Religion · Myrtle Beach, SC Metro · August 14, 2026
SBC Named as Defendant in Lawsuit Over SC Church Sex-Offender Case
A federal class-action lawsuit is being proposed against Pawleys Island Community Church in South Carolina after authorities alleged a convicted sex offender was permitted to volunteer near children at the church, according to The Rome News-Tribune. The report states the Southern Baptist Convention has now been named in the litigation tied to this investigation. The available article text is limited and does not detail the specific claims against the SBC, the timeline of the alleged volunteer arrangement, how the offender's status came to light, or the current stage of the proposed class action. What is confirmed: a federal lawsuit is proceeding, the church is Pawleys Island Community Church, and it is in South Carolina. Readers should treat details beyond these confirmed facts as unestablished until court filings or fuller local reporting clarify the SBC's specific alleged role, whether through denominational ties, oversight failures, or another connection cited in the complaint.
Source: The Rome News-Tribune
Why Bible-Believing Christians Should Care
Congregations exist to protect the vulnerable, not expose them to danger. Scripture is unambiguous about the seriousness of harming children, and any church that fails to screen volunteers around minors has failed a basic biblical and moral duty regardless of denominational affiliation. When a national body like the Southern Baptist Convention is named in litigation connected to a local church's alleged negligence, believers who trust and fund that denomination have a legitimate interest in knowing what oversight structures existed, what failed, and what accountability follows. This is a case where facts remain thin — Christians should watch court filings closely rather than assume conclusions the current reporting does not support.
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. — Matthew 18:6
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