Foothill Vineyard Church pastor Isaac Brandt accused of making harassment threats toward a minor

Isaac Brandt Samuelson, a worship pastor at Foothill Vineyard Church in San Dimas, California, is facing serious accusations from Morgan Ariel, a prominent Christian cultural commentator. 

Ariel claims Samuelson, under the pseudonym @PvnishedIke (now deleted), directed disturbing threats toward her 14-year-old daughter. The accusations have sparked a public investigation, with Ariel detailing a series of online threats that allegedly came from Samuelson, who is accused of using multiple anonymous accounts to target Ariel and her family.

Ariel shared a detailed thread on X (formerly Twitter) in which she outlined her claims. According to Ariel, Samuelson, a self-identified member of the “groypers” group, allegedly threatened sexual violence against Ariel’s underage daughter. The threats followed months of targeted online harassment aimed at Ariel herself. She described how group members, after failing to provoke her, shifted their attacks to her child.

The thread also included a recorded conversation from an X space in which Samuelson allegedly refused to take responsibility for his actions. During this discussion, he allegedly blamed Ariel for being “attractive and single,” rather than addressing the disturbing nature of the threats. Ariel also posted a screenshot of Samuelson’s burner account, where he allegedly mocked her and others, displaying no remorse for his actions.

According to Foothill Vineyard Church’s website, Isaac Brandt Samuelson, originally from Iowa, has lived in Costa Rica and China. He graduated from Vanguard University in 2019, where he studied film and music. During college, he felt called to worship ministry, which led him to Foothill Vineyard Church.

Ariel’s claims have raised significant concerns about the online behavior of certain groups and individuals, particularly in religious spaces. In the wake of these accusations, the Foothill Vineyard Church, where Samuelson has served as a worship pastor, has yet to publicly comment on the matter. The church’s website describes it as a welcoming and multi-generational community, offering youth programs led by trained adults.