On September 16, 1999, Pastor Robert Morris began to plan a evangelisticchurch in Southlake, Texas. Gateway Church's first service was held on Easter morning, April 23, 2000, at the Hilton Hotel in Grapevine. Approximately 180 people attended the service. The church grew, and moved to an old movie theater in Grapevine. In June 2003the church moved into its first permanent building, a 600-seat, facility on Southlake Blvd. In 2010 Gateway opened its current facility, a property with a 4,000-seat sanctuary. In 2016 Gateway reported official giving records totaled over $500 million for the previous four years. For 2016 their annual report showed revenues of $127.2 million minus $123.9 million expenses, $3.5 million less than total revenue. Gateway also spent $9.9 million on land and other expenditures which includes the land for the Frisco location and the Dallas campus. In 2017 Gateway Church confirmed 10–15% downsizing of their entire staff. The downsizing story gained national attention by other church media outlets.
Campuses
The church currently conducts 29 weekend services at eight locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Southlake
In 2008, the church began work on a new main campus located along State Highway 114. The project included a 4,000-seat sanctuary. It opened on November 13, 2010. Mark Jobe, father of contemporary Christian singer Kari Jobe, serves as the Campus Pastor.
Frisco
In April 2010, the overseers of Northstar Church in Frisco, Texas asked Gateway to assist them in a transition process following the resignation of their senior pastor, Blaine Bartel. Gateway Church provided video messages and worship teams for the church before announcing that Northstar would become a Gateway extension campus on June 10, 2010. Jelani Lewis serves as the Frisco Campus Pastor. In 2015, the campus averaged 2,901 people per weekend according to the church's annual report.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
In February 2019, Gateway Church announced a merger with River Crossing Church in early 2019. Jim Hall has been selected as the Campus Pastor.
Prison ministries
In early 2019, Gateway Church announced it was starting a ministry inside the Coffield Unit, the largest prison in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. It is open to minimum security inmates but all inmates may obtain church materials. The church also ministers at the Estes Unit outside of Venus. Stephen Wilson, an ex-offender who earned his masters from Liberty University and has ministered in prisons previously, serves as the leader of both of these prison efforts. The church uses the term 'campus' in describing each prison outreach program.
Church Plants
Gateway Church fosters the creation and growth of other churches. These new churches are called plants. Gateway church shares worship style and teachings with these start up churches, and helps oversee their elders.
Gateway Church, Arizona
In late 2011, Gateway announced that former young adults pastor Preston Morrison was starting a new Gateway Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. The church launched in August 2012. On May 13, 2018, Gateway Church Arizona launched an additional campus at 1137 E Warner Rd in Tempe, Arizona.
Table Church, Austin
In 2017, Gateway announced that Josh Morris is leading a team to start a church in Austin, Texas. Table Church launched in early 2019.
The King's University was founded in 1997 by Jack W. Hayford. in Van Nuys, California. In September 2012, The King's University at Gateway was launched. The school offers full accredited undergraduate, master's, and a doctorate degree. When initially launched, the Southlake campus was an extension campus for the California-based school. On November 14, 2013, there was a special Dedication Service and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at The King's University at Gateway Church making it the main campus for King's University. The campus is located at the former Southlake church building on Southlake Boulevard. Dr. Jon Chasteen serves as the president.
Gateway Worship
Gateway Church utilizes its to lead worship services and create original music that it sells on a commercial record label. Its Live albumGod Be Praised was released on November 9, 2010, with Japanese, Korean and Portuguese versions released in 2012. The live album, Walls, which was released on October 2, 2015, reached No. 1 on Billboards Top Christian Albums Chart.
