The Gateway Church has been dealing with controversy since Robert Morris resigned amid allegations that he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. according to Lloyd’s ReportSteven Wilson, pastor at Gateway Church’s prison ministry campus, is known for being a convicted sex offender.
On the other hand, an article written in 2019 stated: Outreach Magazine Jonathan Sproul said Wilson was a former middle school teacher and coach who was convicted of attempted “indecent acts with a child” in 2002 after “having an inappropriate relationship with one of his high school students.”
He was arrested on July 30, 2002, and charged with a third-degree felony. He served time in prison and had to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Wilson also surrendered his teaching license. Church Leaders I will report.
One Local News Articles In 2002, Wilson was charged with “three counts of indecent conduct with a child,” according to records. Two of the counts, according to records, involved Wilson groping the girl’s breasts and genitals. The third count, according to Assistant District Attorney Jay Lapham, involved “Wilson making the girl touch his genitals.”
Wilson told Outreach Magazine that despite growing up in the church, he only had a “head knowledge” and didn’t commit his life to Christ until he was in prison. While in prison, Wilson witnessed fellow inmates “holding hands in a circle and praying.” Wilson said what he saw was “shocking.” [him] Go away.”
“I never thought something like that would happen in prison,” he said, “so I just said, ‘Okay, God, I get it. When I get out, I’m going to come back and reach out to those guys in the same way.'”
After his release from prison, Wilson earned a master’s degree in discipleship from Liberty University. In 2008, he G3 Prison Ministry The nonprofit organization partnered with Gateway’s Global Ministry in 2011.
Church WebsiteWilson joined the staff of Gateway Church in 2019 and helped develop and implement Gateway Prison Ministry.
“At age 33, Stephen realized he had never fully committed his life to God,” the Gateway Church website states today. “Through a radical change, Stephen committed his life to following Christ and his calling as a pastor. Stephen and his wife, Celeste, began prison chaplaincy work through their nonprofit organization in 2008.”
After Morris resigned, Gateway Church Edited Wilson’s biography after Morris’s resignation removed reference to the fact that after his “Damascus Road” experience he “confessed to past crimes and was sent to prison.”
be Local News Articles At the time Wilson was convicted, the family of a 13-year-old boy said: [Wilson’s] The results were spot on.”
Photo credit: ©Gateway Church
