Gateway’s Church Service Yesterday Was a Sad, Half-Empty Affair
Yesterday’s Sunday service at Gateway church’s Southlake campus was a sad affair, marked by low attendance, a recorded message, and several families walking out halfway through the apology.
Unlike Saturday’s service, which featured a packed church listening to Gateway Elder Tra Willbanks addressing the congregation and apologizing to them and Cindy Cleminshire following allegations of Robert Morris, all the while protesters gathered outside, Sunday’s atmosphere was completely different.
The 11:00 am service was half empty. It featured live music and then a brief message from Plano Campus pastor Jelani Lewis, who shared, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram:
“I’m so sorry. I know that many of us are coming today and we’re all in different places. Some of us have come in today and we’re heartbroken. Some of us have come in today and we’re angry. Some of us have come in today and we’re not sure what to feel and then some of us have never been more hopeful.”
Rather than have a message from a pastor or elder present in the room, the church instead played the aforementioned video by Willabanks, seen below, resulting in many people walking out halfway throug, and then a recorded sermon from Joakim Lundqvist, the lead pastor of Life Church in Uppsala, Sweden, filled out the rest of the service
.Lewis concluding by inviting members to sign up for a chance to talk to a pastor about their feelings about the situation.