The trial of Archbishop Steven Wood concluded September 11, 2026, following five days of testimony from 38 witnesses. The Court expects the process of reviewing the transcript, receiving submissions, and deliberating could take up to 101 days, with an opinion due no later than December 21, 2026. The Court’s full statement is here.

The story keeps getting messier and messier and the questions about ACNA leadership keep multiplying–“The ACNA officially communicated a false narrative about our efforts, stating repeatedly that we had not approached any bishops but went directly to the media. Bishops who knew…

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) November 8, 2025

God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit
upon your Church in the burning fire of your love:
grant that your people may be fervent
in the fellowship of the gospel
that, always abiding in you,
they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Tower of St. Peter’s, dating back to 13th century
Braunstone, Rutland pic.twitter.com/o9mYkiTqCx

— Zara Handley (@zarahandley) September 13, 2026

O Lord, our heavenly Father, by Whose providence the duties of men are variously ordered: grant to us all such a spirit that we may labour heartily to do our work in our several stations, as serving one Master and looking for one reward.  Teach us to put to good account whatever talents Thou hast lent to us; help us to overcome all sloth and indolence; and enable us to redeem our time by zeal and patience; through Thy Son, our Saviour.     

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

St. Paul’s Church at Jarrow in Northumberland. The chancel is Anglo-Saxon in date, and formed part of the double monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow founded by Benedict Biscop during the C7th, and also home to the Venerable Bede. 📸 My own. #SteepleSaturday #Jarrow #Northumberland pic.twitter.com/jJSa71NoeZ

— Kevin Wilbraham (@KPW1453) September 12, 2026

 What is happening?

On October 23, 2025, The Washington Post reported that Archbishop Steve Wood, leader of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), is the subject of a formal presentment—a canonical complaint alleging sexual misconduct and other violations of church canons.

Summary of Allegations

• The presentment, filed October 20, 2025, centers on claims by Claire Buxton, a former children’s ministry director at St. Andrew’s Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
• Buxton alleges that between 2021 and 2024, Wood made inappropriate comments and gestures toward her, culminating in an unwanted advance in April 2024, when he allegedly attempted to kiss her.
• She also reported receiving about $3,500 in unsolicited payments from church funds over a 13-month period.
• Additional accusations in the presentment include plagiarized sermons, bullying of staff, and misuse of church resources.
• On November 7, 2025, The Washington Post reported that a second woman had come forward with allegations of sexual harassment, and the presentment was amended to include her affidavit and additional testimony from former colleagues.

Wood has stated he believes the allegations “lack merit” and has expressed trust in the ACNA’s canonical process.

2. What is the ACNA doing about it?

Upon receiving the presentment, ACNA initiated its disciplinary process, referring the case to a Board of Inquiry to determine whether an ecclesiastical trial is warranted.

November 4, 2025, the ACNA reported that Archbishop Wood took a voluntary, paid leave of absence from his roles as Archbishop and Bishop of the Carolinas. Bishop Ray Sutton, Dean of the Province, was appointed to oversee the Archbishop’s duties during the investigation. To help ensure objectivity in the proceedings, Bishop Sutton formally recused himself from all matters pertaining to Archbishop Wood’s Board of Inquiry and any subsequent disciplinary process, according to the ACNA.

Bishop Sutton appointed Bishop Julian Dobbs, who is serving as Dean of Provincial Affairs, to form a three-member panel of bishops to represent Bishop Sutton in any action he may be required to take in the disciplinary process against Archbishop Wood. This newly formed panel will review and approve the composition of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) to ensure its impartiality, and receive its report.

Wood also announced his retirement as rector of St. Andrew’s, describing it as previously planned.

November 16, 2025, Bishop Julian Dobbs, with the written consent of the five senior diocesan bishops of the College, determined by date of admission, Bishop Julian Dobbs inhibited Archbishop Stephen D. Wood from the exercise or ordained ministry in the Anglican Church in North America, in accordance with the canons of our Church. This inhibition does not determine guilt or innocence, nor does it pre-judge any allegation or any step that may follow. The canons provide for the imposition of an inhibition when it is determined to be in the best interests of the Church to do so. The inhibition document may be found here: [link to inhibition document].

As stipulated in the Constitution of the Anglican Diocese of the Carolinas, Bishop David Bryan, as Bishop Suffragan, is now assuming the duties of Acting Bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas for the duration of this period.

The ACNA has emphasized that Archbishop Wood is accountable to the same canonical standards and disciplinary process as any other leader accused of misconduct.

Read it all.

The Anglican Church in North America (@The_ACNA) has never put a sitting archbishop on trial.

That changes next week when the trial of Steve Wood begins. He faces charges of sexual immorality, abuse of church power and violating his ordination vows.https://t.co/9dP3rILsAF

— Roys Report (@ReachRoysReport) September 4, 2026

You may listen directly here:“>

Or you may download it there.

Or you may watch it there:

Evangelism doesn’t have to be awkward.

Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to say the perfect thing, know every answer, or somehow convince someone to believe.

But people aren’t projects, and you’re not the Savior. Jesus is.

Love the person in front of you. Listen… pic.twitter.com/wVILpVNWJe

— Daniel Adams (@TSNLDAN) September 10, 2026

CHARLESTON, SC — At long last Archbishop Steve Wood goes to trial for allegations that could derail his future hopes and aspirations and lead to a future of ignominy and shame. Exonerated, he will go back to leading a denomination struggling over the ordination of women and distrust by a growing number of laity disillusioned by his leadership. He faces a split among his fractious military chaplains, unresolved lawsuits and much more. 

No archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America has ever stood in the dock of his own church. Wood is the first. The denomination that was born in 2009 out of a flight from the Episcopal Church — a flight undertaken in the name of holiness, orthodoxy, and the plain reading of Scripture — now finds itself asking whether it can hold its own primate to the standard it once demanded of Canterbury. That is the real question the six-day trial in Charleston will answer, and it is far larger than the fate of one man. 

The court will not make it easy to watch. The proceedings, seated September 7 through 12 with extension dates reserved for September 21 through 26, are closed to the public. The Court for the Trial of a Bishop, presided over by the Rt. Rev. Ryan Reed, has given each side fifteen hours — no more — to lay out its case, examine and cross-examine witnesses, and argue before the bench. 

The Charges

Wood answers three formal charges: violation of his ordination vows; conduct giving just cause for scandal or offense, including the abuse of ecclesiastical power; and sexual immorality. They are among the gravest a bishop can face, and they carry, on conviction, the prospect of deposition. 

The Allegations

Behind the three charges lies a presentment that ranges wider still.

The case broke into public view in October 2025, when The Washington Post reported that Wood had been accused of sexual harassment during his long tenure as rector of St. Andrew’s Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina — the flagship parish he built over twenty-five years and the platform from which he rose to the archbishopric. Claire Buxton, a divorced mother of three who served as the parish’s children’s ministry director, alleges that Wood began behaving inappropriately toward her in the fall of 2021, showered her with attention and with money — more than three thousand dollars, she says, drawn from church funds — called her by a pet name, and, in April 2024, attempted to kiss her in his office. 

A presentment — the canonical instrument by which charges are brought — was filed that same month by a group of Wood’s former colleagues, among them four presbyters and seven lay people. It carried not only Buxton’s account but allegations that Wood bullied his staff and plagiarized sermons. In November it was resubmitted to add the account of a second woman, who said Wood had pressured her into situations that made her uncomfortable and had invited her to drink with him, and to add the claim of the province’s former communications director that Wood had conspired with other senior leaders to tilt the church’s investigative machinery in a “bishop-friendly” direction. 

Wood has denied the allegations, declining to comment on the most recent.

Read it all.

The Anglican Church in North America (@The_ACNA) has never put a sitting archbishop on trial.

That changes next week when the trial of Steve Wood begins. He faces charges of sexual immorality, abuse of church power and violating his ordination vows.https://t.co/9dP3rILsAF

— Roys Report (@ReachRoysReport) September 4, 2026

The Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Steve Wood, will face a church trial starting on Monday (Sept. 7). It’s the young denomination’s first trial of a sitting archbishop.

He faces three charges: violation of ordination vows, abuse of church power and sexual immorality.

“Our young Province finds itself in a challenging and uncomfortable season,” Julian Dobbs, who has taken over the archbishop’s duties, wrote in an email to the denomination on Tuesday. “Our unity, fervor, and faith are surely being tested.”

Read it all.

(RNS) — ‘Our young Province finds itself in a challenging and uncomfortable season,’ Julian Dobbs, who has taken over the archbishop’s duties, wrote in an email to the denomination on Tuesday. ‘Our unity, fervor, and faith are surely being tested.’ https://t.co/eyrrP5OR4I

— RNS (@RNS) September 8, 2026

The Rt. Rev. Chip Edgar, bishop of the ACNA’s Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, has been canonically charged with misconduct a week after he apologized for publicly dedicating a school chapel together with his counterpart in the Episcopal Church.

“I share this with heaviness of heart but in obedience to the truth Christ calls us to proclaim,” wrote the Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs, acting primate of the ACNA, in an announcement of the charges against Bishop Edgar on September 2.

On August 18, Edgar had joined the Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, in dedicating St. Timothy’s Chapel at the Porter-Gaud School in Charleston. The bishops, who both sit on the board of the independent Episcopal school, blessed the chapel’s furniture and distributed the Holy Communion to the mixed congregation. Photos of the event circulated widely and prompted a wave of public criticism.

The following week, Edgar expressed regret that his participation alongside Woodliff-Stanley had caused “anger and pain.” In response, Dobbs denounced the event as an occasion of “great offense,” adding that the denomination’s College of Bishops would consider the matter further at their next meeting in September.

Instead, formal charges were filed against Edgar by August 30, according to a September 2 letter from his standing committee. Dobbs’s same-day announcement stated that “the seriousness of the situation led a complement of Bishops” to file the charges, which Dobbs did not describe, but which the standing committee said accused Edgar of conduct giving “just cause for scandal or offense” at the chapel dedication.

Read it all.

New for @Livng_Church: ACNA Bishop Chip Edgar has accepted charges of "scandal or offense" made confidentially after joining his Episcopal counterpart in blessing a school chapel.https://t.co/3k15eoVR5S

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) September 4, 2026

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday morning at 8:45 a.m., Bishop Edgar submitted a letter to Bishop Julian Dobbs, Dean of the Province, indicating voluntary submission to discipline in the matter of the Porter-Gaud chapel dedication. On Sunday evening, Bishop Edgar was notified that a Presentment had been submitted to the Province charging him with just cause for scandal or offense in violation of the disciplinary canons of the ACNA because of his conduct during the dedication service on August 18. Bishop Edgar confessed to the truth of the charge in the Presentment, stating that he should not have participated in the dedication service in the manner that he did.

The College of Bishops will determine the punishment for Bishop Edgar at their meeting in Plano, Texas September 21-25, 2026. This disciplinary notice was posted to the website of the Anglican Church in North America today, and we wanted you to be aware of this fact.

We, the Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, are in support of Bishop Edgar, and his voluntary submission to discipline is a reminder of our need for the mercy of God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We invite the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina to pray for our Bishop, our Diocese, and the College of Bishops during this difficult time.

Faithfully,

The Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina

The Anglican Diocese of #Southcarolina Standing committee issues a ltr–Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday morning at 8:45 a.m., Bishop Edgar submitted a letter to Bishop Julian Dobbs, Dean of the Province, indicating… pic.twitter.com/Cll3Yprd7H

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) September 2, 2026

The joint blessing of a chapel at a historic school by an Episcopal bishop and an Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) bishop has stirred up deep controversy in the ACNA, with an August 26 statement from its acting primate sharply criticizing the service and promising that the church’s College of Bishops would rule on the situation next month.

Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina and Bishop Chip Edgar of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina participated alongside each other at the August 18 blessing of St. Timothy’s Chapel, a 600-seat church on the campus of Charleston’s Porter-Gaud School.

Photos of the event circulating on social media show the two bishops leading prayers together, draping a hanging over the chapel’s altar, laughing, and embracing warmly.

Both bishops are members of the independent Episcopal school’s Board of Trustees, and worked together early in their episcopates to resolve remaining tensions from the 2012 division of the original Diocese of South Carolina

“We took our seats on the board and we pretty quickly built trust,” Woodliff-Stanley said. “We’re not naïve; we know there are differences.”

Differences aside, they blessed the chapel jointly. The event included a Eucharist celebrated by the Rev. David A. Madison, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES), of which Porter-Gaud is a member. The school’s chaplain, the Rev. Palmer Kennedy, a priest of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, preached.

Read it all.

The Week after the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Tuesday September 1, 2026

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our young Province finds itself in a challenging and uncomfortable season. Our unity, fervor, and faith are surely being tested.

For almost a year, Archbishop Stephen Wood has been inhibited from his position as our ecclesiastical leader and has been facing charges of a highly serious nature before the Court for the Trial of a Bishop.

Specifically, in December 2025, the Province’s Board of Inquiry found there was probable cause to present the Archbishop for trial on the following charges:

Violation of his ordination vows;

Engaging in conduct giving just cause for scandal or offense, including the abuse of ecclesiastical power;

Sexual immorality.

The ecclesiastical court trial in this matter begins next week on Monday, September 7.

These proceedings touch the highest office of our Province, and their outcome will be felt in every diocese, congregation, and chaplaincy. For that reason, as Dean of the Province of the Anglican Church in North America, I ask the faithful of this Church to join me in prayer, and, as they are able, in fasting, for every person involved and for their families: that they would be given strength of mind, body, and spirit; godly courage to speak and to uphold the truth; and that the truth would come plainly to light and justice be done, to the glory of God.

Even as these proceedings commence, the gospel work of the Anglican Church in North America continues. In every diocese, congregations gather, the Word is preached, the sacraments are faithfully administered, men and women and young people are brought to repentance and faith in Christ and new churches are being planted. These proceedings do not suspend the mission entrusted to us, which is to reach North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

Pray, then, for the Church herself: that God will uphold her, encourage her, and present her at the last pure and spotless on the Day of our Lord.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.  Jude 24, 25

Almighty God, you sit on your throne giving righteous judgment: We humbly ask you to bless the Court for the Trial of a Bishop; give them a spirit of wisdom and understanding, that fearing no power but yours alone, they may discern the truth and impartially and lovingly administer justice; through him who shall come to be our Judge, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

In Christ alone,

The Rt. Rev. Julian M. Dobbs

Dean of the Province, ACNA

Acting Leader Bishop Julian Dobbs writes to ACNA https://t.co/Efu5sXUEMo –'Specifically, in December 2025, the Province’s Board of Inquiry found there was probable cause to present the Archbishop for trial on the following charges:

Violation of his ordination vows;

Engaging in… pic.twitter.com/sRDXEt3f1m

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) September 1, 2026

Almighty God, who called your church to bear witness that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself: help us to proclaim the good news of your love, that all who hear it may be drawn to you; through him who was lifted up on the cross, and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Walk this way…🌳💚#ThickTrunkTuesday #Trees #TreeClub pic.twitter.com/HcEZUbYaG2

— Margaret O'Connell🌻 (@MargaretOC6) September 1, 2026

Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

refresh#forest pic.twitter.com/2srP8byIWa

— Portmann Carrick (@PortmannCarrick) August 2, 2026

Toby Howarth was born in Kenya and went to school at Haverstock Comprehensive in North London. He received scholarships to study at high school and Yale University in the United States, including a summer working with Afghan refugees in northern Pakistan. On coming back to Britain, he was a research assistant for the Revd Dr John Stott for two years before becoming a postman in the East End of London.

After training in Oxford, Birmingham and Uganda, combining Christian theology with an MA in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham, Toby was ordained and served in an inner-city parish in Derby. He then moved to India with his family for five years, during which he did research in Islamic preaching for a PhD from the Free University of Amsterdam.

Returning to Europe, Toby served with a Dutch church in Rotterdam before moving back to Birmingham where he taught Islamic studies and worked as Tutor and then Vice Prinicpal at Crowther Hall in Selly Oak.

In 2004 he took up parish work again as Vicar of St Christopher’s, Springfield, a church in a majority Muslim area of Birmingham. In addition to the parish role, Toby was the Bishop of Birmingham’s Adviser on Inter Faith Relations until April 2011 when he became Interreligious Affairs Secretary for the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Read it all.

His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of The Rt Revd Toby Howarth as the 2nd Bishop of Leeds. Leeds is a remarkable diocese.

I am delighted that he will lead the next chapter of the life and witness of the church in this place. Bishop Toby’s passion for sharing the… pic.twitter.com/ewZNGfkEL9

— Archbishop of York (@CottrellStephen) July 31, 2026

Significant progress in church safeguarding is being undermined by resistance from senior officers, INEQE, the company auditing safeguarding in every diocese and cathedral, has said.

INEQE said in its 2025 audit that the Church of England was experiencing a “dangerous” period of institutional “drift” regarding future safeguarding structures.

The company also said that unprecedented engagement from more than 10,000 contributors showed “a maturing safeguarding culture, though critical structural inhibitors remain at the senior level”.

The findings are set out in INEQE’s 2025 Annual Report on the Independent Safeguarding Audits of Church of England Dioceses and Cathedrals, alongside two companion reports, Chorister Safeguarding and Victim and Survivor Engagement.

The audit highlighted “tangible” improvements in safeguarding, increasingly understood as a “gospel and theological imperative” rather than as merely an administrative requirement. The report also speaks of growing confidence among individuals in raising concerns without fear of reprisal.

Read it all.

Church of England bishops have urged Ed Miliband to intervene to halt the executions and torture of Christians in Saudi Arabian jails.

Three bishops for Southwark, Chelmsford and Winchester have written to Mohammed bin Salman, the ruler of Saudi Arabia, urging him to call an immediate halt to the executions of more than 50 Ethiopian Christians currently on death row in the state.

They have also submitted their appeal to the Foreign Office seeking an intervention from Mr Miliband, the new Foreign Secretary, to save the lives of the Christian captives.

The bishops claimed there was evidence that the Ethiopians – who fled conflict in their own country – had been mistreated, with several of them tortured and forced to sign documents they could not read or understand.

Read it all.

Good to see several English bishops calling on the Foreign Secretary to use British influence in Riyadh on behalf of 50 Ethiopian Christians facing execution. The Saudi regime remains brutally repressive.
Also good to read it all reported in the Telegraph.https://t.co/xmI8bFAmKW

— Philip Anderson (@P_G_Anderson) July 28, 2026

Madison Kuzia Named Chief of Staff

Bishop Chip Edgar has appointed Madison Kuzia to serve as the Diocese’s new Chief of Staff, effective July 15. Madison will continue serving as his Executive Assistant, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the office, leading strategic initiatives, and strengthening the systems that support our ministry. In a note to the clergy Bishop Edgar wrote, “I am confident that Madison’s gifts of leadership, team management, and vision for our operations will have a far-reaching impact, strengthening our team so that we are well equipped to serve you, your congregations, and the mission we share across our Diocese.” Madison and her husband, Elijah, have been married since 2018 and enjoy traveling together, spending time on their family’s farm, and making music.

Read it all.

The Latest Edition of the #Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina Enewsletter https://t.co/9iYyYdfDMf #parishministry #lowcountrylife #faith #ACNA #communication Madison Kuzia Named Bishop Edgar's Chief of Staff [diocesan photo] pic.twitter.com/UwgdeknZjn

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) July 28, 2026

The campaigning group Save the Parish (STP) has launched its manifesto for the elections to the next General Synod. It is calling for financial resources to be decentralised and redirected towards parish ministry to save “the essence of the Church of England itself”.

Six commitments are outlined in the manifesto, which was launched at St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, in London, on Saturday, by the Rector, the Revd Marcus Walker. He warned of an “existential crisis” facing the Church.

The commitments, based on the group’s “founding priorities of ‘parish’, ‘priest’ and ‘people’”, are to: restore Church Commissioners’ funds to stipendiary parish ministry; direct the parish share to mission and “the cure of souls”; adopt a “charter of care that values our clergy and guards them from mental and physical exhaustion”; renew theological resourcing for theological education “which is ordinand-centred not budget-centred”; adopt a “churchgoers’ charter” that honours the volunteers who hold the parishes together; and reform the Mission and Pastoral Measure.

Fr Walker, who chairs the STP network, said: “If we want there to be a thriving parish system in a generation’s time, we have to get up and do something.

Read it all.

Good point from @WalkerMarcus. It’s the poorer parishes that suffer most from Church funds being diverted into highly paid woke diocesan posts to be Engagement Officers, Diversity Officers, Policy Officers, Media Officers, etc, etc… pic.twitter.com/gZHtv4UCrl

— Harry Phibbs (@harryph) July 25, 2026

(From email;KSH).

Bishop Julian M. Dobbs is pleased to announce the appointment of the Right Reverend Ryan Reed, Bishop Ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of Fort Worth, as Assistant Dean of the Province, effective immediately.

“Bishop Ryan Reed is a man of steady judgment, with a deep commitment to Christ and a sincere love for the Church. Over many years, I have seen Bishop Reed serve faithfully and I have worked alongside him as a senior bishop of our College,” said Bishop Dobbs. “This appointment follows prayerful consideration and consultation with the College of Bishops, and I believe Bishop Reed will serve with wisdom, humility, and the heart of a shepherd.”

This appointment is effective immediately and follows the provisions of the Province’s Canons, which were recently amended and ratified by the Provincial Assembly to establish the office of Assistant Dean. After a season of prayer, the appointment has been made in accordance with those canonical provisions and with the counsel of the College of Bishops.

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Bishop Reed was raised near Houston. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, and a Master of Divinity from Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania.

Ordained to the priesthood in 1997, Bishop Reed has served congregations in Fort Worth, Bridgeport, and Bedford, Texas, and has held a variety of ministerial and administrative leadership positions.

He has served each role with faithfulness, humility, and pastoral wisdom. His willingness to assume this new responsibility reflects his longstanding commitment to the Church, and the Province looks forward to the gifts of leadership, experience, and pastoral care he will bring.

Please join us in prayer, lifting up Bishop Reed, his wife Kathy, their family, and the Diocese of Fort Worth as he undertakes these additional responsibilities. May the Lord grant him wisdom, strength, and grace as he continues to serve Christ and His Church.

Ryan Reed appointed Assistant Dean of the ACNAhttps://t.co/Qp6CusP3fT pic.twitter.com/WIvrfPqMF6

— George Conger (@GeorgeConger8) July 24, 2026

Speaking of the grit which forms the pearl is an unusual way of interpreting the parable of the pearl, which is more often assumed to focus on its value and the response of the merchant, who, “went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:46). Some may say that Jesus did not speak about the grit because of his lack of scientific understanding, and that the Archbishop’s interpretation is just a case of proclaiming the faith “afresh to every generation”. Others would disagree, pointing out that Jesus used the parable of the sower to explain how the Kingdom of God grows, and would suggest that the Archbishop should have turned to the earlier verses of Matthew 13 to make her point. But that might have been awkward, because Jesus is clear that it is the word of God that is the seed that is sown and that the Kingdom of God grows as each individual, “hears the word and understands it.” (Matthew 13:23)

Despite references to the, “Gospel of Jesus Christ” and a plea that the Church would continue with, “our hope rooted in the Gospel, and our confidence rooted in God,” there was no expectation in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s first presidential address that she expected the Church to hear God’s word and understand it.

Sadly, it seems, that just like Justin Welby before her, Sarah Mullally will lead the Church of England further into the mire, the only difference being that she will be “calm, consistent and compassionate” as she does it.

Read it all.

NEW: The Prince and Princess of Wales are visiting the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, at Lambeth Palace this afternoon for the first time! 💒 pic.twitter.com/5mnTChcaMu

— Belle (@RoyallyBelle_) February 5, 2026

Secondly, unless something almost miraculous happens, there will remain deep divisions over where those boundaries of legitimacy are to be drawn and over the implications for church teaching and discipline of drawing them in different places. Related to this are the questions noted above concerning our disagreement about the level of disagreement that we are having to navigate. Here the recent FAOC work must not be forgotten and in particular the implications need to be considered of its strong and clear statement (GS Misc 1406, paper 1, para 139), that 

it is a failure of Christian love for one side to declare what kind of disagreement is being experienced by the other. It must surely be the case that those who disagree with a given decision are themselves determinative of what kind of disagreement is in view, not the content majority. Those who dissent from the majority view or decision get to define the nature of their disagreement: if it is widely held that such-and-such a belief or practice calls into question apostolic communion or ecclesial communion, then the disagreement simply is a first- or second-order disagreement, regardless of whether the majority think it merely strains communion (third order).

This is the deeper problem with the approach of the amendment: it appears that those who conscientiously have come to a position which represents a rejection or expansion or development of traditional teaching seem to be demanding that those who are not convinced by their arguments should nevertheless accept that their view is now within a “legitimate range of theological perspectives” and/or that if a majority can be shown to hold this view as to what is legitimate then church practice needs to adapt to embrace the full range of perspectives. There is an attempt to jump from acknowledgment of an indisputable pluralism in reality (a range of views clearly exists) to a pluralism that recognises that range of views as acceptable, indeed, legitimate.

Thirdly, as noted in the first proposed amendment, part of the remit of the new group set up by the bishops is “pastoral reassurance”. This points to the fact that our disagreements over the previous two areas are such that some form of ecclesial reconfiguration will most likely prove to be necessary if any way is to be found, within the Church of England, for opposing views to be able to be officially approved and for the opposing sides in votes such as that this week in Synod, to be able to co-exist well, even flourish. This might be understood as institutionally enabling some recognised form of principled pluralism that comes to terms with both the pluralist reality and the impossibility of sufficiently widespread acceptance of that pluralism being formally accepted as legitimate within the current episcopal and synodical structures. 

It was the refusal of the bishops to seriously address these matters of “pastoral reassurance” or “good differentiation” that in large part contributed to the winding up of the LLF/PLF process. We could continue with a “head in the sand” refusal to grapple with the ecclesiological implications of our deep disagreements about discipleship and about the legitimate range of discipleship options the Church of England can recognise and bless. The experience of this last, short debate in this recent Synod is, however, a further pointer to the fact that if we do not face this question head-on and with honesty and theological rigour early in the new Synod then, barring a sea-change one way or the other in the election results, and perhaps also now in the House of Bishops, we are simply preparing for continued unresolvable conflict and pain in the next five years.

Read it all.

Andrew Goddard on the Helen King motion discussion at CofE General @synod 'This is the deeper problem with the approach of the amendment: it appears that those who conscientiously have come to a position which represents a rejection or expansion or development of traditional… pic.twitter.com/U3ZkfLUbBN

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) July 20, 2026

As many are aware, the Final Order from the trial of Bp. Ruch in 2025 (the 71-page document, not the decision itself) left many concerns about how the trial was conducted. After consulting with the Provincial Executive Committee, our Diocese proposed two resolutions to be considered at Provincial Council. One called for the public release of the full trial transcript. The other called for the public release of the final investigation report already commissioned by the Province. 

The two resolutions to the Council, that were the result of the work of our Bishop and Standing Committee with the Executive Committee of the ACNA, were consequently withdrawn without prejudice on the day they were to be debated and voted upon. This withdrawal was not the result of any attempt to thwart the purpose of these resolutions, nor did it represent a lack of resolve on our part. Rather, God opened a door for us to gain fuller access to the proceedings of the Ruch trial through the above-mentioned agreement with the Court for the Trial of a Bishop. We are now in a very favorable position with our chancellor Ben Hagood taking the lead in the inquiry.

Because all of this happened on the ground in Tulsa and Bishop Edgar was the only one of us present, he took the lead in the negotiations. The Standing Comittee President was informed of the opportunity on Wednesday night and was an early part of the decision to withdraw the resolutions. The Standing Committee and Bishop regret the lack of process these deadlines prevented as well as the void of information that existed in the aftermath. We wholeheartedly believe that the work of this inquiry and its release to the Standing Committees of the Province represents a large step forward in our quest for transparency.

With the trial of the Archbishop currently set to begin on September 7, we will again redouble our prayers for the health and welfare of the Anglican Church in North America and our Diocese. 

Read it all.

The ACNA has posted a "Potential Timeline" for what may happen procedurally after the trial of Abp Wood, assuming it goes ahead with its currently scheduled starting date of September 7. pic.twitter.com/tJraKclI2i

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) July 15, 2026

In the report on Trust and Trustworthiness which we will consider as a Synod, Professor Veronica Hope Hailey and Professor David Ford have helped us to discern how trust and trustworthiness might be restored within the life of the church. Relationships of trust are the soil from which hope springs. If hope is the fruit, trust is the root. And roots grow slowly, with patience, listening, and the steady work of walking together.

Across our Church there is no shortage of passion, conviction, or commitment. Indeed, Prof Hope Hailey expresses her amazement in the report at how deeply committed you and your fellow church members are to the Church. Yet many of us would recognise that commitment is not trust, and the trust we do see is fragile. Many in the Church have been wounded. We cannot simply vote trust into existence, as if those wounds will heal with the raising of a few hands. Neither can we create hope through anxiety, fear or urgency.

Christian hope is the confidence that God is still at work, tending the soil, tilling the earth, sending the rain and the snow, planting the seed. These are all acts of hope, built on trust that God is at work even when we don’t see the results just yet. God’s word will not return empty. God is faithful – we need not act from fear; we need not act from anxiety; and we need not imagine that the future of the Church rests solely in our hands.

Read it all.

“Many in the Church have been wounded,” and, to heal, trust must be nurtured, the #ArchbishopofCanterbury said in her sermon at York Minster on Sunday, midway through the meeting of General #Synod#churchnews #churchtimes https://t.co/eMFF3imrDC

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 12, 2026

You may listen directly here:

Or you may download it there.

Or you may watch it there:

Almighty God,
by whose grace we celebrate again
the feast of your servant Swithun:
grant that, as he governed with gentleness
the people committed to his care,
so we, rejoicing in our Christian inheritance,
may always seek to build up your Church in unity and love;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

2/2 St Swithin on the village sign at Ashmanhaugh, Norfolk, where the church, which has the narrowest round tower in England, is also dedicated to him, two of the four in the county. More on these two:

Frettenham: https://t.co/C1pJ38sGp8
Ashmanhaugh: https://t.co/4INAxVAHTP pic.twitter.com/lcQAPJayXO

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) July 15, 2026

Finally, I wanted to update you on Provincial Council and Assembly with a particular eye towards the Resolutions our Diocese presented to the Provincial Council.

You likely heard that our two resolutions to Provincial Council that came from a meeting of our Standing Committee and the Executive Committee of the ACNA, were withdrawn without prejudice on the day they were to be debated and voted upon. This withdrawal was not the result of any attempt to thwart the purpose of these resolutions, nor did it represent a lack of resolve on our part. God opened a door for us to gain an even fuller access to the proceedings of the Ruch trial through an agreement with the Court for the Trial of a Bishop. We are now in a very favorable position with our chancellor Ben Hagood taking the lead in an inquiry into those proceedings.

This all happened on the ground in Tulsa. It began with an offer that answered what we had originally requested—a review of the courts process. It became a conversation about the nature of the review and how this inquiry would proceed. I kept Shay Gaillard, President of the Standing Committee, informed of these matters, and he offered his counsel and advice. After Provincial Council, I went on a retreat and haven’t had the opportunity to update you until now. I believe, and the Standing Committee has affirmed this, that the work of this inquiry and its future release to the Standing Committees of the Province represents a large step forward in our quest for transparency.

I wanted to send this letter before I leave town so that you would be up to date on these matters. I also want you to pray for the trial of the Archbishop currently set to begin on September 7, for the health and welfare of the ACNA, and for our Diocese.

Read it all.

ACNA legislative news: Bp Chip Edgar (South Carolina), joined by Bp Chris Warner (Mid-Atlantic), withdrew the diocese's 2 resolutions seeking the release of the Ruch trial transcripts & the eventual third-party report on the Ruch investigation. 🧵 https://t.co/lYhxW83zqL pic.twitter.com/NH7xhk0rsG

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) June 18, 2026

The Court for the Trial of a Bishop is aware of recent commentary within the wider church concerning
the Court’s proceedings and communications. The Court does not intend to respond to every public
statement, nor will it litigate this matter in the public square. The Court does, however, believe it is
right to remind the faithful of the solemn foundation upon which its work rests.

At its commissioning and seating, this Court was constituted in prayer and sworn before Almighty
God by the Acting Ecclesiastical Authority of the Province. Each member of the Court solemnly
declared, in the presence of Almighty God, a willingness to serve to the very best of his or her ability.
Each member promised to support, defend, and be guided by God’s Holy Word and the Constitution
and Canons of the Anglican Church in North America in all deliberations. Each member promised to
approach every matter before the Court with an open heart and mind, without prejudice, malice, or
guile. Each member promised to treat every person who comes before the Court with the respect and
dignity due a Child of God washed in the blood of the Lamb.

These are not ceremonial formalities. They are binding oaths, made before God and His Church, and
the Court will conduct these proceedings accordingly. The Court was commissioned with the prayer
that it be saved from all error, ignorance, prejudice, and pride, and that the order and discipline of
Christ’s Church may be maintained. That prayer governs the Court’s work each day.

Read it all.

The ACNA's Court for the Trial of a Bishop has stated awareness of commentary on its proceedings and communications ahead of the trial of Abp Steve Wood, and requests refraining from "speculation and public contention." pic.twitter.com/yMiClmAm2z

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) July 10, 2026

THIS MATTER is set for trial beginning September 7, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.
Counsel for all parties shall also appear at a calendar call via Zoom at 1:30 p.m. EDT on
September 4, 2026. The trial will be held in Charleston, South Carolina from September 7-12,

2026. The specific courtroom location will be provided in advance of the calendar call.

Read it all.

The ACNA's Court for the Trial of a Bishop has issued a new scheduling order regulating more discovery ahead of Abp Steve Wood's trial, which is set for September 7. pic.twitter.com/VXY8dGP1Vz

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) July 9, 2026

Despite the well-intended efforts of the Church, the prayer was widely mocked on social media. As a result, vicars and lay members of the General Synod raised their concerns in writing, asking: “Is there a requirement for staff writing such prayers to be practising Christians?”

Despite the well-intended efforts of the Church, the prayer was widely mocked on social media. As a result, vicars and lay members of the General Synod raised their concerns in writing, asking: “Is there a requirement for staff writing such prayers to be practising Christians?”

Among those who criticised the prayer, published last month, were commentators such as the Rev Jamie Franklin. On his Irreverend podcast, he described it as poorly written, theologically shallow, embarrassingly unserious and a perfect symbol of the institution’s current woes.

A post on the Anglican Ordinariate Forum on Facebook read: “The Church of England insists on making a mockery of itself and of prayer.”

Read it all.

A prayer for the World Cup 2026. ⚽ pic.twitter.com/32I2TgC2it

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) June 11, 2026

“So I’m going to try two things just to get your juices flowing. So the first thing I want to do, we’re in Mark, we’re still in the first nine chapters, so we’re mostly in and around Galilee. And we’ve said in chapter 10, he goes from Galilee to Jerusalem, and then chapter 11, he’s in Jerusalem basically to the end.
So it’s got a nice geographical break up, nine chapters, a transition chapter, and then the final five chapters. And if you know Mark, you know that chapter 16 ends very abruptly at the resurrection. And they were afraid, that’s the last word of Mark’s gospel, which people like to change, so they wrote a whole other edition at the end.

The two things that I want to introduce just to get your juices flowing, the first thing I want to do is I want to say something about this word CLAIM. And we’ve talked about Jesus’ authority again and again. So what we’re going to confront today is something very interesting, and it’s kind of an interesting way to go about Mark’s gospel.”

“So one of the things that Mark is acutely trying to do, especially at the beginning of his gospel, is to give us an incredibly broad and deep sense of Jesus’ authority. And we’ve talked about this again and again and again. We’ve talked about his authority in chapter four and chapter five and into the beginning of chapter six.
And you’ve got these four stories. So four ends with the stilling of the storm. Five begins with the garrisoned demoniac.
Then you get the story of Jairus’ daughter at the end of chapter five, which is interrupted by the woman with the issue of blood. And she’s healed. And then at the end of chapter five, you get the raising of Jairus’ daughter.
So you have Jesus’ authority over nature, stilling of the storm, peace be still. Jesus’ authority over evil and demonic, the garrisoned demoniac. Jesus’ authority over sickness, which is the woman with the issue of blood.”

“And then you have Jesus’ authority over death itself with the raising of Jairus’ daughter. And the whole point is Jesus Christ is Lord. So when Matthew’s gospel ends, before the Great Commission, I point this out all the time, the Great Commission is, go therefore into all nations and baptize them and teach them all that I’ve commanded you.
You know that very well. But what is often left out is what he says before that, which is, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And you remember one of my favorite illustrations of the Lordship of Jesus is one of the great Dutch theologians of all time [Abraham Kuyper] who’s speaking at the Free University of Amsterdam, and it’s at a secular university.
And he says in the middle of this lecture, in this very secular place, he says, there is not one square inch of the whole of creation where God does not say, this is mine, this belongs to me. So one of the things about the image that Jesus is being given in Mark is, he has an authority and he makes a claim. And this is the thing about meeting Jesus…the Jesus that you meet in Mark’s Gospel is anything but safe, right? They don’t feel safe in the back of the boat, the Gerasene demoniac doesn’t feel safe, and Jairus doesn’t feel safe with his daughter getting ready to die and then she actually dies. So there’s this huge claim and it’s again and again, Jesus has claim over the, over the synagogue, he has claim over the, my father’s house is being made a den of robbers.
He has claim over the Old Testament scriptures. So Jesus Christ is Lord, but it’s not a neutral Lord. It’s Jesus Christ is king.
One of my favorite lines from the Book of Acts is, these people are proclaiming that, that there’s another king and that everything belongs to him. They’re, they’re proclaiming not that Caesar is king, but that Jesus is king. So they’re, they’re seditious.”

“That was one of the accusations of the early Christians, is these people are completely seditious and undermining the public order, because they’re proclaiming that somebody else, aside from our government, has ultimate authority. And that’s a constant theme. Now, here’s the thing about this morning’s text that’s so important is, what I want to do is just for a second, I want to combine this idea with a counter idea.
And the counter idea is this. So Jesus makes claim, Jesus has authority, Jesus Christ is Lord. So this is a positive affirmation, right?
Okay, now, here’s, this is us, okay? We don’t have any claim. So part of the power of what Mark is trying to portray is, not just that Jesus has a claim over absolutely everything, right, but that at the same time we do not have any claim….

You may listen directly here:

Or you may download it there.

Jesus said to the Canaanite woman, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” -Matthew 15:28 #GospeloftheDay “Jesus and the Woman of Canaan” by Michael Angelo Immenraet (1673) #CatholicArt pic.twitter.com/F3FKNVXoNi

— Lady of Good Counsel (@ofgoodcounsel) August 7, 2019