Months after his arrest, a former youth pastor at Duluth Vineyard Church pleaded guilty to one of the charges against him. Jackson Gatlin, 36, was charged in October of 2023 for the sexual abuse of five girls ranging from 11 to 16 years old. He is alleged to have an additional five victims.

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

“While I am relieved that justice is being served, this is not a win. Nobody wins here. What Jackson did to me cannot be undone. He can’t take it back. His actions have further fractured parts of me, but I’m healing,” said victim Hannah Howg.

Judge Dale O. Harris ruled on Wednesday for Gatlin to be taken back into custody and held without bail. He was previously on a conditional release after posting a $50,000 bail.

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

“While we were all prepared and ready to go through the painful process of trial, this outcome is the next best scenario,” said victim Vanessa Josephson. “Our main focus has always been making sure at the end of all of this, Jackson was required to register as a sex offender for life while also spending time behind bars for what he did to us. We have accomplished that today. This is the first win in our lengthy journey to get the justice all of us here deserve.”

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

“The leadership of Brenda and Michael Gatlin fostered a culture of fear and intimidation, which enabled the exploitation of vulnerable children. Within that church community, tragically, their toxic environment and oppressive tactics contributed directly 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, framing harsh treatment as a means of fostering growth or speaking the truth in love and dismissing the concerns as a lack of faith. This cruel manipulation only served to further silence victims and deter 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 pled guilty to numerous counts of criminal sexual conduct. Jackson’s crimes occurred when he was a volunteer youth leader at the Duluth Vineyard and Jackson was later employed 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 from being brought against Michael and Brenda for failure to report suspected child abuse. Further, an independent investigation by Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) also found instances of spiritual abuse. You can find more information on this serious and heartbreaking situation on our website: click here.

Jackson was taken into custody today and is now in jail. Our understanding is that, pursuant to a plea agreement, he is expected to be sentenced to 160 months in prison at an upcoming sentencing hearing. In court today, it was stated that all the victims in this case agreed to the plea agreement and that they 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 process of healing. We are humbled by your bravery and thankful that you can support each other. We again say that we are so sorry. Our hearts are truly broken by your pain. On behalf of the Duluth Vineyard, we apologize for the abuse you suffered. The way you were treated was evil and we are sorry that the Duluth Vineyard was the kind of place where this kind of behavior could happen. We reiterate the lament and repentance we shared at our service on December 7, 2023.

Also, we want to say to all survivors of abuse that we hear you and believe you. It is never your fault. And, you are not alone. Not only are we here for you, there are links to other resources on our website. 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.

As we previously shared, we have 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 the Duluth Vineyard and Vineyard USA. 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. 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 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.

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

With the love of Christ,

The Church Council