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 accused in October 2023 of sexually abusing five girls between the ages of 11 and 16. He is alleged to have five more victims.

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

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

Judge Dale O. Harris ruled Wednesday that Gatlin be re-arrested and held without bail. He was previously on parole after posting $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 on November 25 and 26 and the victims will testify on the first day.

“While we were all prepared and ready to go through the painful trial process, this outcome is the next best case scenario,” said victim Vanessa Josephson. “Our main goal has always been to make sure that at the end of all of this, Jackson would have to register as a sex offender for life while also spending time behind bars for what he did to us. We have achieved it today. “This is the first victory in our long journey to obtain the justice that all of us here deserve.”

Allegations against Gatlin date back to 2007 and allege that he forced teenage and pre-teen girls to have sexual contact with him. In addition to the criminal charges, the victims filed a civil lawsuit against Gatlin, his parents, Duluth Vineyard Church and Vineyard USA. Gatlin’s father, Michael Gatlin, was senior pastor of 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, which enabled the exploitation of vulnerable children. Within that church community, tragically, its 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, framing harsh treatment as a means to foster growth or speaking the truth in love and dismissing concerns as a lack of faith. “This cruel manipulation only served to further silence the 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 petition.

Today, Jackson Gatlin pleaded guilty to numerous counts of criminal sexual conduct. Jackson’s crimes occurred when he was a volunteer youth leader at 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 filed against Michael and Brenda for failing to report suspected child abuse. Additionally, 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 prison. We understand 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 victims in this case accepted the plea agreement and will have the opportunity to make victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing on November 25-26, 2024.

To all victims, we hope and pray that Jackson’s guilty plea is a positive step in his healing process. We are humbled by your bravery and grateful that you can support each other. Again we say we are very sorry. Our hearts are truly broken by your pain. On behalf of Duluth Vineyard, we apologize for the abuse you suffered. The way he was treated was poor and we regret that Duluth Vineyard was the type of place where this type of behavior could occur. We reiterate the lament and regret we shared in our service on December 7, 2023.

Additionally, we want to tell all abuse survivors that we hear you and believe you. It’s never your fault. And you are not alone. Not only are we here to help, but there are also links to other resources on our website. As 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 we shared previously, we also recently learned that some of Jackson’s victims are seeking justice in civil courts. In addition to naming Jackson, Michael and Brenda Gatlin, the defendants also include Duluth Vineyard and Vineyard USA. Nobody wants to be sued in civil court. However, we welcome this case and pray that it may bring healing and justice for the victims. Additionally, a case like this can help determine the relative liability 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 deemed to have caused. Civil litigation is a slow and imperfect process and it can take a long time before a final ruling is reached. Let us all pray for the victims, for patience and for God to use this litigation to advance his will here on earth as in heaven.

This is still a very painful situation, but this 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 the will of God. And, as we respond together like Jesus to this difficult situation, our response will bring healing to the victims and glory to God.

With the love of Christ,

The Church Council