FORT WORTH, TX – Landon Schott, senior lead pastor of Mercy Culture Church, responded to the backlash he received after sharing his visit with former Gateway Church Pastor Robert Morris online earlier this week. The pastor took to Instagram with video and written messages that defended his stance.
“My last post revealed a SELF-RIGHTEOUS and foul RELIGIOUS SPIRIT,” Schott told his social media fans and critics on Wednesday (Feb. 5). The pastor went on to use scripture references to support his decision to both visit and publicly honor Robert Morris for the impact Gateway had on Mercy Culture Church during the ministry’s beginning years.
“To those accusing me of ‘platforming’ him — they accused Jesus of platforming Zacchaeus too,” Schott said in reference to those who scrutinized him for posting about his visit with Robert Morris on social media.
“Show me one Scripture that says we should withhold mercy from a man in prison. You won’t find it.”
Robert Morris is currently serving the first six months of a suspended 10-year sentence at the Osage County jail in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The former pastor pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child last October.
Court proceedings came more than a year after Morris’ accuser, Cindy Clemishire, came forward with accusations of the pastor molesting her in the 1980s. Clemishire was 12 years old when she was first molested by Morris, who was in his 20s at the time.
Landon Schott visited Robert Morris in jail on Tuesday (Feb. 3) and posted about the experience on his social media pages. The pastor of Mercy Culture Church honored his mentor for investing time and energy into his ministry. Schott also expressed his desire to extend mercy to the fallen spiritual leader, which caused some critics to question whether or not his mercy included Cindy Clemishire.
“‘Did I reach out to the victim?’ If you haven’t reached out yourself, you are operating in HYPOCRISY,” Schott told his critics on Wednesday. “This spirit is not about care,” he continued. “This is a spirit of accusation disguised as concern,” the pastor added.
Landon Schott challenged those who scrutinized his act of visiting Robert Morris in jail to reconsider their stance. “There are dozens of commands to show mercy. None to withhold it,” he said.
“Mercy triumphs over judgment. If mercy doesn’t triumph in your heart, judgment will.”