Gateway Church is a Bible-based, evangelistic, Spirit-empowered church founded in 2000 by Pastor Robert Morris. It is a non-denominational church based in South lake, Texas. With an estimated weekly attendance of 100,000 as of 2022. The Church is one of the largest churches in the United States.
GATEWAY CHURCH FOUNDER
Pastor Robert Morris is the founder of Gateway Church. He was born on 29 July, 1961 in Marshall, Texas. Robert got married to his wife, Debbie Morris in 1980. They have been married for 40 years and they are blessed with three children and eight grandchildren.
In 2018, Pastor Robert Morris had a near-death experience which he said changed is life. Pastor Robert Morris had catastrophic internal bleeding in April, 2018. He would later learn he had two cantaloupe-sized hematomas from two ruptured arteries.
GATEWAY CHURCH BELIEFS
“We are a body of believers relentlessly following the Holy Spirit, helping people encounter Jesus, experience community, and embrace mission.”
The Gateway Church believes in One true God, The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, The bible, Humanity and Salvation.
MINISTRY
Gateway Church started off in Texas with its first service held on Easter morning, April 23, 2000, at the Hilton Hotel in Grapevine. The service had approximately 180 people in attendance. In June 2003 the church moved into its first permanent building, which is a 600-seat, 64,000-square-foot (5,900 m2) facility on Southlake Blvd. The current Gateway facility was opened in 2010 and it is a 64-acre (26 ha) property with a 4,000-seat sanctuary.
In 2008, the church began work on a new main campus located along State Highway 114 and the project was a massive one. It included a 4,000-seat sanctuary and started operating on November 13, 2010. The first Campus pastor being Mark Jobe, father of contemporary Christian singer Kari Jobe.
In early 2019, the Coffield Unit Ministry began which is the largest prison in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The ministry is open to minimum security inmates only but all inmates may obtain church materials. In addition, the church also ministers at the Estes Unit outside of Venus. The leader of both prison ministry is Stephen Wilson, an ex-offender who earned his masters from Liberty University and has an experience in prison ministry. Each prison outreach is described as a campus.
GATEWAY WORSHIP
The Gateway Worship is an American worship team that leads worship at Gateway Church Texas. Thomas Miller served as the original senior worship pastor until becoming executive ministry pastor in 2018. Thomas Miller was succeed by Mark Harris, formerly of 4Him. Harris currently leads a team of worship pastors including, David Moore, Matt Birkenfeld, Zach Neese, Aaron Crider, Jason Tam, Tim Sheppard, Jessica Sheppard, Levi Smith, Austin Benjamin.
Gateway Worship is currently signed with Gateway Create Publishing, Fair Trade Services, and Integrity Music.
The group’s 2008 release Wake Up the World reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
Gateway’s live album, Walls, was released on October 2, 2015 and reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Christian Albums Chart.
The band has a list of albums plus devotion albums which title is from the list of sermon by the founding pastor, Robert Morris. They have albums in Spanish and Portuguese languages. These albums are as follows:
Studio albums
- Unsearchable (2003)
- My Beloved (2009)
- (Songs Inspired By) Conversations with God (2009)
- The More I Seek You (2011)
- Gateway Worship Voices (2016)
- Monuments (2017)
Gateway Devotions albums
The album titles are taken from various sermon series led by Robert Morris, Founding Senior Pastor.
- Drawing Closer: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2006)
- The Battle: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2007)
- First: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2008)
- Let’s Go: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2010)
- In Jesus Name: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2012)
- Love Expressed: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2013)
- It Is Written: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2014)
- The Blessed Life: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2015)
- The God I Never Knew: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2016)
- Waiting on a Whisper: Songs from Gateway Devotions (2017)
Compilation albums
- The First 10 Years (2013)
- Voices: Kari Jobe (2016)
- Voices: Thomas Miller (2016)
Gateway Choir albums
- We Cry Out (2016)
Gateway Kids Worship album
- Look Up (as Gateway Next) (2012)
- Ready to Go (as Gateway Next) (2013)
- Heartbeat (EP) (2016)
- Believe It (2018)
- Todos Mis Dias (2020)
Gateway Generate albums
- Gateway Generate (EP) (2013)
Spanish albums
- El Señor Reina (2013)
- Gloria a Dios (2014)
- Por Siempre Tuyo (2016)
- Murallas (2017)
- Mas Grande (2018)
Portuguese albums
- Glória a Deus (2012)
- Deus Reina (2015)
- Pra Sempre Teu (2016)
- Muralhas (2017)
The Worship band also have a number of live albums which were recorded under very short period of time and they topped charts regardless. They include:
Living For You (2006) : Recorded live at Gateway Church’s original Southlake campus in Southlake, Texas
Wake Up To The World (2008): Recorded live at Gateway Church’s original Southlake campus in Southlake, Texas.
God Be Praised (2010): Recorded live over two nights at Gateway Church’s original Southlake campus in Southlake, Texas.
Great Great God (EP) (2011): Recorded live over a weekend at Gateway Church’s Southlake campus in Southlake, Texas.
Forever Yours (2012): Recorded live at Gateway Church’s Southlake campus in Southlake, Texas.
Walls: (2015): Recorded live at Gateway Church’s Southlake campus in Southlake, Texas.
Acoustic Sessions: Volume One (2018)
Greater Than (2018): Recorded live at Gateway Church’s Southlake campus in Southlake, Texas.
See You Move: Acoustic Session Volume 2 (2020)
The GateWay Church Scandal
In the year 2020, the Gateway Church was in the news for what is termed a COVID scandal after being exposed to Covid at the “super-spreader” Rose Garden ceremony at the White House on Sept. 26.. The founder of the church, Pastor Robert Morris appeared in Church preaching to a congregation without a mask, after his exposure to Covid-19. The report even had it that he had hugged some people in the congregation.
However, a spokesman for the church had told the press that the founder had tested negative to the virus.
GATEWAY CHURCH SOCIAL MEDIA
The church is on all social media platforms. You can follow them on:
Facebook – @gatewaypeople
Twitter @GatewayPeople
Instagram @gatewaypeople
Vimeo
Spotify