Constitution forbids under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine.
Gateway attorney Ron Breaux welcomed the decision, calling it a victory for religious liberty.
"We are grateful that the United States District Court has dismissed all claims against Gateway," Breaux said. "The plaintiffs sought to second-guess Gateway's beliefs and decisions on the fundamental religious question of tithing."
The court also noted that the plaintiffs did not allege that Robert Morris or other church leaders personally enriched themselves with donated funds. Rather, the complaint argued that money intended for specific ministry initiatives was redirected to other charitable purposes, an issue the judge concluded was inseparable from protected church decision-making.
The ruling relied heavily on a 2025 Fifth Circuit decision reaffirming broad First Amendment protections for churches against government interference in ecclesiastical matters.
The decision comes as Gateway Church continues to navigate one of the most turbulent periods in its history.
The Southlake, Texas, megachurch has faced intense scrutiny since June 2024, when founding pastor Robert Morris resigned after allegations surfaced that he sexually abused Cindy Clemishire decades earlier when she was 12 years old. Morris later pleaded guilty in Oklahoma and served a six-month jail sentence.
Since then, Gateway has undergone major leadership changes while facing multiple lawsuits and declining attendance. Although this latest ruling represents an important courtroom victory, it does not erase the broader challenges the church continues to confront as it rebuilds trust following one of the biggest scandals in recent evangelical history.
