Just over a month after publicly criticizing the handling of sexual abuse claims by his church’s parent organization, John Kliewer, interim senior pastor of the Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota, has voluntarily “stepped back” from the role after Vineyard USA accused him of leadership abuse.
“Vineyard USA has expressed concerns about the leadership of our interim Senior Pastor, see the full letter here. We take all allegations seriously,” Duluth Vineyard Church Council said in a statement Sunday.
“Vineyard USA has asked for these accusations to remain confidential, yet we believe transparency is essential for trust and accountability. We call upon Vineyard USA to clarify and substantiate their claims.”
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In a March 6 letter, Vineyard USA Managing Director Robb Morgan highlights concerns about Kliewer, among other things, “wielding power in unhealthy ways.”
“We once again feel compelled to express concerns about the conduct of your interim senior pastor, John Kliewer. Additionally, we have concerns related to the Church Council and the fulfillment of its oversight responsibilities,” Morgan argued.
“As early as December 2023 and on multiple occasions, leaders from Duluth Vineyard have confidentially sought the advice of VUSA as they have attempted to make sense of John Kliewer’s leadership, actions, and communication. Together, these have amounted to cries for intervention, as well as a plea for wisdom, grace, truth, and reconciliation,” he added.
As the Duluth Vineyard Church Council called on Vineyard USA to substantiate their claims against Kliewer, the interim pastor voluntarily stepped aside from his role to allow a “qualified independent investigator to assess the situation fairly and objectively.”
“We invite everyone to participate in this process with honesty and integrity. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be presented. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and to avoid even the appearance of interference in the investigation, our interim lead pastor John Kliewer has voluntarily stepped back from his role while we conduct this prompt and independent review,” the church council stated. “This is not a punitive action, nor does it assume wrongdoing. It is simply a proactive and responsible step to ensure a fair and thorough process.”
Kliewer noted in a statement that even though he is disappointed by the allegations made by Vineyard USA, he is submitting to the investigation to show that “no one is above scrutiny.”
“I am thankful for our Church Council’s commitment to truth and justice. Although disappointed that the charges brought by Vineyard USA against me distract from the harm done to survivors, I welcome this leave of absence and investigation. No one is above scrutiny. I will cooperate fully and patiently look forward to the completion of the investigation,” he said.
Both The Vineyard Church and 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 in which he admitted there is sufficient evidence to find him guilty during a trial but maintained his innocence.
He was sentenced to 13 years on two sexual assault-related charges, another 13 years for two other sexual assault charges, plus eight years for one additional charge, according to Northern News Now. All his sentences are expected to run concurrently.
Also named in the civil lawsuits are Gatlin’s parents. 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 and 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 in early 2023.
Earlier this year, Kliewer shared his disagreement with Vineyard USA “about the relative importance of victims and perpetrators (pastors) in our response to abuse.”
“In my recent personal experience, VUSA worked to preserve the power of Michael and Brenda. For example, at the start (December 2022/January 2023) we were told by Vineyard USA that (a) we would need Michael and Brenda’s leadership to get through this and (b), although maybe Michael and Brenda shouldn’t have the ultimate say, they should be given input into who conducts the third-party investigation,” Kliewer said, citing an opinion he previously shared with Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment in July 2023.
Kliewer highlighted several ways in which he believes Vineyard USA appeared to prioritize the perpetrators of abuse instead of the alleged victims and recommended 20 actions Vineyard USA could take to better address the issue of abuse in the organization, including radical transparency.
Other recommendations include a public acknowledgment and apology for past failures; offering private apologies and making amends with survivors and churches that are willing to engage; dedicating a main session at the next national conference to confession, lament, and a call for repentance regarding past mishandling of abuse; gender diversity in leadership; and investing in trauma-informed training.
“Vineyard pastors, we’re all a part of a culture that prioritized Senior Pastor power, rather than Senior Pastor accountability,” Kliewer said. “I don’t blame Vineyard USA any more than I blame myself. The question now is: what are we going to do about it? We could start by being honest and acknowledging the truth.”
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