For over a year, Gateway Church has been in search of a new pastor to guide the congregation into its next chapter following the resignation of founder Robert Morris.
That search officially came to an end on Aug. 16 as church leadership and attendees commissioned Daniel Floyd as Gateway Church鈥檚 new lead pastor.
Floyd comes to Tarrant County from Virginia, where he and his wife, Tammie Floyd, founded and served as senior pastors of Lifepoint Church since 2005. Over the past two decades, the church has grown to have five locations in the state and a college.
Gateway Church elders announced Daniel Floyd鈥檚 appointment in late May, and over 4,000 attendees gathered at its main campus in Southlake Saturday afternoon for his commissioning service and first official sermon in the new role.
The church had to use its overflow room to accommodate the number of attendees, Floyd said during the service.
During his sermon, Floyd told congregants he understood the weight of the moment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a significant day. It鈥檚 a day where we turn the page and we begin to write a new story. But it鈥檚 also not the day that we erase previous chapters,鈥� Floyd said.
鈥淚 just want you to know that your prayers aren鈥檛 wasted,鈥� he added.
Floyd鈥檚 message touched congregants like Debra Narvarte, 57. While her main church is in Cedar Hills, she has been attending Gateway鈥檚 Saturday services since long before Morris resigned.
鈥淚 was disappointed in the whole situation, but I know God is good, and I know God can take anything and make good out of it. And I knew that was going to happen,鈥� Navarte said.
In June 2024, Gateway Church members were rocked when decades-old child sexual abuse accusations against Morris were made public.
After the allegations were revealed, the congregation faced a series of exits by leadership.
Robert Morris鈥� son, James Morris, was set to assume the role of Gateway鈥檚 senior pastor in spring 2025 but the month after his father. He has since started his own congregation called Passage Church.
A number of elders and employees who knew of allegations against Morris prior to his resignation were removed from their roles in November 2024. In the fallout, attendance at Gateway campuses , from about 25,000 people each weekend to about 19,000, according to The Dallas Morning News.
In June 2025, Gateway Church leadership it would lay off staff members due to a 鈥渟ignificant drop鈥� in financial giving. Last month, the congregation said it was Saturday services at all campuses except for Southlake.
Over the past year, a number of lawsuits against Gateway also came to light. In October 2024, a group of Gateway congregants alleging the church engaged in financial fraud when leaders falsely promised members that a portion of their tithes would go toward foreign missionary work.
Cindy Clemishire and her father filed a lawsuit on June 12, 2025, against Morris and his wife along with current and former Gateway Church leadership for defamation and failing to report the alleged abuse.
Gateway Church also filed a lawsuit against Morris on May 13, 2025, after refusing his request for millions of dollars as part of his retirement package.
Morris is also facing of lewd or indecent acts with a child in a criminal case filed in Osage County, Oklahoma. He made his first court appearance May 9.
A is scheduled for Sept. 4. Morris has entered a plea of not guilty.
Throughout the series of events that began in June 2024, the congregation saw a series of familiar and new faces join the Southlake church.
Max Lucado, a Christian author and San Antonio pastor has been serving in an role. He was joined by Joakim Lundqvist, a pastor for Word of Life Church, a previous guest speaker for Gateway. During the Aug. 16 service, Lundqvist announced in a video that he would continue serving the church until the end of the year.
was as Gateway Church鈥檚 executive pastor in July. In 2019, he spearheaded the church鈥檚 Gateway Center for Israel.
Oscar Morales, Brad Moore, Randy McFarland and Mark Mueller joined the church鈥檚 elder board for an interim period beginning in January 2025. Gateway Church elder Tra Willbanks told attendees during the Aug. 16 service the four men would remain on the board moving forward.
The elders underwent a 鈥渢houghtful and thorough鈥� interview process in search of their new lead pastor, Willbanks told congregants during the service. Floyd was interviewed by the entire board. Daniel and Tammie Floyd met the church staff in March. By April, the decision was unanimous, Willbanks added.
鈥淧astor Daniel is the leader we believe God has appointed to guide Gateway into this new chapter, and in the coming weeks, he will be sharing a fresh vision for the church,鈥� Willbanks said.
Looking ahead, Floyd plans to visit all Gateway Church campuses. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take all of us to do what I believe God wants us to do,鈥� he said.
鈥淥ur best days are not behind us,鈥� Floyd told the church. 鈥淥ur best days are in front of us.鈥�
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org.
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