Former Duluth Vineyard Church Youth Pastor Charged with Sexually Abusing 5 Girls

A former Duluth, Minnesota youth pastor at The Vineyard Church is facing criminal sexual conduct charges involving five young girls. 

Jackson Michael Gatlin, 35, was arrested and charged with 10 felony counts after five criminal complaints. He was booked Tuesday at the Saint Louis County Jail, according to the Star Tribune. 

Prosecutors allege Gatlin assaulted the five girls between 2007 and 2010. The victims were between 11 and 16 years of age at the time the alleged assaults took place, according to court documents. 

Gatlin was a youth pastor at the Duluth Vineyard Church. His parents, Michael and Brenda Gatlin served as the church’s lead pastor and senior pastor, according to KSMP-TV.

In October 2022, a former member of Jackson Gatlin’s youth group contacted a member of the church’s leadership team, who said Gatlin had been having sex with underage girls in the group, according to Northern News Now.    

In November, the leadership team contacted the independent investigative organization, Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) to conduct its own investigation into the allegations of abuse, the outlet reported. 

According to the church’s timeline, one of its leaders made the initial report to the Duluth Police Department on Nov. 9, 2022. But an investigator told him the police could do little without the victims’ names. 

At the end of January 2023, the church made its second report to the Duluth police. The victims had started sharing their stories on social media, detailing the alleged abuse by Jackson Gatlin. The leaders of the church pointed the police to the social media posts and an investigation was opened. 

The church said it severed ties with the Gatlin family earlier this year when they refused to cooperate, according to the Star Tribune. 

Witnesses and the victims described the Gatlins as having a great deal of influence over the congregation, Northern News Now reported.  According to the outlet, a former youth pastor at the church told investigators Jackson Gatlin did not have to go through a vetting process — a background check and other training — before he was named as the youth group’s leader. 

The Vineyard Church posted a protracted timeline of its investigation into the alleged abuse on its website titled “Our Response to Misconduct.” (Warning: Included on this webpage is a link to the claims of sexual abuse)

On Oct. 3, the church’s special committee added a letter to the web page. The following is a portion of that letter. 

“To the victims reporting crimes against Jackson, our hearts are broken by your pain. We pray that you experience comfort, healing and peace. We thank you for the courage it took to tell your story and we hope that the law enforcement process helps bring healing for you. We also pray that God gives you even more courage, strength and hope. We are in this tragedy with you. And, to the extent you are comfortable, we want to love and care for you.

We also recognize that the law enforcement process may cause reporting victims to be triggered, including involuntarily recalling past trauma. We want to help and we can imagine and respect that you may be hesitant to accept assistance from us. You can engage with us as much or as little as you choose. For example, we’d love to pray with you and/or help provide professional counseling for you. For more information, please contact Becca Eastvold (click link for contact info).

We are sorry that the Duluth Vineyard was the kind of place where this kind of behavior could happen. We apologize to the reporting victims and the Twin Ports community. We are working to develop a culture that is more resistant to abuse and toxicity. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere. This is not an excuse for it happening in the context of the Duluth Vineyard community. Rather, this is a call for change in our broader society as well.

Also, we want to once again say to all survivors of abuse that we hear you and believe you. It is never your fault. And, you are not alone. We are praying for you and calling our community to a time of prayer and lament. As Jesus was always on the side of the vulnerable and the wounded, in our response to abuse the safety and care of survivors must always come first.”

“God is requiring that we act justly in this situation. That is part of our commitment to seek the truth. It is why we require that all Duluth Vineyard employees cooperate with this criminal investigation. If anyone has information that may help the police, please contact them. Maybe you know something and in the past you felt like it wasn’t your place to say anything or you were afraid to talk to the police. Whatever your reasons for not reporting, please let God give you what you need to come forward now. We also invite our entire community to join us in praying for the law enforcement officials involved in this case, for the process of human justice, and that justice can be done.

God also requires us to love mercy. At the same time that our hearts break for reporting victims, we recognize the difficult position and pain the Gatlins are in. We are not pre–judging Jackson regarding any criminal allegations and we will wait patiently for the judicial process to be completed. And, Jesus himself cares about those accused and even convicted of crimes. Jesus points to visiting prisoners and was kind to the thief on the cross next to him. If you are friends with Jackson, friendship may look different now and yet we encourage you to continue to be his friend. Like Jesus, we want to have compassion for all and pursue justice for all.”

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