Surviving Brookwood

AllegedlyReportedly – A Convicted Child Sex Offender Served in Church Ministries for Years. Now Members Want Answers.

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Source Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19nHMgQYpU/

Post by: AllegedlyReportedly

𝐀 π‚πŽππ•πˆπ‚π“π„πƒ π‚π‡πˆπ‹πƒ 𝐒𝐄𝐗 πŽπ…π…π„ππƒπ„π‘ 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐇 πŒπˆππˆπ’π“π‘πˆπ„π’ π…πŽπ‘ π˜π„π€π‘π’. ππŽπ– πŒπ„πŒππ„π‘π’ 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒.

Members of Brookwood Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina, are questioning what families were told about a registered sex offender’s involvement.

Jerry Sidell, 69, was convicted in Georgia in 1983 of child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes. Baptist News Global reports that he was a youth minister and received a 10-year prison sentence. His convictions are also documented in Florida’s sex offender registry.

Brookwood previously told MinistryWatch that church leaders knew about his convictions when he began attending in 1999. The church said restrictions prohibited him from volunteering in children’s or student ministries and required ministry leaders working with him to know his background.

He nevertheless participated in worship ministry, played keyboard, and attended men’s small groups. Church leadership said it had received no complaints about his conduct and had since disqualified him from serving in any capacity.

Member David Walsh says he learned Sidell’s status during a conversation with Senior Pastor Bryan Jones. Walsh disputes the church’s account of Sidell’s proximity to children, alleging he played music for The Landing, a recovery program for students in sixth through 12th grade.

Sidell also founded a separate music ministry, The Rusty Bucket. Walsh says Brookwood pastors, staff, and volunteers participated there. FOX Carolina found event photos appearing to show minors. Brookwood says Rusty Bucket was neither its ministry nor funded or controlled by the church.

Jones says he removed Sidell from serving after learning his status and strengthened safeguards. Brookwood says Sidell was a volunteer, not an employee. FOX Carolina reports no pending South Carolina charges against him, and he did not respond to requests for comment.

I believe parents deserve clear information before they unknowingly bring their children around someone with that history.

Faith and forgiveness do not erase the need for transparency, boundaries, and accountability.

Would you feel comfortable with the church’s response, or would you be looking for another church?

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