The Gateway Church in Texas saw another high-ranking pastor leave over what's being described as a "moral issue." Per CBS News, Kemtal Glasgow was fired from his pastoral position. He's the fourth leader to leave the church over a span of two months. The church asked for Glasgow's resignation, which was addressed by one of the elders, Tra Willbanks.
"We were informed last week of a moral issue, which we believe as elders disqualifies him from the role he had at Gateway. [The Gateway Church group loves] his family. We love his wife and his kids. And we want to come alongside them during this difficult time and help them find restoration and healing that they need as a family," Willbanks said in a statement.
Additionally, the Gateway Church issued a formal statement regarding Glasgow's exit. "At Gateway, it's our deepest desire for every staff member to lead a life of integrity. Both in their personal and professional lives. It recently came to light that Kemtal Glasgow had a moral failure. So, we've asked him to step down as a pastor at Gateway and devote time to his marriage and family," the statement reads.
"Although his employment is ending, we are devoted to still caring for Kemtal and his family. To be clear, this decision regarding Kemtal had nothing to with the departure of Robert Morris nor related to those circumstances. We are praying for God's grace and love to be with Kemtal and his family during this time."
A High-Ranking Texas Megachurch Pastor Is Fired Over A Moral Issue
A member of the church, Katherine Leach, was devastated by the news. "It's tragic. I feel for his wife and family. It's heartbreaking. It's just ongoing, and it's horrible," Leach stated. In the midst of the church's myriad controversies, she hadn't attended since June.
"I couldn't in all good conscience. [Leach] came here, brought water to protesters. I wanted to go inside and see how things were handled and quite honestly, at the time I was appalled with it. It seemed like business as usual."
When we at Wide Open Country learn more, we'll be sure to keep our readership informed.
