The elders of Eternal Church have formally severed ties with Pastor Don Logan, seeking forgiveness with their Fort Mill congregation in an email sent Wednesday.
The decision comes after it was revealed the teaching pastor is a registered sex offender, convicted 27 years ago of sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl in Indiana. Elders admitted on Sunday that a few leaders knew of his crime, but voting members of the pastor selection committee were not told before Logan was hired 10 years ago and it was not revealed to the congregation.
“Effective immediately, we have made the decision to release Pastor Don Logan from his call as Pastor of Eternal Church,” read the email dispatched to members of Eternal Church on Wednesday, July 10. (Read entire email at bottom.)
The communication, signed by the elders, expressed gratitude for Logan’s decade-long service, but emphasized the necessity of the decision based on biblical principles and the church’s mission. The nondenominational church has removed his photo from their website and taken down the church’s Facebook page, where his sermons had been available.
“Our decision to release Don was made with much prayer and discernment around the biblical qualifications for overseers of the church,” the letter continued, citing 1 Timothy 3:1-7 as foundational to their deliberation. “Retaining Don as our pastor is not consistent with the truth, wisdom, and practicality in this text.”
Central to the Elders’ rationale was the acknowledgment of past failures in addressing issues that could potentially tarnish the church’s reputation and its members’ trust.
Court documents show Logan was 29 when he fondled the juvenile under her pants while she sat on his lap and watched a movie at a friend’s house. She told police she knew Logan because he used to be her minister. Logan served 18 months of a three-year prison sentence. He only registered as a sex offender in South Carolina three months ago on the advice of his attorney.
“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,” the church letter confessed, pleading for forgiveness from those hurt by their inaction.
The aftermath of the decision has left a deep impact on the congregation, with fractures appearing in the trust once held. “We recognize our congregation is in a real place of pain and hurt, and that for some, trust has been broken,” the elders acknowledged, vowing to undertake measures aimed at healing and reconciliation.
Despite the emotional upheaval, the elders reaffirmed their commitment to the church’s foundational beliefs. “We continue to affirm the sufficiency of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin,” they said, expressing hope that all parties involved, including Pastor Logan and his family, would find solace in the community they have been part of.
The letter concluded with a call for unity and spiritual renewal within Eternal Church, promising transparency in the days ahead. “We will be sharing leadership’s next steps this Sunday,” the Elders announced, urging members to participate in worship despite the recent turmoil.
As the church prepares to navigate the fallout from this significant decision, the elders expressed their unwavering dedication to Eternal’s mission and their steadfast belief in God’s capacity for redemption.
“No one—not one—has a past or a present too dark for God to reach,” they said.
Here is the entire unedited email:
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.
As overseers of the church, the Elders’ primary responsibility is the health of the church as well as acting on Jesus’ commission to witness to the community in which we live. In Eternal Church’s case, that is embodied through our four coordinates of truth, worship, witness, and community.
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.
We recognize our congregation is in a real place of pain and hurt, and that for some, trust has been broken. The Elders acknowledge their responsibility regarding the broken trust and will continue to seek God’s guidance on how to best restore that trust within the church body and broader community. You can expect further communication on the steps we are taking in that regard.
Despite the recent events and decisions, we continue to affirm the sufficiency of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin. We have the comfort and promise from the word of God in 1 John 1:9: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We still believe Don experienced this transformational power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe this for ourselves as well.
Don, Heather and family are all our brothers and sisters in Christ; we are not abandoning them. They are welcome to remain among us as members of our church community; it is our hope they will stay. There is a plan for care in place for the Logan family; we are committed to continue walking alongside them spiritually and emotionally throughout their healing process.
Nevertheless, we acknowledge there are brothers and sisters among us who will be hurt, upset and unsettled by the Elders’ decision to release Don from ministry at Eternal. We pray the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Our hope is we will all remain committed to the Kingdom and call Eternal our home.
As Christians, our mission is to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we consider the state of our church, our mission of witness within the community at-large has eroded. It remains our desire to fully restore this mission to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will continue to preach Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection no matter the cost. We will continue to proclaim that God can and does redeem all sinners. No one—not one—has a past or a present too dark for God to reach.
We will be sharing leadership’s next steps this Sunday. We commit to continuing to love and serve the Eternal community well. Please feel free to reach out to elderquestions@eternalchurch.net if you have specific questions.
May we all seek His Kingdom first.
We look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday. All other aspects of our worship service will be functioning as normal for both services.
Grace and Peace,
The Elders of Eternal Church
“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.”
These elders STILL DON’T GET IT. Retaining? The question that shouts for an answer is “When was Don disqualified?”
When he was fired from Kirkland from his position as youth pastor? When he groomed the parents and children in Geneva? When he was convicted of SAing a 14 yo child? When he was re-hired at his Father-in-law’s church in Carlisle? When he was hired to be a pastor in Guatemala? When he pastored at Green Spring? When he was hired at Eternal? When the whistleblower approached the leadership last September?
All the while, all it took was a phone call to Clinton County to confirm the truth from at least 1997.
What is Kirkland?
Actually Kirklin. He was a pastor at Kirklin Christian Church until apparently being asked to leave. He then was associate pastor at Geneva Church of Christ. He committed the crime back in Kirklin on New Year’s Day, was convicted and relinquished his ministerial credentials.
On Eternal Website Events –
Summer of Prayer:
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Please sign up below to commit to praying for Eternal Church, the body, leadership, and specifically for Pastor Don and his family. Thank you for your faithful support of God’s church.
Again – NO MENTION of praying for the victim/survivor of Logan’s sex offense! There is no empathy or care shown for the victim. No mention of praying for the community of Fort Mill who have been hurt by the church’s negligence.
The elders must not understand the gravity and vast impact of a crime like Logan’s.
Who are the victims? Unless there is an investigation into Logan’s past, there can be no transparency. Did Logan lie to the leadership and the congregation about his past? How was he re-ordained? Have Kirklin Christian Church, Geneva Church of Christ, Carlisle Brethren in Christ, Commission to Every Nation, Mission Frontiers, and Green Spring Brethren in Christ Church been contacted to investigate Logan’s past? He lied on his Linked In CV. I am amazed at the naivety displayed in this email to the congregation.
“The Elders failed to see how Don’s conviction would adversely affect him, his family, the victim…”
Wait, what? Victim singular? Did they not read the case file? There were multiple girls that were victimized, along with their families. And who knows how many others? In fact, in a sense every member of every institution since 1996 has been a victim, not to mention the whistleblower and who knows how many others sex abuse victims that may have preceeded the one for which Logan was convicted.
Yesterday, 7/21/24, Eternal elder, Steve Park, read an apology statement that made NO mention of Logan’s victims. None. Zero.
This lack of acknowledgment, grief, or heartbreak over the lifelong trauma caused by Logan indicates a total disregard for and ongoing minimization of the severity of his criminal sexual abuse and sends a very clear message to anyone who experienced SA in their past that this church doesn’t care about them and is not safe. Instead, this church leadership only shows concern for the perpetrator of SA.
You are absolutely correct and I’m sorry this is so often the case. This is not a representation of God or his character and yet it is proliferated throughout most churches.
Why is it that the “elders” who had knowledge of his past have not also been released/fired from their leadership positions roles – are they not complicit?
Eternal elders are the top of the power structure. They are accountable to no one. Who would fire them? They still control the narrative and the congregation. I fear their insurance company denying coverage or a depleted bank account will be the only way they exit.