A few months after his arrest, a former Duluth Vineyard Church youth pastor pleaded guilty to one of the charges against him. Jackson Gatlin, 36, was accused in October 2023 of sexually abusing five girls between the ages of 11 and 16. He is believed to have five more victims.

On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to one count and entered an Alford plea to the remaining charges. This is a conditional plea that allows the defendant to maintain his innocence while being convicted and sentenced.

Judge Dale O. Harris ordered Gatlin back into custody and held without bail Wednesday. He was previously released on parole after posting $50,000 bail.

Gatlin will likely serve at least 13 years in prison as part of his plea deal and will be registered as a sex offender. This will become official after his conviction. Gatlin will be sentenced on November 25-26, with victim impact statements on the first day.

The allegations against Gatlin date back to 2007 and allege that he forced teenage and pre-teen girls to have sex with him. In addition to the criminal charges, the victims filed a civil lawsuit against Gatlin, his parents, the Duluth Vineyard church and Vineyard USA. Gatlin’s father, Michael Gatlin, was a senior pastor at the church, and his mother, Brenda, was also in a position of power.

“The leadership of Brenda and Michael Gatlin fostered a culture of fear and intimidation that enabled the exploitation of vulnerable children. Within that church community, tragically, their toxic environment and oppressive tactics directly contributed to the sexual assault of these women,” said attorney Spencer Kuvin. “These girls felt silenced, marginalized, unable to seek help because of this hostile environment. Michael and Brenda Gatlin often used spiritual language and a fear-based culture to justify their actions, viewing harsh treatment as a means of fostering growth or speaking the truth in love and dismissing concerns as a lack of faith. This cruel manipulation only served to silence victims and discourage them from seeking help.”

Michael and Brenda Gatlin no longer work at Duluth Vineyard Church. The following is a statement sent in response to Wednesday’s plea.

Today, Jackson Gatlin pleaded guilty to multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct. Jackson’s murders occurred while he was a volunteer youth leader at Duluth Vineyard, and Jackson was later hired by the church as a pastoral assistant. Jackson’s parents, Michael and Brenda Gatlin, were our senior pastors. The statute of limitations prevents criminal charges against Michael and Brenda for failing to report suspected child abuse. Moreover, an independent investigation by Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) also found cases of spiritual abuse. You can find more information about this serious and heartbreaking situation on our website: click here.

Jackson was arrested today and is now in jail. We understand that under a plea agreement he is expected to be sentenced to 160 months in prison at a future sentencing hearing. In court today, it was stated that all victims in this case have agreed to the plea agreement and will have the opportunity to make victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing on November 25 and 26, 2024.

To all the victims, we hope and pray that Jackson’s guilty plea is a positive step in your healing process. We are humbled by your courage and grateful that you can support each other. We say again that we are so sorry. Our hearts are truly broken by your grief. On behalf of Duluth Vineyard, we apologize for the abuse you experienced. The way you were treated was bad and we are sorry that Duluth Vineyard was the kind of place where this kind of behavior could happen. We reiterate the mourning and repentance we shared at our service on December 7, 2023.

We also want to say to all survivors of abuse that we hear you and we believe you. It’s never your fault. And, you are not alone. Not only are we here for you, but there are links to other resources on our site. Because Jesus was always on the side of the vulnerable and hurting, in our response to abuse, the safety and care of survivors must always come first.

As previously stated, we also recently learned that some of Jackson’s victims are seeking justice in civil court. In addition to naming Jackson, Michael and Brenda Gatlin, the defendants also include Duluth Vineyard and Vineyard USA. No one wants to be sued in civil court. However, we welcome this case and pray that it brings healing and justice to the victims. Moreover, a case like this can help determine the relative responsibility of different parties. 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 . Civil litigation is a slow and imperfect process, and it can take a long time to reach a final decision. Let us all pray for the victims, for patience, and for God to use this litigation to advance His will here on earth as it is in heaven.

This continues to be a very painful situation, yet that is where we find Jesus so often. Our hope and prayer is that the Holy Spirit will give us the gift of unity and power to do God’s will. And as we respond together like Jesus to this difficult situation, our response will bring both healing to the victims and glory to God.

With the love of Christ,

Church Council