Pastor John Kliewer leaves Duluth Vineyard after being placed on leave for investigation; church apologizes to him following findings of unfounded allegations

Pastor John Kliewer was tasked by the Duluth Vineyard’s congregation to lead their flock following a sex scandal involving their former youth pastor and his family. Kliewer has since left the Duluth Vineyard. In March 2025, the church placed Kliewer on leave to investigate him, focusing on allegations that his management created an atmosphere of “fear, dysfunction, and retaliation.” The church later stated those claims were not true.

In late October 2025, the Duluth Vineyard posted a public letter to Kliewer on DuluthVineyard.org from the Church Council. The letter acknowledged that an independent investigator found the allegations against Kliewer to be unfounded. It also expressed regret for the pain caused by the church’s public statements and reaffirmed a commitment to truthfulness and accountability.

Kliewer’s wife, Lauralyn, shared on Facebook that the unfounded accusations were a response to his efforts in leading the church and uncovering the truth behind the sex scandal. She stated that John exposed how Vineyard USA responds to sexual abuse and called for reform, prompting retaliation. She also noted that the Duluth Vineyard leadership shunned him out of fear that Vineyard USA would remove the church from the movement. Lauralyn added that John was emotionally harmed by the defamation and that he was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement to receive a settlement, though she did not sign one.

The sex scandal originated from Jackson Michael Gatlin, a former youth pastor at the Duluth Vineyard Church. Gatlin sexually assaulted girls from the congregation and was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct. The abuse allegations dated back to 2007.

Jackson’s father, Michael Gatlin, was the head pastor during much of the abuse, and his mother, Brenda Gatlin, was also an employee of the church. Investigations by both police and the church raised questions about how Michael and Brenda Gatlin handled the accusations. The details of those investigations were not fully disclosed in the source material.

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