The scandal engulfing Pawleys Island Community Church has just claimed its biggest casualty yet: its Christian school is shutting down for good.
After 25 years of operation, Pawleys Island Christian Academy is closing its doors as its parent church reels from an explosive controversy involving a registered sex offender who was allowed to volunteer on the church and school campus.
And the fallout is staggering.
Five arrests. Six lawsuits. An ongoing sheriff's investigation. An allegation that a student was sexually abused. And now, the end of a 25-year-old Christian school.
Church elders broke the news in an email Monday, Aug. 10, acknowledging something rarely stated so plainly by church leadership: the community's trust has been "severed."
"For 25 years, the Pawleys Island community has placed its trust in Pawleys Island Christian Academy (PICA), a ministry of Pawleys Island Community Church (PICC), to provide a safe and nurturing environment for their children," the elders wrote.
Then came the apology.
"We recognize the trust in this church ministry has been severed and that many in our community are experiencing hurt and confusion," the elders admitted. "For this, the current leadership of PICC offers our sincerest apologies."
The church said the academy would formally cease operations because of the "recent events," the ongoing investigation and delays surrounding licensing for the forthcoming school year.
But the school's closure is only the latest bombshell in a controversy that has continued to widen.
At the center of the investigation is Warren Spencer Perry, a convicted and registered sex offender who reportedly served as a volunteer custodian on the Pawleys Island Community Church campus-the same campus shared with the Christian academy.
Authorities have arrested five people in connection with the investigation, according to ChurchLeaders.
Those arrested include Perry; former PICC pastor Don Williams; Williams' wife, Ginny Williams; former Pawleys Island Christian Academy director Niki Howard; and church director of operations and missions Michael Anthony Fields.
Meanwhile, the lawsuits are mounting.
Pawleys Island Community Church reportedly faces six lawsuits, including two class-action cases. One lawsuit alleges that Perry sexually abused a student at the Christian academy.
One of the class actions has landed in federal court, while the controversy has stretched beyond the local church, with the Southern Baptist Convention reportedly named as a co-defendant in a federal class-action lawsuit.
Now, as the scandal continues to unfold, church leaders are openly acknowledging the damage.
"We know trust remains to be restored," the elders said, adding that current leadership is reviewing ministry policies and procedures to ensure "the safety and security of all children in our care."
The church also says it is "prayerfully considering" other ways its buildings could eventually be used to serve the community.
But for Pawleys Island Christian Academy, there will apparently be no comeback.
A school that operated for a quarter-century is closing amid one of the most serious crises to hit its parent church-leaving families, church members and the surrounding community facing questions about how a registered sex offender was allegedly permitted to volunteer on a campus serving children in the first place.
Five arrests. Six lawsuits. A school gone. And an investigation that is still not over.
For Pawleys Island Community Church, the fallout may be far from finished.
