In South Carolina, scandal has engulfed a pastoral pair, leading to their resignation amidst allegations of a sex offender being employed near children at their church.
Pawleys Island Community Church, currently facing public outrage, saw 70-year-old Warren Perry arrested on Tuesday. His arrest followed claims of probation breach by accessing children through the church’s youth initiatives.
Pastor Don Williams and his spouse, Ginny, announced their resignation on Friday in response to the growing controversy, as confirmed by a Facebook post from the church.
“Effective immediately, changes have been implemented within our church leadership; we accept Pastor Don Williams and Ginny Williams’ resignations,” the statement declared.
“Moreover, we’ve accepted the resignation of Niki Howard, the Director of Pawleys Island Christian Academy, alongside several elders who opted to vacate their positions.”
In an email obtained by News13, Williams said the resignation is ‘necessary so that PICC can begin healing and moving forward,’ adding that church workers were ‘unfairly caught in the crossfire of this past week.’
Perry was convicted in 2023 of sexually exploiting a minor and his probation specifically prohibited him from being around children, according to ABC15 News.
South Carolina probation officials told the outlet they were aware Perry volunteered but were not told the church also ran a school and daycare.
Pastor Don Williams and his wife Ginny, they both resigned from Pawleys Island Community Church following the investigation
Pawleys Island Community Church in South Carolina
On July 13, the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office was alerted by a parent who said Perry was working at the church’s school and daycare, which serves 300 students, according to an incident report obtained by the outlet.
Police later spoke with the 70-year-old’s probation agent, who said Perry never informed them that the church operated a daycare and school.
That same day, authorities received another complaint from an anonymous woman who claimed Perry worked as a custodian and had ‘unrestricted access’ to children, the incident report obtained by the outlet stated.
She also said a teacher raised red flags with school administrators about a registered sex offender’s access to students, per the report.
The volunteer was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly violating probation.
Investigators alleged Perry worked at the preschool for years while under supervision, regularly entered classrooms during school hours and had full access to the campus.
Pastor Williams addressed the shaken congregation in a meeting on Wednesday, saying Perry had disclosed his criminal history and that the church, along with law enforcement, was aware of it.
The pastor said restrictions were put in place, including a rule that Perry was never to be alone with children.
The former pastor addressed the investigation in a heated meeting on Wednesday
Church and community members are seen at the meeting, they accused the church of failing to let them know Perry was a registered sex offender
Warren Spence Perry, 70, a registered sex offender who was charged with a violation of probation
Williams said he only learned Perry was violating his probation conditions after speaking with his probation officer.
Video from the tense meeting showed parents and community members shouting as the pastor spoke, alleging Perry was regularly around students.
They also accused the church of failing to alert families that Perry was a registered sex offender.
The controversy has now landed the church in court, with parents accusing leaders of failing to protect children and keep families informed.
A class-action lawsuit seeks to represent families tied to the academy and church activities during the years Perry was allegedly present, demanding more than $25 million in damages.
Daily Mail reached out to Pawleys Island Community Church for comment.