South Carolina pastor and his wife resigns after parents raised concerns over a controversial hire at their church

A South Carolina pastor and his wife have reportedly resigned following backlash over a registered sex offender who allegedly worked around children at their church. Pastor Don Williams and his wife, Ginny, stepped down from Pawleys Island Community Church on Friday, according to a statement the church posted on Facebook.

The resignations come after Warren Perry, 70, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly violating his probation by gaining access to children through the church’s youth programs, according to reports. Perry was reportedly convicted in 2023 of sexually exploiting a minor, and his probation terms allegedly barred him from being around children, according to ABC15 News. 

South Carolina probation officials told ABC15 News they were aware Perry had volunteered at the church, but said they were not informed that the church also operated a school and daycare.

Church confirms resignations of pastor, wife and academy director

According to the church’s Facebook statement, “As an immediate step, changes have been made within our leadership and the church has accepted pastor Don Williams and Ginny Williams’ resignation.” The statement also said, “We have also accepted the resignation of Niki Howard, Director of Pawleys Island Christian Academy, and several elders have decided to step down from their role.”

In an email reportedly obtained by News13, Williams said the resignations were “necessary so that PICC can begin healing and moving forward.” He reportedly added that church workers were “unfairly caught in the crossfire of this past week.” In other news, a teacher was accused of twerking in the class in Florida. 

The allegations reportedly first surfaced on July 13, when the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a parent who said Perry was working at the church’s school and daycare, according to an incident report obtained by ABC15 News. The school and daycare reportedly serve around 300 students. Police reportedly later spoke with Perry’s probation agent, who said Perry never disclosed that the church ran a daycare and school.

That same day, authorities reportedly received a separate complaint from an anonymous woman who claimed Perry worked as a custodian and had “unrestricted access” to children, according to the incident report cited by ABC15 News. The report also stated that a teacher had allegedly raised concerns with school administrators about a registered sex offender’s access to students.

Perry was arrested on Tuesday on a charge of allegedly violating his probation. Investigators alleged that Perry had worked at the preschool for years while under supervision, and that he regularly entered classrooms during school hours with full access to the campus, according to the report.

Pastor Williams reportedly addressed the congregation during a meeting on Wednesday, telling attendees that Perry had disclosed his criminal history and that both the church and law enforcement were allegedly aware of it. Williams reportedly said restrictions had been put in place, including a rule that Perry was never to be left alone with children.

According to reports, Williams said he only learned that Perry was allegedly violating his probation conditions after speaking with Perry’s probation officer. Video from the meeting reportedly showed parents and community members expressing anger while the pastor spoke, with some alleging that Perry was regularly present around students.

Attendees at the meeting also reportedly accused the church of failing to notify families that Perry was a registered sex offender.

The controversy has since led to legal action, with parents accusing church leaders of failing to protect children and keep families informed, according to reports. A class-action lawsuit has reportedly been filed seeking to represent families connected to the academy and church activities during the years Perry was allegedly present at the church. The lawsuit is reportedly seeking more than $25 million in damages. Similar church activities have also raised concerns about unwelcoming environments in other states.