Imagine if you were to give 10% of your income to your church, believing that the money would go to good causes but then you come to realize or discover that it might not be, and that’s not what everybody expects, right? Well, that is something going on with this Gateway Church Lawsuit Tithe, and you should certainly get to know about it a little more. You see, exactly that is now happening with regard to Gateway Church.
Here is where things take a turn for the bizarre: erstwhile pastor of Gateway Church, Robert Morris, actually offered a “money-back guarantee” for tithes. Yes, you heard right, he actually said that if a member was dissatisfied with what the church did with his or her tithes, he or she could get it back. Crazy, right? Well, now, some ex-members are saying that the church hasn’t fulfilled that promise and are suing to find out where all those dollars really went.
What’s the Backstory?
If you think like Gateway Church is a simple cozy neighborhood chapel, well, you should know about this matter a little more. You see, it is actually a megachurch that was founded in 2000 and grew into one with tens of thousands of members across multiple campuses. So with all those people, this church has raked in millions of dollars tens of millions each year in tithes, you know? Like, of those, the church claims that 15% goes for global ministry things like helping missionaries and supporting international causes.
But, here is the catch: former members allege that the church fell way short of this myth. You know, they claim instead of being about $15 million or more for global projects, it only puts out about $3 million. Sure enough, after feeling deceived, four former members have brought a lawsuit against Gateway, which accuses the congregation of mismanaging its money.
What’s So Bad About This Lawsuit?
Well, just so you know, by far, the lawsuit is based on two very broad things: broken promises and lack of transparency. The former members are primarily saying that the church did not keep its promise to use 15% of its tithes for global missions. The second point of contention is the flashy “money-back guarantee” that the church usually touts, you know? Like, it says that every time members are trying to get their dues as agreed upon, it happens that they are denied.
Though, this is not all of it. The lawsuit goes further, alleging that Gateway is not clear on the finances received by the church and how these are distributed. Sure enough, because of that, the plaintiffs are demanding refunds, yes, as well as a total opening on Gateway’s finances. They want to know: where’s the money really going? That’s all!
Leadership Shifts Enhance the Chaos
And as though the financial drama were not enough-the leadership of Gateway remains in disarray. Earlier this year, Pastor Robert Morris, the church’s founder and mega-church leader, stepped down after a charge of unrelated misconduct. Then, other key leaders have left, creating a leadership vacuum that has left members feeling very uneasy. Reports say attendance dropped by 25%, with some members opting out of attending church at all, you know?
What’s Gateway Saying?
Well, as of now, Gateway is rather silent about all this. Though, a spokesperson has simply stated that the church wants to take the allegations seriously and investigate them, and that’s all. You can expect that audits will be done, as well as more financial transparency in the future. But the cynics are just waiting to see whether the promises actually lead to change.