Messages from the Special Committee

Hello,

Today, our former pastoral assistant, Jackson Gatlin, was charged with criminal sexual conduct and taken into custody.  Five criminal complaints were filed against him. (click here: contains graphic depictions of alleged sexual abuse)

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 at (218) 389-7684 or [email protected].

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.

For those less familiar with this situation, the charges against Jackson come in the context of numerous allegations of misconduct that have surfaced in the last year. There are also allegations that Michael and Brenda Gatlin (Jackson’s parents and also former church employees) knew about certain misconduct by Jackson at the time and failed to act. This matter is not only being investigated by the police, we have contracted with a company called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) to conduct an independent investigation. 

As we have previously stated, the key principles guiding the Special Committee as we respond to this situation are:

• We will continually seek Jesus’ mind and will, through His Spirit and the Word of God, in all actions and decisions related to the allegations of misconduct.
• As Jesus said the truth will set us free, we will diligently seek the truth related to the allegations of misconduct.
• As Jesus was always on the side of the vulnerable and the wounded, in our response to the allegations of misconduct the safety and care of the alleged victims must always come first.

These guiding principles and the charges against Jackson have pointed us to the powerful words of the prophet Micah.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8

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. 

Further, God is requiring us to walk humbly through this together. As a Special Committee, we’re going to listen to Jesus, seek the truth and prioritize victims, yet we’re not going to do everything perfectly. More broadly, we all are far from perfect and need to welcome the grace and truth of our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At the same time the criminal justice system is examining Jackson’s actions, let’s open ourselves up and let the Holy Spirit speak to us about our own actions. Great freedom and power can come in our community as we repent.

Along those lines, we want to point everyone to these hopeful and challenging words in the Bible:

19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. – John 3:19-21

In Christ, there is no fear of coming into the light, no fear of the truth, and no fear of punishment. As Jesus pours his love, courage and humility into us, we have more than enough strength to allow our deeds to be exposed and experience the healing of Jesus. It is not always easy, but it is always good.

To all pastors and church leaders accused of sexual, spiritual or any other kind of abuse, please grab hold of Jesus’ hand, come into the light and experience healing. If the allegations are true, take responsibility, get present to the impact of your actions, offer a sincere apology and ask forgiveness, and commit to live differently going forward. If criminal charges are brought against you and you are guilty, tell the truth and plead guilty. Jesus always gives us the strength to do what is right.

Lastly, this is a difficult time for our church.  And, we are going through it together. We encourage everyone to reach out to your friends, small group leaders, and pastors for support.  We can all let others help connect us with Jesus.  And, for those who have abuse in their stories, we encourage you to also consider accessing professional mental health counseling. God works in many ways. 

Let’s not forget that Jesus is still in charge and with us. He is moving in the middle of this heartbreaking and serious situation and we want to join in with the good things that he is doing.

With the love of Christ,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork,  Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

====================

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.

Hello,
Church discipline is divine authority delegated to the church by Jesus to maintain order through the correction of sinning church members for the good of those caught in sin, for the purity and unity of the church, and for the glory of God.  For more on church discipline, please see Matthew 18:15-20, Romans 16:17-18, 1 Corinthians 5, Galatians 1:8-9 and 6:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, and Titus 3:10-11. It is our responsibility to enter into a process of discipline, reconciliation and restoration with Michael, Brenda and Jackson Gatlin. This process has begun and we ask you to pray for God’s will to be done.

For more details, click here to see the church discipline letter sent to Michael and Brenda Gatlin. At this point, they have not expressed or demonstrated a willingness to participate in the process of reconciliation and restoration we described. A preliminary church discipline letter was also sent to Jackson Gatlin. Although we will be working within the same framework, the discipline and path forward for Jackson will be different because his situation is different.

Like the Psalmist (Psalm 85:10), please join us in praying for truth, mercy, justice and peace to meet.

With the love of Christ,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork, Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.

Hello,

We remain heartbroken by the very serious situation we are facing as a Duluth Vineyard community. We want to continue to communicate what we can, as we can. Today, we want to talk about Michael Gatlin’s resignation letter as our Senior Pastors that we received in late February. As we have previously stated, the key principles guiding the Special Committee as we proceed are:

• We will continually seek Jesus’ mind and will, through His Spirit and the Word of God, in all actions and decisions related to the allegations of misconduct.
• As Jesus said the truth will set us free, we will diligently seek the truth related to the allegations of misconduct.
• As Jesus was always on the side of the vulnerable and the wounded, in our response to the allegations of misconduct the safety and care of the alleged victims must always come first.

Why We Have Not Shared Michael’s Resignation Letter

Although Michael requested that we do so, we have not shared Michael’s resignation letter as our Senior Pastor with our church community because GRACE requested that we not do so due to the risk that the things Michael says could harm GRACE’s investigation. Although we value transparency, we are honoring GRACE’s request due to our commitment to find the truth.

Further, many of us want to know exactly why Michael resigned and why he failed to cooperate with our investigation. What we do know is that Michael committed to fully participating in the process of finding the truth even if it was difficult personally. That seemed to change once the scope widened to include a possible cover up. Subsequently, in his resignation letter, Michael gave some reasons for his resignation and his failure to cooperate. Although we don’t agree or understand Michael’s reasons, they are his stated reasons.

Michael’s Viewpoint on His Resignation

We recognize that Michael is free to share his resignation letter with whomever he wants. Perhaps he has shared it with you or discussed its contents with you. Perhaps folks in your small group or group of friends are familiar with the arguments Michael made. This is going to happen and it’s okay. God is with us and he gives the spiritual gift of unity to his people. Also, even with our desire not to have the content of Michael’s resignation letter hinder the investigation, please don’t hear us saying that you shouldn’t listen to Michael or be his friend.

Our Response to Michael’s Resignation Letter

We are simply providing our perspective on Michael’s statements. We’re not telling you what to think or feel.

Beyond the guiding principles stated above, our response to the Gatlins was also guided by the fact that we were the Gatlins’ employer. As such, we require all employees, including high ranking employees, to follow our lawful directive (as their employer) to provide information regarding their employment activities. We did not pre-judge their activities, we terminated their employment and accepted Michael’s resignation because they refused a lawful directive to provide information. Some have questioned our victim-centric approach. It is more than that; it is an approach required of every employer whose employees refuse a lawful directive.

In addition, apart from our role as an employer, we truly believe our victim-centric approach is also the way of Jesus. This approach comes at a high cost to us personally and as an institution. At the same time that Jesus gave us great empathy, compassion and love for the reporting victims, we continue to love the Gatlins and have empathy and compassion for them. We saw the pain that they were in for having to make a choice between (a) following our employment directive to provide information (when the purpose of that directive was to provide information regarding their employment activities) and (b) following the advice of (apparently) their attorneys to not provide any information to anyone, including us as their employer, that may be used against them in unrelated legal proceedings. It would have been easy for us to have a failure of nerve or a failure of heart in the face of either our love for the Gatlins or any criticism that we treated them harshly. We are paying a high relational and emotional cost for our victim-centric approach. And, we bear it willingly as a price of seeking the truth as an employer and of truth for all who ultimately seek the Kingdom of God.

Below we offer our response to some of the key points in Michael Gatlin’s resignation letter. We would like to offer some context. First, reasonable people can disagree. We are giving our well-informed and thoroughly considered perspective. And, we are open to learning from others’ perspectives. Second, Michael’s reasons for his resignation are his reasons. We may disagree with his perspective. And, he has stated his perspective (at least in part), refused to cooperate with his employer, and then we were left to respond to his insubordination. Third, before getting to specific key points in Michael’s letter, we would like to give our big-picture response in the following paragraph.

In our world today, it is not uncommon for employment investigations and police investigations to be conducted concurrently. In this wider context, it is standard practice for employers to require employees to answer questions without their private attorney being present. And, in the broader world today, there is no surprise, no confusion, no great mystery when employees choose not to cooperate with their employer in order to maximize the chances of avoiding personal legal jeopardy in other criminal and/or civil contexts. It is the employer’s legal right to give lawful directives. If an employee refuses to comply with the directive, they do so understanding that the legal consequence is the termination of their employment. This is widely accepted outside of the context of following Jesus. Yet, following Jesus often requires us to act counter-culturally. On January 29, 2023, as Michael told our community he would participate in the fact-finding process, he pointed to the way of Jesus:

“There is great freedom to be experienced as we bring hidden things into the light. We don’t need to fear the truth. It’s only as we walk in the light that we can experience the healing Christ offers.”

Like us all, Michael had the freedom to choose whether to lay down his rights and pay the potential cost (and that potential cost could be very high) to help us bring hidden things into the light. But, he can’t both (a) keep his commitment to participate in the fact-finding process, he can’t credibly continue to claim that he wants all the truth to come out, and (b) refuse a lawful directive to cooperate with our investigation, and instead maximize the chances that he and his family will avoid other civil and/or criminal liability. Michael may have made a wise personal legal decision, certainly in the eyes of the world, but many in our Duluth Vineyard community feel both betrayed and that he is no longer pointing us to the way of Jesus.

With regard to some of the key points in Michael’s resignation letter:

• Michael states that he was informed of a new policy “that any employee of the Duluth Vineyard church not cooperating fully with the investigative process established by GRACE will be immediately terminated.” No such policy exists. Further, no one has been terminated immediately. The Special Committee reached out to everyone who we believed was not cooperating and gave them time to respond and state their intentions, advising them that if they do not, their employment may be terminated as a consequence.
• Michael claims that “Brenda and I find ourselves unable to cooperate with the process established by GRACE and by yourselves.” He was not unable, he was unwilling. Similarly, he was not actually being forced to do anything. He made his choice about whether to maintain his employment or not. That was his choice to make knowing the consequence would be termination of his employment. We have great empathy for the difficult choice Michael faced, but he still retained his agency.
• Michael made denials in his resignation letter.  We had not pre–judged Michael regarding any allegations and we are still waiting patiently for the fact finding to be completed.
• Michael stated that he would not participate in our investigation because it is completely lacking in due process. Michael, and/or his attorneys, do not understand that the rights he speaks of are man-given rights primarily found in the United States Constitution regarding actions taken by public governmental bodies, not private employers, before any citizen may lose life, liberty, or property. Hypothetically, we could have told Michael he can’t curse or use filthy language during his messages and, if Michael said he won’t preach anymore at the Duluth Vineyard because it is completely lacking in free speech, it would be an equally mistaken notion of his rights. The protections in the Bill of Rights within the Constitution only apply to government actions and do not apply to the actions of private employers like the Duluth Vineyard. This is why we generally have no right to bring our private lawyer to work with us.
  • Further, Michael stated that “[a]t a minimum, due process involves the accused being notified of all charges they are facing, having the opportunity to know who is making the charges, having the opportunity to challenge the accuser’s credibility, having rules of evidence, having a right to be represented by legal counsel, and having a completely neutral arbiter.” We agree that those due process protections apply to governmental actions in a criminal trial, when the state is attempting to deprive an individual of life or liberty. However, we can’t put Michael in jail. Our society recognizes that these protections apply only to governmental actions, not to private employers who can only terminate employment for a refusal to obey a lawful directive.
  • Although the standard practice is to extend employment law protections (rather than Constitutional due process protections) to an employee in an investigation, it could be asked why didn’t the Duluth Vineyard go beyond standard practice for the Gatlins. Here are examples of two reasons why:
    • First, we have a legal obligation to protect the reporting victims, to the extent legally permissible, from potentially being revictimized by the Gatlins, if they were victimized in the first place. We don’t know if they were, but we have a legal duty to protect the reporters, within the bounds of civil law. That is generally true and there are specific allegations of individuals bringing forward allegations to the Gatlins and being attacked by them.
    • Second, we decided to not allow our employees to have legal counsel during their interviews with GRACE. Although it is something GRACE allows, it is our right to direct our employees to answer questions in order to get to the truth. Because GRACE provides everyone interviewed with a transcript of their interview and an opportunity to correct the transcript, the main reason a private attorney would be present at the interview is to tell our employees not to answer questions. That potentially prevents the truth from coming out and defeats the purpose of our investigation.
• Michael asked that we include his resignation letter with any statements we make about his resignation. Again, because Michael’s resignation letter has the potential to hinder our investigation, we believe it should not be made public until after the investigation is complete if Minnesota employment law then allows it to be released. That decision will be made on a case-by-case basis depending on who is requesting the information and for what purpose, in light of the applicable laws relating to the request.

At the same time that our hearts break for those who may be victims, we do recognize the difficult position and pain the Gatlins are in. We did not prejudge the Gatlins or the reporting victims. Rather than permitting insubordination, we made the only choice an employer can make when an employee refuses a lawful directive to provide information regarding a matter that arose out of and in the course of their employment. Furthermore, the Gatlins are not permitted onto any Duluth Vineyard property in order to protect the integrity of the investigation (e.g., to remove the possibility of interference and influence) and to protect the reporting victims (e.g., allow reporting victims to participate in church activities without having to face their possible abusers).

Like Jesus, we want to have compassion for all and pursue justice for all. We too are far from perfect and welcome the grace and truth of our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please join us in prayer. Like the Psalmist, call out for truth, mercy, justice and peace to meet (Psalm 85:10).

With the love of Christ,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork, Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.

Hello,

Today, the Duluth Police Department executed a search warrant at the Duluth Vineyard’s Arrowhead location. This appears to be related to their ongoing investigation of allegations against Jackson Gatlin. The warrant was issued upon a judge’s finding of probable cause.

We strongly encourage anyone with information related to criminal activity by Jackson to report it to law enforcement. Please do so by calling 911. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork, Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.

Hello,

On Monday, February 22, 2023, Vineyard USA announced on their website Brenda Gatlin’s resignation as a Super Regional Leader for Vineyard USA and Michael Gatlin’s resignation as a Trustee on the Vineyard USA Board and on the Board of Vineyard Worship.

As a reminder, we encourage all reports of criminal activities to be reported to law enforcement. Please do so by calling 911. We have also contracted with a company called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) to conduct an independent investigation into allegations related to the Gatlins. If you have information that may be relevant to their investigation, please contact GRACE by emailing Emily Petrie at [email protected]

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork,  Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.

Hello,

This week, Michael Gatlin submitted his resignation as Duluth Vineyard’s Senior Pastor.

His resignation comes in the context of allegations of misconduct against one of our former pastoral assistants and Michael’s son, Jackson Gatlin. There are also allegations that Michael and Brenda Gatlin knew about this misconduct at the time and failed to act. This matter is being investigated by the police. And, we have contracted with a company called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) to conduct an independent investigation. More background information is available on the updates page on our website. 

As part of his employment, Michael had been repeatedly directed to cooperate fully with both any law enforcement investigation and our independent investigation. Immediately prior to Michael’s resignation, we directed him to provide a statement to the Special Committee detailing his response and the actions he took, if any, to certain allegations of misconduct regarding Jackson Gatlin. We are Michael’s supervisor, yet he missed our deadline and never provided a statement. We had also advised him that his failure or refusal to provide information we had requested or to be interviewed by GRACE may result in the termination of his employment. In his resignation letter, Michael told us that he found himself unable to cooperate with the process established by GRACE and the Special Committee.

We view the GRACE investigation as crucial for finding the truth and helping our community heal and move forward. If you have information that may be relevant to their investigation, please contact GRACE by emailing Emily Petrie at [email protected]. We also encourage anyone with information related to criminal activity to report it to law enforcement. Please do so by calling 911. As the investigation continues, we want to reaffirm our commitment to Jesus, to the truth, and to putting victims first.

Also, we want to 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 we call 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.

For all of us who love Michael and have benefited from his ministry as the Senior Pastor of the Duluth Vineyard, we remind you that more than one thing can be true at the same time. Michael is a gifted leader and God has used him in powerful ways. Michael has helped many of us experience the love and new life that Jesus brings. And, at the same time, Michael is human just like us. We all fall short. We need to be patient and wait for the fact finding to be complete, yet the allegations against Michael are serious.

We are going through a difficult time. And, we are going through it together. Please reach out to your friends, small group leader, and pastors for support. If you don’t attend a small group, there is no better time to start. And, let’s also offer support to each other. Further, let’s never forget that we are going through this with Jesus as our comforter, friend, savior and king. God’s loving presence through the Holy Spirit is always available to us. Holy Spirit, Come!

As a community, we are going to be dealing with this for a while. During that process, we don’t want to be overly optimistic or pretend that this isn’t heartbreaking and very serious. And, we always want to look for the good that Jesus is doing in this troubled world, because he has overcome this world. Often in the midst of our suffering, that good is in us. 

We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  – Romans 5:3–5

This is going to hurt. And, God could make the Duluth Vineyard a stronger, better, more loving community because of the work he does in our hearts as we walk through this together.  Let’s not miss what the Holy Spirit is doing in us and in our community.

As we start to look forward, the Duluth Vineyard’s mission to make disciples remains the same. Our vision to develop a community of disciples of Jesus who love and experience God, who love one another, and who partner with Christ to bring healing to our world has not changed. We’re not the best church or the only church. We pray for other churches to remind ourselves that the Kingdom of God is bigger than the Duluth Vineyard. And, there is also something special about the Duluth Vineyard. God has chosen to work in us and through us and we expect that to continue in powerful ways as we go forward.

No one is ever completely prepared for a senior pastor to leave under these circumstances, yet the Duluth Vineyard has a number of advantages. First, although Michael recently resumed working full time for the Duluth Vineyard, for over a decade he worked part time for the Duluth Vineyard and part time for Vineyard USA overseeing church planting. During that time, the church supplemented Michael’s part time leadership with a skilled and mature Senior Leadership Team, preaching team and pastoral care team. Second, the Church Council has a Succession Planning Committee and an Emergency Succession Plan that we are putting into place. Over time, we’ll see that play out as that Committee, led by Michele DeNoble, organize a pastoral search committee, finalize a job description, evaluate candidates and eventually ask the Congregational Members to vote on a new Senior Pastor. During this transition, the Senior Leadership Team (Brian Brinkert, Casey LaCore and John Kliewer) will continue to provide leadership and perform the duties of our senior pastor, as they have done so well since Michael was placed on leave at the beginning of February.

What can you do to help? Keep praying. Please. We need God and his will to be done. Remain open-minded. Resist the desire to speculate and gossip. Wait until the investigation is completed before making any judgment about allegations against anyone. The investigation will only be complete when all available information is obtained. Try to remain patient. Both a thorough investigation and a successful search for a new senior pastor can be lengthy processes. Also, let yourself feel whatever emotions arise. Allegations of wrongdoing can stir up all kinds of feelings within us, including past hurts. Let yourself feel whatever emotions arise. As discussed above, stay connected with the community and reach out for support.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork,  Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.

Hello,

As Jesus said the truth will set us free, we are committed to diligently seeking the truth related to the allegations of misconduct by Jackson Gatlin and the allegations that Duluth Vineyard management was aware of this misconduct at the time and failed to act.

All Duluth Vineyard employees have been told that they must cooperate fully with the independent investigation being conducted by a company called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE).

Jackson Gatlin’s employment with the Duluth Vineyard has been terminated because of his failure and refusal, as requested and directed, to meet with the GRACE investigator.

If you have information that may be relevant to their investigation, please contact GRACE by emailing Emily Petrie at [email protected]. We also encourage anyone with information related to criminal activity to report it to law enforcement. Please do so by calling 911. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork,  Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.

Hello,

We hope that you were able to read our message from January 29th concerning allegations of misconduct against one of our pastoral assistants (Jackson Gatlin) and how the resulting investigation and employment decisions related to Jackson Gatlin are being overseen by an independent Special Committee of our Church Council. Since then, we have also placed our Senior Pastor (Michael Gatlin) on a leave of absence.

This is a fast evolving situation, particularly with regard to law enforcement involvement. The first reports that the Special Committee received were anonymous and, when we took those reports to the police, we were told by the police that they could not start an investigation without victims’ names. That changed this week when victims began identifying themselves on social media. So, we reported this matter to the police again this week and there is now an ongoing criminal investigation.

We encourage all reports of criminal activities to be reported to law enforcement. Please do so by calling 911. We have also contracted with a company called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) to conduct an independent investigation. If you have information that may be relevant to their investigation, please contact GRACE by emailing Emily Petrie at [email protected]

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. We are praying for you and we call 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.

With the love of Christ,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork,  Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.

Hello,

No one likes to receive difficult news and we are saddened that we are the bearers of that news. We share this information with a heavy heart.

Yet, let’s not forget that our God has an amazing way of using difficult situations for his glory. Our hope, our 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 glory to God – both strengthening his people and helping others to see his goodness.  So, we ask for your patience as we seek truth and justice. Let’s start by remembering that we are loved by God and called to be his holy people. His truth, grace and peace are what we need as we enter a difficult time as a Duluth Vineyard community. 

Our community is responding to allegations of misconduct against one of our pastoral assistants, Jackson Gatlin. At present, the allegations against him involve conduct from several years ago. We have contracted with a company called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) to conduct an independent investigation. One of our values is transparency, yet we are not going to say anything more about the allegations at this time because we need to protect the ongoing investigation and any victims. Accountability and integrity are also key values. When the investigation is complete, we expect to have more to say and we will say it. In the meantime, let us assure you that the safety and security of our church community is critically important to us and we have policies and procedures in place to protect them. The Duluth Vineyard has suspended Jackson Gatlin during this investigation.

During the investigation, we might experience feeling quite uncomfortable, very similar to what the Israelites experienced in the wilderness. Our community will be in a liminal space, an in-between time of transition. During this uncertain time of testing, we will have a great opportunity to grow our trust in God, to surrender to his wisdom, and to demonstrate our commitment to being his people. We encourage you to listen to Michael Gatlin’s recent sermon on liminal space and learning to trust. As a community, let’s work together to let the Holy Spirit use this time to make us more like Jesus.

Next, let us share how we are addressing the fact that Jackson Gatlin is the son of our Senior Pastor, Michael Gatlin. In keeping with our Nepotism Policy and best practices, the investigation and employment decisions related to Jackson Gatlin are overseen independently from Michael and Brenda Gatlin. Our Church Council (the legal board of directors) has created a Special Committee made up of independent members (none of them work for the Duluth Vineyard or are related to any employees). The Special Committee members are Ben Mork (chair),  Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring, and Gerry Nierengarten. These are the folks who will know all that we know and will control our response to the investigation. John Kliewer is serving as staff support for the Special Committee and liaison between the senior pastor and the Special Committee. 

Here are a few of the key principles guiding the Special Committee as we proceed:

• We will continually seek Jesus’ mind and will, through His Spirit and the Word of God, in all actions and decisions related to the allegations of misconduct.
• As Jesus said the truth will set us free, we will diligently seek the truth related to the allegations of misconduct.
• As Jesus was always on the side of the vulnerable and the wounded, in our response to the allegations of misconduct the safety and care of the alleged victims must always come first.

What can you do to help? Pray. Remain open-minded. Resist the desire to speculate and gossip. Don’t try to guess or figure out who is making the allegations. They deserve anonymity. And, stay connected with the community. Let yourself feel whatever emotions arise. Allegations of wrongdoing can stir up all kinds of feelings within us, including past hurts. Reach out to our pastoral staff or others and get the support you need. And, try to remain patient. A thorough investigation can be a lengthy process. Also, if you have information that may be relevant to this investigation, please contact GRACE by emailing Emily Petrie at [email protected]

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,

The Special Committee of the Church Council (Ben Mork,  Ann LaCosse, Jerry Lieffring and Gerry Nierengarten)

Dear Duluth Vineyard Church,

As this situation unfolds, I want to assure you that I’m not leading in this process, and at the same time, I am still serving as the senior pastor of the Duluth Vineyard Church. I am incredibly thankful that I do not bear this responsibility alone. The staff, leadership, and ministry teams who serve alongside us are sensitive and capable leaders we can trust.

I have complete confidence in the team involved: the members of the special committee, who are tasked with overseeing this process; our church council, our senior leadership team, our staff and our leaders. I also have complete confidence in the Lord to lead us in this difficult time.

I will participate in the fact-finding process and I encourage you to participate in this process as well. I hope to see a full and thorough investigation of these allegations. There is great freedom to be experienced as we bring hidden things into the light. We don’t need to fear the truth. It’s only as we walk in the light that we can experience the healing Christ offers.

Standing firm in God’s unending love, 
Michael Gatlin

This message is sent on behalf of the Special Committee. Please contact John Kliewer with any questions or concerns.