Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power

While production continues on Season Two of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power — which takes a broader look at evangelical movements beyond the Vineyard — John shares a full, uncut conversation with Pastor Doug Warburton , his own pastor and a leader within the ELCA Lutheran Church . In this episode, Pastor Doug offers valuable perspective from a tradition that’s been refining its systems of governa...

While Season Two of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power is in production, John shares one of his full, uncut interviews — this time with Pastor Brian Metzger , one of the most outspoken critics of Vineyard USA’s handling of cases like Duluth Vineyard. In this candid and deeply personal conversation, Brian reflects on his years within the Vineyard Movement, what led him to speak out, and how his faith...

Episode Summary: In this powerful and unfiltered conversation, former Vineyard pastor Melody Winderweedle shares her story of being quietly removed from leadership—not for misconduct, but for daring to lead with integrity, inclusion, and pastoral care. In the wake of a high-profile abuse scandal, Melody pushed for transparency, advocated for LGBTQ inclusion, and called out systems of control and e...

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In this full-length interview, Spoiled Fruit sits down with Ken Wilson , founding pastor of Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor and one of the movement's earliest and most respected leaders. For decades, Ken was known as a thoughtful, compassionate voice within the Vineyard - until he did something few pastors dared to do: publicly express support for LGBTQ+ inclusion. Despite years of faithful servi...

In Part 2, JT Meyer recounts the aftermath of his decision to speak out. Despite his loyalty to the movement and attempts to engage in good-faith dialogue, JT was met with silence, isolation, and ultimately, exile from the Vineyard. He reflects on what he learned, the pastors who quietly supported him, and what a healthier, more just church could like. This is a powerful look at the human cost of...

In Part 1 of this two-part interview, former Vineyard pastor JT Meyer shares his journey into the Vineyard movement - from his early pastoral calling to his commitment to creating a more inclusive and honest spiritual community. JT walks us through the formative experiences that shaped his theology and pastoral style, and the growing tension he felt as he began advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion with...

In this emotional and unfiltered interview, we hear from Heidi Anderson and her children - former members of Mile High Vineyard , led by current Vineyard USA National Director Jay Pathak . When two of Heidi's children bravely came forward to report abuse, they went to one of the people they felt safest with: their youth group leader. But that leader failed to immediately report. And instead of...

In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, Dr. Paula Swindle helps us put words to the pain many have experienced but struggled to name. A scholar, psychologist, and trauma-informed spiritual care provider, Dr. Swindle brings deep insight into how religious systems - like Vineyard USA - can engage in spiritual bypass, silence dissent, and retraumatize survivors in the name of unity or divine a...

In the season finale of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power, we examine the final stage of Vineyard USA's transformation from grassroots revival to centralized authority. This chapter traces how real crisis - like the abuse scandal in Duluth - were used to justify a long-planned internal reorganization, giving a small group of leaders near-total control of the movement. We explore how spiritual b...

This is the full interview with Mandy Cavoto who, along with her husband Matt, were a part of the worship team at Mile High Vineyard in Denver, Colorado. Many opens up about the spiritual abuse, the patterns of manipulation, and gaslighting she experienced there. She also reflects on her deep grief for the community she once loved, the cost of staying silent, and what healing has looked like in th...

In this extended interview, former Vineyard pastor Reagan Waggoner shares his deeply personal journey from trusted leader to outspoken critic of Vineyard USA's handling of spiritual abuse, institutional accountability, and the controversial ReOrg process. Reagan candidly discusses: The troubling dynamics he observed in Vineyard's national leadership His direct challenges to Jay Pathak and...

Chapter 7: Crisis as Currency — How Vineyard Leveraged Collapse to Consolidate Power Content Warning: This episode includes references to spiritual abuse, institutional manipulation, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. In Chapter 7, we examine how Vineyard USA used crisis—real and perceived—to reshape its power structures under the banner of reform. As major scandals unfolded in Duluth an...

📄 Show Notes: In this episode of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power , John sits down with Tom and Adey Wassink—former Vineyard pastors who led a thriving congregation in Iowa until their decision to fully affirm LGBTQ+ people placed them at odds with national leadership. Their story is one of love, loss, resilience, and rebirth. In this powerful conversation, they speak candidly about the painful p...

Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power 🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 www.spoiledfruitpodcast.com What happens when pastors stay committed to a movement that no longer wants them? In this episode, we hear directly from former Vineyard pastors who sought to create churches that were fully welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ individuals—only to find themselves pushed out, marginalized, or er...

🎙️ Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power – Chapter 5: “The Appearance of Change” After years of warning signs, three independent investigations were launched—GRACE, Trusted HR, and Guidepost Solutions—each tasked with uncovering what went wrong in churches like Duluth Vineyard and Causeway Coast Vineyard, and within Vineyard USA itself. In Chapter 5, we take a closer look at what these investigations f...

📍 Episode Summary: In this episode of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power , host John interviews Rebecca Hopkins, an investigative journalist renowned for her in-depth reporting on abuse and misconduct within evangelical churches. Rebecca discusses the challenges of investigating religious institutions, the patterns of abuse she has uncovered, and the importance of accountability in faith communitie...

🎙️ Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power – Full Interview: Spencer Kuvín In this special bonus episode, we share the full, unedited interview with Spencer Kuvín , the Florida-based attorney representing multiple victims in the ongoing civil litigation connected to Duluth Vineyard , Vineyard USA , Michael and Brenda Gatlin , and Jackson Gatlin . Spencer brings not only deep legal insight to the conversa...

Episode 4: “God Told Me So” When personal revelation becomes a shield for power, who pays the price? In this episode of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power , we examine the rise of Alan and Kathryn Scott—from their beginnings at Causeway Coast Vineyard in Northern Ireland to their controversial takeover of Anaheim Vineyard, the flagship church of the Vineyard movement. What began as a ministry rooted...

🎙️ Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power – Full Interview: Kris Sauter In this special bonus episode of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power , we share the full, unedited interview with Kris Sauter , former youth pastor at Duluth Vineyard. Kris worked closely with the Gatlin family for years. In this conversation, he speaks candidly about what he witnessed from the inside—the early red flags, the power dyn...

🎙️ Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power – Full Interview: Ryan Bauers In this full-length interview episode of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power , we sit down with Ryan Bauers , former Vineyard pastor in Duluth, Minnesota, who in 2014 formally raised concerns to Vineyard USA about Michael and Brenda Gatlin—years before their son Jackson was placed into leadership or arrested for sexual misconduct. In t...

Episode Summary: In this episode, we examine the devastating consequences of unchecked power within the Vineyard Movement, focusing on the story of Jackson Gatlin —son of Duluth Vineyard’s senior pastors Michael and Brenda Gatlin. We explore the early warning signs ignored by leadership, the conflicts of interest that allowed Jackson to rise unchecked, and the culture of silence that protected him...

Episode Summary: In this episode, we investigate how the Vineyard Movement’s obsession with growth metrics, married co-leadership structures, and lack of accountability mechanisms created the perfect conditions for abuse and systemic failure. We dive into how these dynamics directly set the stage for the rise of Michael and Brenda Gatlin at Duluth Vineyard—highlighting the early warning signs of t...

Episode Description: In the premiere episode of Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power , host John Williamson shares the deeply personal story that became the catalyst for this investigative series—an account of sexual assault, institutional betrayal, and buried pain that would remain unacknowledged for decades. As John began asking questions, a pattern emerged: a movement that began as a radical, Spiri...

Welcome to Spoiled Fruit: Faith & Power - a limited investigative podcast that explores the rise and reckoning of one of the most influential church movements of the last 50 years: the Vineyard. This teaser sets the tone for what's to come - a deeper dive into the dangerous intersections of church, power, and empire building. Through firsthand accounts, leaked recordings, and careful inves...