Vineyard Church and Vineyard USA Face Civil Suits for Former Youth Pastor’s Abuse

The lawsuits name the church, their parent origination, their former youth pastor Jackson Gatlin, and his parents

DULUTH, Minn. -While the criminal cases against former Duluth Vineyard youth pastor Jackson Gatlin were prevented by a plea deal, new lawsuits aim to discover how sexual abuse within the church went overlooked for so long.

On Nov. 6, Jackson Gatlin pled guilty to five counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a child. Gatlin received a 13-year sentence for the abuse he committed against young girls within the Duluth Vineyard, the church where he served as a youth pastor.

While Gatlin’s plea deal prevents a lengthy criminal trial, nine civil lawsuits present a new round of legal challenges.

Tuesday’s scheduling conference marked a small but productive, step forward for the civil lawsuits filed against the Vineyard Church, parent organization Vineyard USA, former youth pastor Jackson Gatlin, and his parents Michael and Brenda Gatlin.

The lawsuits claim the various parties knew, or should have known, about Jackson’s abuse but failed to act.

According to the Duluth Vineyards website, Gatlin’s parents were both senior figures within the Vineyard church, with Michael serving as Duluth’s lead pastor for more than 20 years. Both refused to cooperate with the church’s investigations into their son, including accusations that they went as far as to ‘cover-up’ Jackson’s behavior. Michael Gatlin resigned as pastor after he refused to provide a statement and answer questions about his response, or lack thereof, to allegations against his son.