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S.C. Church Parts Ways With Pastor Who Had Child Sex Criminal Conviction

By Sheila Stogsdill
don logan pastor
Don Logan, a convicted sex offender, has been fired as pastor of Eternal Church in Fort Mill, S.C. (Photo via social media)

The elders of the South Carolina-based Eternal Church have reversed their early position and formally released convicted sex offender Don Logan from his position as pastor.

The Wartburg Watch in May first reported Logan’s name on sex offender lists in Indiana and South Carolina.

The 14-man elder board released an email on Wednesday acknowledging their mistake and seeking forgiveness, the Fort Mill Sun reported.

The admission is a reversal of their position that Logan “is of proven character,” according to the Wartburg Watch.

Chad Hollowell, Executive Pastor of Eternal Church, previously told the Wartburg Watch that the church’s leaders felt that sexual sin with a minor did not permanently disqualify Logan from preaching. Hollowell reportedly added that church leaders believed Logan was above reproach.

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eternal church fort mill
Eternal Church in Fort Mill, S.C. (Photo via social media)

The Roys Report (TRR) reported earlier that Logan was convicted in 1997 of felony sexual misconduct with a minor, a 14-year-old Indiana girl. The conviction netted Logan a three-year prison sentence, of which he only served 18 months.

The Sun reported Logan was a 29-year-old minister when he fondled the girl under her pants as she sat on his lap while watching a movie at a friend’s house.  Logan reportedly had to register as a sex offender in Indiana for a limited time. He registered in South Carolina as a sex offender on the advice of his attorney, the Sun reported.

The elder email is not on Eternal Church’s website and Logan’s photograph has been removed from the website.

The entire email was reproduced by the Fort Mill Sun. Excerpts are as follows:

On July 10th, 2024, the Elders of Eternal Church made the decision to release Pastor Don Logan from his call as Pastor of Eternal Church, effective immediately. We are grateful for all the ways Don ministered to Eternal over the past 10 years. 

Our decision to release Don was made with much prayer and discernment around the biblical qualifications for overseers of the church set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Retaining Don as our pastor is not consistent with the truth, wisdom, and practicality in this text. . . .

The Elders failed to see how Don’s conviction would adversely affect him, his family, the victim, members, attenders, and most importantly the church’s witness within the community by not bringing the conviction into the light years ago. For that, we repent and seek forgiveness from those who have been hurt. Moving forward, we commit to make amends and take steps to bring healing through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Few leaders knew of Logan’s sexual misconduct, and voting members of the pastor selection committee and the congregation were in the dark about it, the newspaper reported.

Sheila Stogsdill is a freelance print journalist and digital reporter, primarily covering crime issues for KSN/KODE.

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3 Responses

  1. Any elder board that believes a pastor is above reproach in issues such as these should immediately be removed from office and any staff terminated immediately. Local police and the denomination notified of their decision. Period, No excuses.

  2. There are so many guilty parties. From 2005 until today, at least three churches and one mission organization failed to perform due diligence. It took me one call to the Clinton County Court to obtain the case file. Reading through 200 pages of documents, it is obvious that Logan should never have been restored to ministry.

  3. I attended Eternal Church this past Sunday (7/14). I was pulled aside by an elder who rebuked me for attacking Logan and the church. I asked him if he had read the 1997 case file, and he said “Yes, but the girl admitted to lying in her interview and she and her family have reconciled with Don.” I asked, “Which girl? There were two interviewed.” He said, “I don’t remember.” I asked him if Don Logan told him this, and he said, “Yes, Don.”

    The church’s leaders have not come to grips that their pastor is a gifted actor who has pretended to be a pastor for 35 years. They still think he is a man of good character who would never lie to them. They are quite deceived.

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Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $50 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you can elect to receive a copy of “Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities’ by Dr. Andrew Bauman.