Sex Offender Alert: Jerry Sidell, Brookwood Church and the Rusty Bucket
Sex Offender Alert: Jerry Sidell
CHILD PREDATOR in: Greenville, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Gray Court
Brookwood Church / The Rusty Bucket Music
My wife and I have been involved in fighting sexual exploitation for several years now. Krystal has written a curriculum to teach kids how to stay safe, warning signs to look for etc.
A huge part of what Krystal teaches on is “NICE GUY OFFENDERS”.
These are people who spend their entire life building the facade of a perfectly safe, friendly, helpful person who can be trusted in any situation. Someone you can leave your kids with. Someone who won’t set off any red flags. Someone who you won’t suspect even when you know something is wrong or a child comes forward.
People like this are textbook examples of a Nice Guy Offender.
Jerry Sidell’s Involvement at Brookwood Church
Jerry Sidell has attended Brookwood Church since 1999. Recent articles share that church leadership was aware of his Sex Offender status.
Based on everything Krystal and I know about sexual predator behavior and specifically nice guy offenders (choosing my words carefully on this platform…) Statistics show that individuals with these proclivities are more likely to reoffend.
His current lifestyle has been built around being in close proximity to children the same age as those he was convicted of hurting.
He was a pastor when he offended.
For years he has served from the stage at a large church (signaling he is vetted / background checked / approved / safe).
This has allowed for his success at The Rusty Bucket where children are invited to and encouraged to participate, even on stage with Jerry. He is still around children in other capacities at church and at church related programs or events hosted at the church, even specifically where there are particularly vulnerable children and families at.
He regularly leads worship and teaches music.
Concerns About Reoffending
Mrs Sidell at one time said (child molesting) “is like alcoholism, an incurable disorder which (the molester) has to fight every day.”
(per the attached screenshot and link)
Someone recovering from alcoholism. You could easily judge their interest/intent on either getting clear or succumbing to their temptation based on their lifestyle choices.
He has seemingly made little effort to make a person with his proclivities less tempted or more likely to be successful in staying clear of those behaviors.
This man has build a lifestyle around the situations that would be tempting for someone with similar convictions. Putting himself in close proximity with young children in various settings where he is a person of authority and influence, where he is giving instruction, where he is physically close (even toughing) children can likely lead to getting back into an old behavior pattern.
Jerry Sidell served 10 years for his crimes.
He is in the very places that a repentant person trying to not reoffend would NOT BE with regularity.
Church Accountability and Child Safety
If a church says spreading this information is somehow harmful to the church, or gossiping, they are not shepherding their flock. They are shepherding the wolves. Their shepherd’s staff should swiftly be taken away. They can go lie with the wolves if they so choose.
This will happen again and again if there is no accountability.
I am not a member at Brookwood church but my family has many friends that are members at Brookwood church and I have attended the church.
Brookwood church is having a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) evening to discuss this topic.
Questions for Brookwood Church Leadership
If you are attending this meeting these are the questions I would want solid answers to:
- When did you know of his sex offender status?
- When you know the full extent of his crimes?
- What did you do when you found out?
- How long did it take you to take action?
- What parameters where put in place?
- Who knows about these parameters?
- Who enforces them?
- Who monitors their enforcement?
- What are you going to do NOW?!
It is not enough to just say “we could have done better” implying ‘we are imperfect beings trying to do the best we can’. Thoughtful actions and/or severe neglect have lead to the situation and the dangers that exists today.
The Rusty Bucket and Brookwood’s Involvement
For years Brookwood church has directly and/or indirectly promoted Jerry Sidell’s ministry -The Rusty Bucket. (Brookwood worship members leading worship at Rusty Bucket, members sharing on social media, Rusty Bucket shirts being worn on stage at Brookwood, extensive word of mouth promotion, etc) Brookwood’s actions, or lack thereof, over the years has been a cornerstone which Jerry Sidell has built his current image -since leaving the state which he was convicted in.
At this time Brookwood needs to clear everything and disclose fully regarding this person and this situation so it is clear that this is NOT a person that should be assumed safe. I am not saying no one can or should interact with this person.
But families who choose to interact with Jerry should be aware of these things, specifically because he has been presented as a safe individual all these years.
If the sentiment of this meeting is more concerned about the image of Brookwood or Jerry Sidell over the safety and comfort of survivors and preventing future crimes from happening there is a serious problem inside that church. I truly hope that is not the case.
Forgiveness, Consequences and Biblical Responsibility
Forgiveness does not mean there is no consequence and it does not mean forgetting and knowingly allowing more evil to occur.
We are never commanded to ignore evil to defend the church. We are commanded to defend the vulnerable and those who can’t speak for themselves.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Offenses against children are especially heinous. As is written on our hearts by God.
Jeremiah 31:33
And as viewed and described by God.
Matthew 18:6
God would remove the church from the greater body of believers if he felt a church would poison or damage “the Church”.
Revelation 2:5
God does not spare believers judgement as seen throughout all of scripture.
Act 5:3, 5:5
I believe God would smite a church before inviting new believers to said church that was not following His word and not protecting children.
Revelation 2:16
Sources and Supporting Documentation
Facebook article shared September 1
”He was ‘forthcoming’ about his convictions when he began attending Brookwood in 1999, according to J.C. Thompson, Brookwood’s executive pastor of strategy.” -Ministry Watch article above.
Article posted to Facebook yesterday.
Rusty Bucket website and social media have been taken down.
Screenshots were taken from here:
South Carolina Sex Offender Registry — SLED
Originally published by Eric Nierman on Facebook. Read the original post.
