Once again a gut wrenching read. I cannot express enough how grieved I am again and again by Vineyard USA’s dismissal of victims and what seems to be attempt after attempt to manage the story for the sake of damage control. It is so past time for the defense of Vineyard USA and the Gatlin’s to stop and for leaders to accept both responsibility and consequence for lack of care and protection for all the victims and their families. If this means a huge set back for Vineyard USA or even the end of it so be it.
What an articulate, profound, and deeply moving account from someone who has every right to seek accountability from those who abused their positions. It's past time for VUSA leadership to acknowledge their role in protecting their own at the expense of the victims who suffered the abuse.
VUSA leaders have swept so much abuse under the rug, they’ve run out of rug. This is the only play in their playbook: deny wrongdoing, deny responsibility, pretend to listen to/“care for” victims while doing everything possible to shut them up/make them go away. When this stops working, then the accusations fly.
Thanks Brian, and the young woman you quote, for being brave enough to keep pointing to this lumpy mess of a rug that has so much ugly underneath it. Your words likely won’t fix or save this organization. But Jesus is using your acts of honest courage as He Saves those of us whose stories are under that rug.
Once again a gut wrenching read. I cannot express enough how grieved I am again and again by Vineyard USA’s dismissal of victims and what seems to be attempt after attempt to manage the story for the sake of damage control. It is so past time for the defense of Vineyard USA and the Gatlin’s to stop and for leaders to accept both responsibility and consequence for lack of care and protection for all the victims and their families. If this means a huge set back for Vineyard USA or even the end of it so be it.
What an articulate, profound, and deeply moving account from someone who has every right to seek accountability from those who abused their positions. It's past time for VUSA leadership to acknowledge their role in protecting their own at the expense of the victims who suffered the abuse.
Wow, wow, wow. And they can't Matthew 18 their way past those actions (or inactions).
VUSA leaders have swept so much abuse under the rug, they’ve run out of rug. This is the only play in their playbook: deny wrongdoing, deny responsibility, pretend to listen to/“care for” victims while doing everything possible to shut them up/make them go away. When this stops working, then the accusations fly.
Thanks Brian, and the young woman you quote, for being brave enough to keep pointing to this lumpy mess of a rug that has so much ugly underneath it. Your words likely won’t fix or save this organization. But Jesus is using your acts of honest courage as He Saves those of us whose stories are under that rug.
Thank you for speaking up about this, and with such candor and grace.