Brookwood Church’s Policies After Long-Term Involvement of Registered Sex Offenders

Brookwood Southern Baptist Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina, allowed Jerry Sidell—who pleaded guilty in the 1980s to multiple child-molestation charges in Georgia—to serve in adult ministries from 1999 until the congregation was informed of his status in 2022. After senior pastor Bryan Jones learned of Sidell’s offender registration, the church barred him from any children-related work, required him to disclose his past to non-children ministries, and instituted a security protocol that forces any registered sex offender to check in with staff, sit in a designated area, and be escorted out after services.

The Guardian

Sidell, 69, received six concurrent 10-year sentences in the 1980s after pleading guilty to five counts of child molestation and one count of enticing a minor for indecent purposes. He later registered as a sex offender in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. A separate case involved Warren Spence Perry, 70, who violated probation by working at a Southern Baptist church-run school and daycare in Pawleys Island; he was arrested after authorities reported the violation. Both incidents occur amid a broader Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) scandal over sexual-abuse handling, highlighted by a 205-page SBC report released in June 2022 that listed hundreds of accused leaders (Sidell and Perry were not named in that document).

The Guardian

Pastor Bryan Jones told congregants that Sidell had been “forthright” about his past and that the church’s new rules—prohibiting work with children, mandatory disclosure, and the escort procedure—reflect a balance of “grace and forgiveness” with “consequences for actions.” He also asked the assembly to pray for victims. Pastor JC Thompson emphasized safety, noting that “we care about protecting our people,” and described the campus’s extensive security-camera system and required abuse-prevention training for volunteers. Both pastors mentioned that their own children attend Brookwood, underscoring personal investment in the church’s safety measures.

The Guardian

Authorities in Pawleys Island arrested Perry for allegedly breaching probation by serving at a church-run school and daycare. Five additional individuals connected to that church were later detained on suspicion of concealing Perry’s involvement with children. A proposed federal class-action lawsuit targets the church and school where Perry worked.

The Guardian

• “We care about protecting our people,” — Thompson

The Guardian