A South Carolina church has shut down its academy amid backlash and a police investigation over the ministry allowing a registered sex offender to volunteer there.
Pawleys Island Community Church posted a statement on its website Monday announcing the closure of Pawleys Island Christian Academy, which was opened 25 years ago.
“We recognize the information that has come to light over the past few weeks has severed trust and caused tremendous hurt and confusion. For this, the current leadership of PICC offers our sincerest apologies,” stated the church.
“Given these recent events, the ongoing investigation, and delays with licensing for the forthcoming school year, current PICC leadership has decided to formally end the PICA ministry. We believe this decision is in the best interest of the community and church.”
The church went on to acknowledge that “trust remains to be restored” and that current church leaders are “reviewing all ministry policies and procedures to ensure the safety and security of all children in our care.”
“This is our most important priority,” they added. “Additionally, we are prayerfully considering alternative opportunities to utilize our building to serve the community in the future.”
Last month, a 70-year-old registered sex offender named Warren Spence Perry was arrested after it was discovered that he was serving as a volunteer custodian at the academy.
Perry was given probation in 2023 after being convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor. His volunteering at the church academy violated the conditions of his probation.
The church faced considerable backlash for knowingly employing Perry, with Senior Pastor Donald James Williams, his wife, Virginia Lee Williams, and Academy Director Jennifer Howard all resigning from their leadership positions.
For his part, Pastor Williams had claimed that Perry had disclosed his criminal history and that he was allowed to work at the church as long as he wasn’t alone with any children.
The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services told ABC 15 that they had approved Perry’s request to work at the church under the assumption that he would avoid any contact with minors, based in part on character witness statements Williams provided on Perry’s behalf.
“Perry was explicitly instructed during regular agent supervision meetings to not engage in direct contact with minors while performing his volunteer duties,” the department told the outlet last month.
“On 7/13/26 the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services received a call from Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office stating that a complaint was received that Mr. Perry was seen at Pawley’s Island Christian Academy. PPP swiftly investigated and arrested Perry for giving his agent untruthful reports and not refraining from contact with minors.”
Last month, Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver announced that authorities were charging former Pastor Williams and Howard with obstruction of justice, taking steps to place children at risk and criminal conspiracy, while Mrs. Williams was charged with obstruction of justice and criminal conspiracy. Perry was re-arrested and faced the new charges of obstruction of justice and criminal conspiracy.
Local authorities also arrested Michael Anthony Fields, director of Operations and Missions at the church, charging him with “Unlawfully Placing a Child at Risk or Causing a Child Harm.” A fifth person, described by authorities as the church’s security director, has since been arrested as well, bringing the number of arrests connected to the case to five, including Perry.
“The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office is in the third week of its investigation into how church leadership allowed convicted sex offender Warren Perry to volunteer on campus in close proximity to children for years,” authorities stated following Fields’ arrest.
“As the investigation has widened, partners from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, the Children’s Recovery Center, the Attorney General’s Office, the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS), and the SC Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole have all been instrumental in moving different facets forward.”
Apart from the arrests and the ongoing police investigation, the church and its academy are also dealing with six lawsuits filed against them as of Monday, according to Church Leaders, one of which accuses Perry of abusing a student at the church school.
Another one of the six complaints is a $25 million class-action suit filed in state court last month on behalf of all students who attended the church’s academy in the past six years.
Earlier this month, a federal class action complaint was filed against Pawleys Island in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina by a John Doe and Jane Doe who had a child “entrusted to Defendants’ care.”
The federal complaint not only names the congregational leadership among its defendants, but also the Southern Baptist Convention, which Pawleys Island is in cooperation, as well as the SBC’s Executive Committee.
An SBC spokesperson emailed a brief statement to The Christian Post last week from SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg, who said the “Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation” and that once “we are officially notified of the filing, we will review it and respond appropriately.”
One of the six lawsuits, filed earlier and reported by WMBF News, specifically names the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services as a defendant, alleging the agency failed to enforce the restrictions meant to keep Perry away from minors despite having approved his volunteer placement at the church.
State records also show the academy was found non-compliant with background check requirements on three separate occasions — in February 2024, March 2024 and March of this year, according to reviews conducted by the South Carolina Division of Early Care and Education, predating the scandal’s public disclosure, according to FITS News.
