A South Carolina pastor and his wife have resigned from Pawleys Island Community Church following allegations that a registered sex offender was working with children in church programs and the affiliated school and daycare. Pastor Don Williams and his wife, Ginny Williams, submitted their resignations Friday.
"As an immediate step, changes have been made within our leadership and the church has accepted pastor Don Williams and Ginny Williams' resignation," the church stated in a Facebook post. Niki Howard, Director of Pawleys Island Christian Academy, also resigned, along with several elders.
Warren Perry, 70, a registered sex offender convicted in 2023 of sexually exploiting a minor, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly violating his probation. His probation terms prohibit him from being around children. South Carolina probation officials stated they were aware Perry volunteered at the church but were unaware it operated a school and daycare.
An incident report from the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office indicates that on July 13, a parent alerted authorities that Perry was working at the church's school and daycare, which serves approximately 300 students. A subsequent complaint from an anonymous woman claimed Perry worked as a custodian with "unrestricted access" to children.
Investigators allege Perry worked at the preschool for years while under supervision, regularly entered classrooms during school hours, and had full access to the campus. A teacher had reportedly raised concerns to school administrators about a registered sex offender's access to students.
During a meeting with the congregation on Wednesday, Pastor Williams addressed the situation, stating that Perry had disclosed his criminal history and that the church and law enforcement were aware of it. Williams added that restrictions were in place, including a rule that Perry was never to be alone with children. He also stated he learned Perry was violating his probation only after speaking with his probation officer.
Video from the meeting showed parents and community members confronting Williams, alleging Perry was frequently around students and accusing the church of failing to inform families of his status as a registered sex offender.
The controversy has led to a class-action lawsuit filed by parents. The suit seeks to represent families associated with the academy and church activities during the period Perry was allegedly present, demanding over $25 million in damages for alleged failures to protect children and inform families.
In an email obtained by News13, Williams stated that his resignation was "necessary so that PICC can begin healing and moving forward," and that church workers were "unfairly caught in the crossfire of this past week."