Anyone with a love of music can join the choir at most churches Gateway does auditions. And if you’re good-but-not-ready-for-prime-time, the church’s Worship Team Academy offers 12-week courses in “acoustic guitar, piano, drums, bass, electric guitar, percussion and vocals (pop-style technique).” With a staff of over 500 people, Gateway Church looks more like Disney World or a venue on the Vegas Strip than a traditional church. These people believe in operational excellence. Greg Abbott wanted to swing the religious community behind his “bathroom bill,” he had Morris on speed dial. James Robison says he gets at least two phone calls from Donald Trump every week. Not surprisingly, senior pastor Robert Morris and Apostolic Elder James Robison serve on Donald Trump’s Executive Council of Evangelical Leaders. With 36,000 attendees spread over six Dallas-Fort Worth campuses, Gateway has the power to swing elections. The ultra-conservative politicians who spoke at the “Your Vote under God” forum see white evangelical megachurches as a prime source of support.Īlthough Gateway Church is officially bi-partisan, every member is expected to vote for politicians who are pro-life and opposed to gay marriage. Gateway Church has been accused of erasing the line between church and state, and there is merit to the charge. The “mother ship” in the posh Dallas suburb of Southlake claims over 13,000 members.ĭepending on who you listen to, Gateway is either the third or the fourth largest congregation in the United States. “The solution is for you, as individuals, to take responsibility for yourselves.”Īfter attending a “Your Vote under God” gathering featuring four of the most conservative politicians in Texas, I have been educating myself about Gateway Church and its pastor, Robert Morris. Founded in 2000, the church boasts a weekly attendance of 36,000 at six Dallas area campuses and an additional campus in Scottsdale, Ariz. “The government is not the solution for any problem at all,” Jonathan Stickland told the crowd at Gateway Church as Hurricane Harvey closed in on Houston.