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Robert Morris’ son-in-law, Ethan Fisher, renames Gateway Church Houston in wake of scandal

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Robert Morris’ son-in-law, Ethan Fisher, renames Gateway Church Houston in wake of scandal
Robert Morris’ son-in-law, Pastor Ethan Fisher, and his wife, Morris’ daughter, Elaine. | YouTube/Gateway Church Houston

Further distancing himself from the Gateway Church brand in what he describes as a call from God, Ethan Fisher, senior pastor of Gateway Church Houston, who is also the son-in-law of embattled Gateway Church founder Robert Morris, announced Sunday that his church has been renamed Newlands Church following the child sex abuse allegations against his father-in-law.

“I believe that during this season, as a church, that God is once again calling us into something new, and I simply want to follow,” Fisher, the husband of Morris’ daughter, Elaine, told his congregation as he directed them to watch a recorded announcement of the rebranding.

“We believe the Lord has given us a new name. This next chapter is about obedience and stepping out in faith to be who God has called us to be. In Scripture, when God changed a name He was speaking prophetically to who that person was to become. I believe today God is speaking to us to look forward to who we are to become. I am excited to announce that Gateway Houston is becoming Newlands Church,” Fisher revealed in the video. “I am full of hope and expectation that God has amazing things in store for you, your family, and our church, and I believe the best is yet to come.”

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Fisher’s announcement follows the revelation of allegations from 54-year-old Cindy Clemishire that Morris began sexually abusing her when she was 12, on Dec. 25, 1982, then continued with the abuse for four-and-a-half years after that. Morris resigned from Gateway Church on June 18.

Without naming Clemishire, Morris admitted to CP that he had engaged in “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” while he was a pastor in his early 20s.

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Elders at Gateway Church had initially told CP that Morris was transparent about his past and believed he had been biblically restored to ministry. However, after Clemishire’s report was made public, they said Morris did not tell them the “young lady” was 12 years old at the time. 

Reacting to the scandal in late June, Fisher said he was left at “a loss for words” after the news broke.

“This past week, we have been obviously grieved and shocked over the child sexual abuse allegations that have been brought to light regarding Robert Morris,” he told his congregation, which he said is not a campus of Gateway Church but an independent, autonomous operation. “For years, he has shared about a moral failure early on in his marriage. But prior to this past week, the leadership, including myself and even Elaine, for the leadership here at Gateway Church Houston, did not have all the facts regarding the allegations.”

After Morris resigned from Gateway Church, Fisher said he was also removed as the apostolic and overseeing elder of Gateway Church Houston.

“Elaine and I, we’re processing it, obviously, as family. Elaine is a daughter, and I’ve done my best to be there for her. Me, as a son-in-law, we’re processing the pain in real-time in the same way I know many of you are,” Fisher told his congregants.

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On Sunday, Morris’ son-in-law explained that his “church is more than a name on a building.”

“It is full of people who are willing to say yes to God, to pray consistently, give generously and serve sacrificially, to see people everywhere know God, belong to family, discover purpose, and build the kingdom,” he said.

“In Hebrews 12, it tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith. A pioneer is one who sets the path for others to follow. As God’s people, He is calling us to be not mere spectators but participators in this journey of faith. Every path we have walked has been following the voice of God as He builds His Church,” he added as he explained how God had been speaking to the congregational leaders for more than a year about “creating a distinct localized identity.”

“Over the next few months what you’re going to see is, you’ll see Gateway and kind of Newlands walking parallel, and by 2025 it will shift 100% to that,” Fisher noted.

“So you’ll see signage at locations going up and you’ll just see some changes as we navigate this. But really, I’m excited for the future and all that God is going to be doing.”

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Contact: leonardo.blair@christianpost.com Follow Leonardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair Follow Leonardo Blair on Facebook: LeoBlairChristianPost

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Trump’s name must come off of the Kennedy Center, judge rules

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Trump’s name must come off of the Kennedy Center, judge rules

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

A federal judge has blocked President Trump from adding his name to the Kennedy Center, saying that the Washington, D.C. arts complex was named for the late president John F. Kennedy. In a ruling on Friday, the judge also temporarily blocked the administration from closing the Kennedy Center for a planned two-year renovation that was slated to begin in July.

U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper wrote in his ruling that: “The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”

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A Kennedy Center spokesperson told NPR in an email Friday afternoon that it will appeal the decision. Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the complex, wrote: “We will review the decision carefully though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges. With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”

NPR has requested comment from the White House, but did not receive an immediate reply.

As part of his ruling, Judge Cooper ordered that all signage and online materials referring to the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” the “Trump Kennedy Center,” or anything similar must be removed within 14 days.

The judge also blocked, for now, plans to close the Kennedy Center for two years of renovations. Trump and the center’s current voting board members – all of whom were selected by the president, who also became chairman of the center last year – had planned to start the renovations in early July, just after the 250th anniversary celebrations. In his 94-page ruling, Judge Cooper called the renovation plans “murky,” and wrote: “None of the board members had sufficient information in advance of the March 16 meeting to make a well-considered decision to close the center.” The center has been winding down its programming and has already dismissed most of its programming staff.

Referring to a Truth Social post written by President Trump in February, the judge also wrote: “There was no ‘one year review of the Trump Kennedy Center, that has taken place with Contractors, Musical Experts, Art Institutions, and other Advisors and Consultants, deciding between’ complete and partial closure, as President Trump claimed.”

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Cooper’s ruling resulted from a lawsuit filed in March by Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board whose voting rights there were stripped last year.

The ruling does not prevent the Kennedy Center’s board from a future closure, but the judge said that it should do so only after the board has “sufficient information to make a considered, independent decision, taking account of its obligation to both maintain and operate a premiere arts venue and its solemn duty to memorialize a fallen President.”

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L.A. Affairs: I went on 53 first dates in one summer. Here’s a look at my spreadsheet

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L.A. Affairs: I went on 53 first dates in one summer. Here’s a look at my spreadsheet

Three years after my second divorce, with the help of a dating app, I went on 53 first dates in one summer. Fifty-three times, I put on my first-date uniform (nice but not trying too hard), flat-ironed my hair and texted my date itinerary to my friend Karen to make it easier for the FBI to track my whereabouts just in case this was the internet date that finally went wrong.

I had a system. The system involved a spreadsheet. I kept track of what I wore and what stories we shared to avoid repeating myself in case there was a second or third date. There were exploratory follow-up dates, but it usually only took one to know.

The coffees and lunches and dinners of that season flicker in my mind like a rom-com video montage. There were some average dates, plenty of nice-guy, zero-chemistry dates, but a few stand out.

Here are the notables.

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There was the extremely tall, minor league baseball player I met at BJ’s in Burbank. He said no more than four words to me the entire meal, but managed to chat up our waitress. I believe he walked me to my car and went back for her number.

The quiet and irritable TV editor I met at Guelaguetza on Olympic Boulevard. We ordered the chicken mole and chapulines. During the meal, he had a panic attack and excused himself to call his therapist. He actually told me this.

The experimental-video director with the white faux hawk I met at Go Get Em Tiger in East Hollywood. He spent the date in an hourlong monologue about his ex-wife Julia, stopping only to show me many, many photos of Julia.

A young man, originally from Phoenix, asked to meet at Soot Bull Jip on 8th Street. A struggling writer-actor-production assistant, he confided that he had looked up my name on Internet Movie Database and noticed that I was a producer. He then proceeded to pitch me an animated children’s show about singing giraffes. He also asked for a ride to Vons. I declined both.

The screenwriter I met at République who, based on his startling non-resemblance to his photo, had obviously posted a picture of someone else on his profile. He brought me three mixed CDs of music based on what he “knew” I would like. It was all Radiohead and Elliott Smith. I adjusted my dating profile because I was apparently coming off as depressed.

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There was the nervous and uptight English tutor, with a script in turn-around and a famous roommate, that I met at a Starbucks in Koreatown. This guy corrected my grammar within the first five minutes of our introduction. Then, he proceeded to inform me that rather than be put off by this, I should be grateful for the new information so I could fix my error and not appear to be uneducated.

The trendy, bearded sports photographer I met for a late-night dinner at Fred 62 in Los Feliz. I had high hopes for this guy, and we made plans for a second date. But then things started unraveling once we realized I had already dated his younger brother.

There was also the suave (Hand kiss? Really?) and extremely tan French tennis pro I crossed La Cienega Boulevard for and met for lunch at Thai Vegan in Santa Monica. He was on a nonstop series of calls on his cellphone during the entire meal and then asked for a second date. I said, “Non, merci.

When describing these guys to Karen, I used their identifying traits to label them. (Stalker Creep. Dude Looks Like a Lady. Mom Jeans Guy.) Like an FNG in Vietnam, it was better not to learn their names.

Due to a story he had shared with me via email, date No. 53 was identified as Naked Drummer. I tried to reserve judgment. Before Naked Drummer came to meet me for our first date, he called at the last minute and said the following:

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“I want to recap. I just turned 30. I am currently living with my mother. I play guitar in an alternative folk band. I have a semi-crappy temp job at Disney with no benefits. I drive a green ’97 Plymouth Grand Voyager minivan that smells like weed. If you would like to change your mind about this whole dinner thing, now is your chance.” He described himself as tall, dark and tall.

For some reason, I broke many of my first date “safety rules” with Naked Drummer. I gave him my address. I let him pick me up. When he came to get me, I let him into my apartment. We went for dinner at Noshi Sushi on Beverly Boulevard. None of that is prudent behavior, and I do not recommend any of it except the chu toro.

Naked Drummer was a funny, smart, nice Jewish boy who had been touring in bands in that Grand Voyager since college graduation. On the first date, we bonded over takuwan rolls and our histories as teenage goths. My goth uniform included black Maybelline eyeliner I used a lighter to heat the tip with before application. His goth uniform included an olive-green trench coat he borrowed from his mom. We were a match made in Joy Division heaven. He confided he was an Insane Clown Posse Juggalo, I intimated I was in the Kiss Army. (We were both lying about those last two.)

Reader, I married him.

The author is a former writer, director and producer for television. She and Mr. Rosenberg live in South Pasadena. She’s on Instagram: @smacksy.

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L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email LAAffairs@latimes.com. You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here.

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Poppy Liu wants to remind you how revolutionary I Love Boosters is : Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

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Poppy Liu wants to remind you how revolutionary I Love Boosters is : Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

I Love Boosters starts like a fun heist movie. There’s a gang of cool ladies from the Bay Area who steal clothes from high-end designers and sell them at a steep discount to their friends and neighbors. But I Love Boosters is also a Boots Riley movie. The film is surreal and bombastic, branching out in a thousand directions and traversing a dozen genres. So it can’t really stay a heist movie.

Poppy Liu drives that change more than pretty much any other character in the film. She plays Jianhu, a garment worker in China who joins the gang and brings with her a bonkers new wrinkle to the story. It’s a role Poppy was made for. She’s made her career playing confident, somewhat unhinged weirdos. She was cast in a lead role in the 2019 sitcom Sunnyside, had other parts on Better Call Saul, The After Party, and Hacks.

Liu joins us to talk about starring in I Love Boosters and the message that she hopes audiences take away from the film. She also chats with us about her upbringing in Minnesota, how she got into comedy acting, her role on Hacks, and much more.

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