Explained: Who is former Vineyard pastor Alan Scott and what has he been accused of?

The Scottish pastor Alan Scott is facing widespread allegations of spiritual abuse and narcissistic behaviour. Following an independent review, Causeway Coast Vineyard (CCV) in Northern Ireland initially said they “failed to spot some of the warning signs” relating to their former pastor, which included “repeated patterns of…manipulation.” However, it has since emerged CCV’s senior pastors, Neil and Janet Young, "no longer fully support" the investigation and have stepped down from leading the church. Tim Wyatt reports

Who is Alan Scott?

Scott was born and raised in Glasgow, and joined the church which would become the Glasgow Vineyard in the 1990s. His brother John was the pastor at Glasgow Vineyard until he had to step down because he had a relationship with a married woman in the congregation.

In the late 1990s Alan and his wife Kathryn – a worship leader – moved to her home country of Northern Ireland to found Causeway Coast Vineyard in Coleraine. From a tiny handful of worshippers it grew under their leadership to become a megachurch with over a thousand members.