By LeoNardo Blair, Senior Reporter
Plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit accusing Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, of misallocating their tithes and failing to honor a money-relief guarantee have removed old Govt World Pastor Kevin Grove as a defendant.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2024 by Gateway Church contributors Katherine Leach, Garry Okay. Leach, Impress Browder and Terri Browder, in the muse named embattled Gateway Church founder Robert Morris; old Govt Pastor Tom Lane, founding elder Steve Dulin; and Grove as defendants. Grove additionally served as a trustee of The King’s College.
On Feb. 26, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to overlook the case in opposition to Grove without prejudice.
Last Friday, U.S. District Resolve Amos L. Mazzant granted the motion to overlook without prejudice all pending claims in opposition to Grove, in response to court documents reviewed by The Christian Post.
The lawsuit stems basically from allegations that Gateway Church became once no longer clear about the ministry’s funds because it generated over $100 million in annual income in past years.
On Dec. 16, 2024, attorneys for Grove filed a motion to overlook the lawsuit in opposition to him, arguing, amongst other issues, that the court lacked jurisdiction over the case.
“The Court lacks jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ claims because the Criticism does no longer train any federal claims, and Plaintiffs’ try and invoke jurisdiction under the Class Action Equity Act does no longer meet the mandatory prerequisites field forth by the Act,” Grove’s attorneys Michael D. Williams and Charles M. Kibler, Jr., of the law agency Brown Sims, P.C argued. “Plaintiffs’ claims are imprecise allegations that rely on alleged guarantees that Grove himself didn’t procure. Additional, the Court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate the Plaintiffs’ claims under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. Thus, Plaintiffs’ claims in opposition to Kevin Grove should be brushed off.”
The opposite defendants in the case have raised a comparable arguments. In accordance with motions to overlook the case in January, attorneys for the church contributors argued that the First Modification’s ecclesiastical abstention doctrine does no longer bar their claims for reduction as argued by the defendants.
“The ecclesiastical abstention doctrine does no longer bar Plaintiffs’ claims in opposition to Defendant or the Church on narrative of the claims elevate no subject as to theological doctrine, non secular or ethical instructing, or inner church governance,” they portray.
“Rather, Plaintiffs rob subject with misrepresentations by the Church and its elders of their solicitation of tithing funds, a subject for civil and secular analysis that occurred to be committed by church officials. … The ecclesiastical abstention doctrine does no longer protect church pastors and leaders from committing fraud and other torts. Plaintiffs’ claims allow for the Court to differentiate between the non secular teachings in the support of tithing and the Church’s fallacious misrepresentations to induce donations from congregants.”
The church contributors conceded, then again, that they didn’t enter into a contract with Lane or Grove but would “proceed to pursue this inform, as neatly as to the others, in opposition to Defendants Gateway Church and Robert Morris and should aloof proceed to pursue their fraud and conspiracy claims in opposition to Defendants Lane and Grove.”
Morris founded Gateway Church in 2000 and resigned in June 2024 amid an allegation he sexually abused a small bit one for years in the 1980s, foundation when she became once 12 years veteran. On Wednesday, he became once indicted on 5 counts of lewd or coarse acts with a small bit one by a multi-county great jury in Oklahoma in connection to that case.
The megachurch founder beforehand presented his money-relief guarantee on tithes all the blueprint in which by blueprint of a 2022 sermon at Willow Creek Neighborhood Church in the suburban Chicago home about “The Precept of First” to wait on enhance falling revenues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I procure no longer should exaggerate, but I am certain hundreds and hundreds of folks, and I am certain it be multiplied, that have told me some capability over time by blueprint of electronic mail, letters, whatever, ‘this changed my existence,'” Morris stated, as seen in a YouTube clip from his message on tithing the principle 10% of 1’s earnings.
“When I started giving the principle 10% to God, it changed the entirety. And here’s what I’d like to total. I’d should correct order you. I’ve performed this with our church. I’ve told our church on more than one times, I’ve stated to them, for those that’ll try it for one twelve months, for those that’re no longer utterly ecstatic, on the tip of that twelve months, I will give you your money relief,” Morris stated. “With 22 years in the church, no one’s ever requested for their money relief.”
Contact: leoNardo.blair@christianpost.com Practice LeoNardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair Practice LeoNardo Blair on Fb: LeoBlairChristianPost
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