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Vineyard Church facing 9 civil lawsuits after Jackson Gatlin plea deal for abusing minors

Michie

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The Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota, and its parent organization, Vineyard USA, have been named in nine civil lawsuits alongside Jackson Gatlin, a former young adult and online community pastor at The Vineyard Church who accepted a plea deal in November for criminal sexual conduct with a child.

Gatlin, 36, was charged in 2023 with sexually abusing five teenage girls but pleaded guilty to only one count of sexual assault. On four other counts, he entered an Alford plea where he admitted there is sufficient evidence to find him guilty during a trial but maintained his innocence. He will likely spend at least 13 years in prison and have to register as a sex offender when his sentence is complete.

Also named in the civil lawsuits are Gatlin’s parents, Fox 21 reports. His father, Michael Gatlin, was a senior pastor at The Vineyard Church, where his son met most of his victims. His mother, Brenda Gatlin, also served in leadership at the church as well as at Vineyard USA. They both resigned from their roles at the church and Vineyard USA without cooperating with an investigation into their son’s abuse.

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