Former Vineyard Pastor Alan Scott Faces Allegations of Spiritual Abuse and Narcissistic Behavior

Alan Scott is a former pastor of the Vineyard movement who has faced allegations of spiritual abuse and narcissistic behavior. According to a report by Premier Christianity, the allegations centre on his leadership at Causeway Coast Vineyard (CCV) in Northern Ireland. In 2017, Scott and his wife, Kathryn Scott, stepped down from leading CCV and relocated to Los Angeles.

In 2018, the Scotts were appointed lead pastors of Anaheim Vineyard, which is the mother church of the Vineyard movement. Churchleaders.com reported that Scott led prayer at Vineyard Anaheim in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 27, 2022. That report, written by Bob Smietana and published on April 22, 2022, placed Anaheim within a wider Vineyard network of more than 2,500 congregations worldwide, including 545 churches in the United States. It also said U.S. Vineyard growth has stalled and that most Vineyard churches are small, with a median congregation size of 75 people in 2021. Vineyard Anaheim reported 674 adults and 184 children and youth that year.

Premier Christianity reported that an independent review commissioned by CCV found that the church failed to spot some warning signs related to Scott, including repeated patterns of manipulation. Neil and Janet Young, CCV’s senior pastors, have distanced themselves from the investigation and have stepped down from their leadership roles. The reports describe the review’s findings as the church’s own assessment of its earlier oversight, and they do not describe any criminal finding against Scott. The church’s failure to notice harmful patterns in its leadership is a matter of accountability (Luke 12:48).

Premier Christianity also reported that Scott abruptly announced his intention to take Anaheim Vineyard and its buildings independent. The report does not give a precise date for that announcement, only that it came “last year.” Scott and his board of trustees said they were following God’s leading and denied rejecting Vineyard theology or values. Pete Grieg, a leader of 24/7 Prayer and a board member of Anaheim Vineyard, said he was surprised by the decision and lamented the lack of due process.

Churchleaders.com gave context on how the Vineyard understands itself. Caleb Maskell, national director of theology and education for Vineyard USA, said the Vineyard has historically been a network of churches bound more by friendship and shared values than by strict rules. He said the Vineyard values a “bias towards reality,” which he contrasted with “name it and claim it” Pentecostalism. Anthea Butler, a University of Pennsylvania professor, said appeals to “God told me” can become a form of authoritarianism that escapes accountability. Her comment was offered as a general observation about such appeals and was not presented in the source as a finding about Scott.

The reports do not agree on how the story is framed. Premier Christianity presents the allegations of spiritual abuse and narcissistic behavior as the central issue, while Churchleaders.com focuses on the Vineyard’s network identity and the broader split that followed. Both sources describe Scott’s and his board’s stated reasons for the independence move, and both present Scott’s account as their position rather than as an established fact.