Duluth Vineyard Church Hit With Civil Suits Over Sexual Abuse by Former Youth Pastor
Victims ranged in age from 11 to 16.
Jackson Gatlin
A former youth pastor at The Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota, is now the subject of nine civil suits.
Victims of Jackson Gatlin, 36, have sued him, the church, and its parent organization, Vineyard USA.
In 2023, Gatlin was charged with sexually assaulting teen girls ranging in age from 11 to 16 between 2007 and 2010. He was originally a volunteer with the youth ministry but was later hired by the Vineyard Church. In 2023, his employment was officially terminated. Gatlin’s parents, Michael and Brenda Gatlin, were the church pastors. They resigned in the midst of accusations that they knew about their son’s misconduct.
In November, Gatlin entered into a plea agreement for the charges under which he will serve 13 years in prison, the Duluth News Tribune reported.
At an announcement of the civil lawsuits, one of Gatlin’s victims, Hannah Howg, said, “The church allowed Jackson to use his position of power and authority to harm children, to harm me. The hypocrisy, grooming and gaslighting were truly some of the most damaging aspects. Parts of me still feel trapped there in that headspace with him. It keeps me up at night. It gnaws at me. I often find it hard to sleep, let alone eat.”
The victims are represented by Spencer Kuvin, who also represented girls who claimed to be victims of Jeffrey Epstein.
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“These crimes were not isolated incidents,” Kuvin said about the alleged abuse suffered by the victims. “The culture of fear and spiritual manipulation and abuse that was occurring at the Vineyard Church, on both a local and national level, was the primary cause behind these incidents.”
In a statement on November 6 about Gatlin’s guilty plea, The Vineyard Church in Duluth said it expected civil suits to be filed naming the church as a party.
“No one ever wants to be sued in civil court. Yet, we welcome this case and pray that it can bring healing and justice for the victims. Further, a case like this can help determine the relative responsibility of various parties,” the church statement said.
“Although what we can do financially is limited by the size of our resources, insurance coverage and outstanding debt, as a church we want to follow the way of Jesus and take responsibility for the harm we are judged to have caused,” the church statement added. “Civil litigation is a slow and imperfect process and it may be a long time before any final judgment is reached. Let’s all pray for the victims, for patience and for God to use this litigation to advance his will here on earth like it is in heaven.”
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