In the Spring of 2023, I received news that my alma mater, East Texas Baptist University (ETBU), gave an honorary doctorate to Robert Morris, the former pastor of Gateway Church. Obviously, this took place before the scandal broke over allegations of sexual misconduct.
When the news broke out, I took my concern on X a.k.a Twitter for Morris's honorary doctorate to be revoked. Before, I go any further, an honorary doctorate can be revoked based on moral and ethical reasons. An honorary doctorate is something that someone did not earn. If Morris did earn his doctorate at ETBU, it could not be revoked.
I have tagged ETBU numerous times on this issue and never received word until recently. Although, I was not mentioned in a comment on X, I did find the following on ETBU's website dated August 25, 2024:
In August 2024, the East Texas Baptist University Board of Trustees members unanimously voted to revoke the honorary doctorate previously awarded to Robert Morris. The action was taken following the discovery of Morris’ past abuse of minor Cindy Clemishire. The honorary doctorate was originally conferred upon Morris during the University’s Spring 2023 Commencement.
"Our institution prides itself on recognizing individuals who exemplify excellence, Christian servant leadership, and a commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ," President J. Blair Blackburn said. "The Board of Trustees made the decision to rescind Robert Morris’ honorary doctorate after learning of his actions that directly oppose ETBU’s Christ-centered mission and core commitments. We remain dedicated to standing firm for God’s truths that guide our Kingdom work. ETBU strives to ensure that institutional honors and awards reflect those who truly embody our mission. The ETBU Family extends our prayers for Cindy Clemishire and her family.”
I am thankful this did happen because ETBU would have faced massive media backlash if this was not addressed. However, I wished I have found out about this sooner because I was never given this information when I mentioned this on X even though I searched numerous times online. I care for ETBU a great deal and still thankful to God for my time there even though it was not as glorious as it could have been.
While I am glad Morris's honorary doctorate was revoked, it should not have happened in the first place. Morris is a word-of-faith preacher. He has led people astray and a Southern Baptist university gave him an honorary doctorate. However, I am not surprised because they gave an honorary doctorate to Beth Moore in 2019. This has shown the continuing lack of discernment among Christians regarding false teachers.
Our Christian Colleges, Universities, and Seminaries are suffering from a lack of discernment. We must pray for all the students attending these institutions that they will recognize truth from error and the faculty to repent from these false teachings and be on guard against the wolves wanting to come in so they can get into the church.
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