The matters before the court are not merely procedural. Serious allegations of
canonical offenses by the Archbishop have been made. A Board of
Inquiry has investigated these accusations and found that there is probable cause
to present Archbishop Wood for trial.
For the record, the Board of Inquiry found that:
‘Concerning the Presentment of Archbishop Steve Wood, in accordance
with the standards established in and required by Title IV, Canon 4, Section
6, and following other pertinent Canons, the Board of Inquiry finds that
there is probable cause to present Archbishop Wood for trial for violation
of Canon 2 of this Title and has duly recorded its vote and judgment that
the following three charges should be considered in the trial:

1. Violation of Ordination Vows (Canon IV.2.1.3);
2. Conduct giving just cause for scandal or offense, including the abuse
   of ecclesiastical power (Canon IV.2.1.4); and
3. Sexual Immorality (Canon IV.2.1.6).’
   This is no small thing. It is, in fact, a matter of great import. The panel of this Court,
   made up of three Bishops, two priests, and two lay people, are charged with getting
   to the bottom of these allegations, and laying to rest, once and for all, the truth or
   falsehood of these allegations.
   3
   Therefore, the Court has decided that it needs to take back its charge to discover
   the truth.

Read it all.

ACNA news: the trial court in the matter of Abp Wood has issued a major statement aiming "to take back its charge to discover the truth" in part by urging St Andrew's Mount Pleasant, Wood's parish, to cooperate.

The statement is notable & merits a full reading: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/66b5zGSLPn

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) July 1, 2026

In his address to the Provincial Council, Dobbs wryly quoted Queen Elizabeth II who termed 1992 “Annus Horribilis” as “not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.”

At the same time, Dobbs stated that the past year has been “marked by the providential mercies of God,” citing growth in the number and size of local churches, the number of ordained clergy, and confirmations that have “multiplied across our province.”

Dobbs noted that Diocese of Fort Worth Bishop Ryan Reed had confirmed 96 candidates in the past six weeks alone, and that across 2025 the ACNA saw 3,445 children baptized.

“Not so bad for an Annis Horriblis,” Dobbs assessed, adding “I suspect that you read very little of that online” and that “the faithful mercies of God rarely trend on X.”

“Our task is to recall to ourselves the one, the only one, who has supplied this province in season and he who will continue to supply her still,” Dobbs commended, reminding Council delegates that “The fundamental agency of this church is to the local congregation.”

Dobbs also sought to vouch for the denomination’s bishops, attesting that he has “watched them carry weights that no man should carry alone.”

Read it all.

"The faithful mercies of God rarely trend on X,” @The_ACNA Bishop Julian Dobbs tells Provincial Council, spotlighting number of ordained clergy and confirmations that have “multiplied across our province.” My coverage for @Livng_Church: https://t.co/kKUvlZYs4b

— Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) June 24, 2026

Gloating about being orthodox as opposed to revisionist might seem like a winning ticket.

After all, the Anglican Church in North America was born from the Episcopal Church’s embrace of pansexuality, and it has watched as that revisionist denomination has paid a steep price in lost membership, declining attendance, and an aging Boomer generation slowly disappearing from the pews.

It was ACNA’s moment. Or it should have been. But it has not worked out as seamlessly as hoped.

Across 17 years, the headline number is around 130,000 members with just under 100,000 in weekly attendance. Even its apparent “growth” in recent years partly reflects better data collection rather than actual new members. The denomination has seen multiple bishops depart under a cloud — several forced out over sexual misconduct. The current Archbishop Steve Wood was compelled to step aside and now faces an ecclesiastical trial on allegations of sexual misbehavior, bullying, and plagiarism. No ACNA archbishop in the denomination’s short history has faced such a constellation of charges.

Yet hope springs eternal. Mark Eldridge of the American Anglican Council, fresh from the Provincial Council meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, declared that reports of ACNA’s death have been grossly exaggerated by social media bloggers. While lauding the camaraderie of assembled delegates, he soberly noted that half of the 1,005 churches comprising the ACNA average fewer than 50 in Sunday attendance, and nearly 75% average fewer than 100. The data confirms what many have long suspected — and what this writer knows firsthand: my own parish in Germantown, Philadelphia was forced to close for lack of growth, interest, and inadequate leadership.

That reality has prompted Anglican Revitalization Ministries to launch three programs — Revive, Renew, and Reframe — with church planting described as “desperately needed in a growing province.” But a closer look at the methodology raises serious questions about whether ACNA is on the right track.

The old “come and hear” model has not worked in decades. The imperative is “go and tell” — but that begs the question of how. Trained missiologists and frontline church planters who have succeeded on the global stage believe ACNA has it backwards. If “church” means a building with professional paid clergy, the growth strategy is dead before it starts.

Read it all.

https://t.co/7V744e5BDM

— David Virtue (@david_virt8366) June 24, 2026

The Provincial Assembly brings together bishops, clergy, and lay delegates from all dioceses and recognized ministry networks across the province. Its primary purpose is to strengthen the mission of the church and to provide province-wide deliberation and governance, including the ratification of constitutional amendments and canons that have been adopted by the Provincial Council.

This year, Provincial Assembly delegates will discuss the following items:

Title I Amendment – Provincial Constitution & Canons Committee

• Cover Memo-Constitution and Canons Committee
• Concerning the Provincial Constitution and Canons

Title I Amendment – Temporary Ecclesiastical Authority

• Cover Memo to Proposed Changes to Title I (Extraordinary Measure)
• Proposed Changes to Title I (Clean Copy)
• Proposed Changes with Redline from Existing Canons

Title IV Amendments – Disciplinary Canons

Read it all.

• The Provincial Council was prepared to consider two Resolutions submitted by the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and the Anglican Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic calling for the release of the transcript of the proceedings of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop in the trial of Bp. Stuart Ruch as well as the report commissioned by the Executive Committee into the Province’s handling of the Ruch matter. However, the two dioceses withdrew these resolutions and instead agreed to participate in a dialogue with the Court, mediated by four diocesan chancellors, including the chancellors of the Anglican Dioceses of South Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic, intended to address questions raised by both the two dioceses and the court regarding the appropriateness of the actions of all parties involved. 

Canon Andrew Rowell, Chair of the Governance Task Force, will also participate in this dialogue. The participants agreed that a report on the proceedings will be made available to the Standing Committees of all the dioceses. The Province also acknowledged that the findings and recommendations of the Lathrop Review will be made available to any diocesan Standing Committee upon request. The dioceses and the Province also acknowledged that these resolutions may be reintroduced at a subsequent Provincial Council.  The original resolutions are included below for reference.

• Resolution #1 “calling upon the Court for the Trial of a Bishop to release a full transcript of all of its actions in the Ruch matter” and
• Resolution #2 calling upon the Executive Committee to release the final written report of the investigation of the Ruch matter.”

Read it all.

• On Saturday, June 20, The Court for the Trial of a Bishop posted a notice dated June 19, 2026 that postpones the date of the trial to October 26, 2026 “to better fulfill its goal of providing a full and fair adjudication of the allegations in this matter.”

Monday, 15 June 2026
The Commemoration of Evelyn Underhill

To the Faithful of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina,

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Beth and I are in Tulsa as we begin meetings of the College of Bishops today and tomorrow and then Provincial Council meets Wednesday evening through Friday at noon. We have a strong delegation from the diocese—Canon Bob Lawrence, John Benson, and Justin Johnson—making the trip to Tulsa as well, and I write to ask your prayers for us as we head into these meetings. There is also an upcoming specially called Provincial Assembly which will be held as a Zoom gathering on Thursday, June 25. Again, we have a strong delegation for that meeting, including a strong Youth Delegation. The people representing our diocese at that gathering will be clergy delegates, Canon Laura Bowman, John Burwell, Claudia Carucci, Dean Shay Gaillard, Ryan Landes, Cindy Larsen, Canon Jim Lewis, Zach Miller, and Hamilton Smith; lay delegates, John Benson, Janis Breazeale, Anna Bruner, Katherine Cannon, Dr Ashley Bryant Harbin, Joy Hunter, Cathy Jacobs, Justin Johnson, Jessica Smith; and youth delegates, Elliott Arscott, Gabriel Collier, Edward Hart, Ben Shelton, Amelia Cannon, Cole O’Keefe, and Julia Dubay.

Title IV Revisions

There are three significant issues to be dealt with by the Provincial Council, which, if passed there, would go to the specially called Assembly for ratification in order to take effect. The first is the well-publicized and widely discussed Title IV revision, really a complete overhaul, of our disciplinary canons. The result of this process is a set of disciplinary canons addressing everything from making it easier to bring a charge against a bishop or a priest (the current ACNA canons make it unbearably complicated) all the way to clearly defined and canonically required procedures for how the courts must conduct their business. Such canonical requirements, absent until now, contributed to the level of distrust and frustration marking our Province today. I completely support these revisions, and have been impressed with the rigorous and transparent process undertaken by the Province to get us to this point—a year-long process with several cycles of revision and feedback that was open to the entire Province and resulted in thousands of suggestions that were considered and resulted in significant improvements from revision to revision.

Winston Churchill once said, about architecture: “First we shape our buildings. Afterwards our buildings shape us.” Similarly, I am hopeful to see how these new canons will shape us in the days to come into a stronger and more transparent Province.

Title I Changes

A second change, again necessitated by the weakness of our current canonical structure, concerns the succession of authority when an Archbishop is unable to carry out his duties for any reason, health, or, as we have been enduring, inhibition from ministry due to disciplinary proceedings. This change will clarify not only who is next in line to take on the responsibilities of that office, but who is next after that; this is precisely the situation we have recently had to deal with, and our Canons were not helpful. This change will clarify that process, as well as the scope of authority that accompanies the succession, and, again, I am fully supportive of it.

Ratification of the Provincial Constitution and Canons Committee

It’s the third proposal about which I have some concern, and I ask your prayers for God to be at work, guiding all of us who will be voting. This proposal involves changing—more precisely ratifying a first vote of a change approved by last year’s Provincial Council—to our current Governance Task Force (GTF), making it a Provincial Constitution and Canons Committee, ensconced in the Canons, and not simply a policy of the Province. My concern is that this is being done by this Provincial Council—well and good—to be ratified by the specially called Zoom Assembly (mentioned above).

When the College of Bishops voted to hold this specially called Assembly, the understanding was that the purpose of it was simply to ratify the Title IV revisions (again, see above) so they could take effect immediately and correct the many problematic aspects of the current canons. In the past few weeks, this Assembly has been laden with more than that. I worry that we, as a Province, have not had enough  time to reflect on, and perhaps, offer constructive feedback, to these proposed changes. What was the great strength of the process of Title IV revision, has not been as robust for this revision.

Resolutions Proposed By the ADOSC

In addition to these Canonical changes, our diocese has proposed two resolutions for Provincial Council’s consideration and vote. One is a call to have the transcript of the court proceedings in the recent trial of Bishop Ruch released publicly (with necessary redactions to protect witnesses as needed) and the other is to have the final report of the Lathrop investigation—looking into the whole investigative process leading up to that trial—released publicly as well, when it is complete. Our goal in proposing these resolutions is simple: we hope to see trust that has been deeply eroded over the past few years restored in the Province as it continues to navigate challenging waters. 

As we head into these meetings, I am aware that we, as a diocese, have not been afforded the luxury, as most other dioceses have, of thinking of these things in the abstract. People in our diocese have been directly affected by the insufficiencies in our current canons and have been negatively affected by them. 

So, I’m writing to ask you to pray, to give you some important insight into what you can be praying about, and to let you know how I, as your bishop, am processing all that we are facing in these upcoming two weeks. Pray that God’s will be done, and that, however the matters are resolved, the witness of the Province to the gospel of Jesus will increase and grow, and that the Church would be strengthened.

Blessings,

(The Rt. Rev) Chip Edgar

On May 7, 2026 and June 2, 2026, the Court held hearings to consider a number of pending
motions from both parties. On June 10, 2026, the Court issued the following rulings:
o Respondent’s Motion for In Camera Trial was GRANTED;
o The Province’s Motion for the College of Bishops to Observe the Trial was DENIED;
o Respondent’s Motion to Dismiss was DENIED;
o Respondent’s Supplementary Motion to Dismiss was DENIED; and
o The Province’s Motion for the Court to Re-establish Fairness, etc. was GRANTED IN
PART.

Read it all.

More ACNA news, on the coming trial of Abp Steve Wood: the Court for the Trial of a Bishop has granted Wood's motion for a non-public trial, denied his motion to dismiss, and denied a motion to allow the College of Bishops to observe the trial. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/QkpdxSnqpm

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) June 15, 2026

Brad Carr Named Licensed Lay Pastor for St. Paul’s, Bennettsville

On Sunday, June 7, St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Bennettsville began a new season when Bishop Edgar formally appointed Brad Carr to serve as their full-time Licensed Lay Pastor. Funding for the position came, in large part, through your gifts to the Thrive Together Initiative. 

Brad looks forward to attending Trinity Anglican Seminary where, beginning in August, he will be enrolled in the church-based MDiv track.  The hybrid program offers most of its course work online, but he will participate in winter and summer intensives on the Ambridge, PA campus. 

Given St. Paul’s great need for a pastor after years without one and given that Brad is uniquely suited to serve in this role, Bp Edgar has approved his doing distance theological education rather than residential education.  

Brad and his wife, Kim, South Carolina natives, grew up in the Pee Dee area and are looking forward to this new season of ministry. They have three children (ages 14, 8 and 6). Look for a story in the upcoming Jubilate Deo. 

Read it all.

The Latest Edition of the #Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina Enewsletter https://t.co/vOHzkFc7AU [Brad Carr, diocesan photo) #parishministry #faith #lowcountrylife pic.twitter.com/OOAhOwbyFR

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) June 9, 2026

The College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) today unanimously approved a final version of a new Episcopal Election Customary, completing a significant effort to strengthen the discernment, vetting, and election of bishops across the Province.

The Episcopal Election Customary establishes a consistent framework for episcopal elections across the Province while preserving the historic authority of dioceses to elect their own bishops. The Customary outlines expectations and procedures for dioceses, standing committees, search committees, and provincial leaders, providing greater clarity throughout the discernment and election process.

The Customary was developed through an extensive process of consultation, discussion, and refinement among bishops and church leaders from across the Province. The resulting framework will ensure that candidates for episcopal office complete a robust review process and are subject to thorough vetting and background checks while maintaining the appropriate balance between provincial oversight and diocesan authority.

The Customary, which takes immediate effect, follows commitments made by the College of Bishops in January 2026 to strengthen the processes surrounding episcopal elections, to promote healthy leadership throughout the Church, and inspire greater confidence in the ACNA’s systems of accountability and oversight.

Read it all.

ACNA College of Bishops Unanimously Approves Episcopal Election Customary https://t.co/36Krz7y1q3 'The Customary, which takes immediate effect, follows commitments made by the College of Bishops in January 2026 to strengthen the processes surrounding episcopal elections, to… pic.twitter.com/IrbhecPBuR

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) June 5, 2026

[Mr Funmi Ojetayo’s] professional experience includes senior legal positions with Florida A&M University, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Florida Department of Management Services. As Deputy General Counsel for the Department of Management Services, he led the agency’s litigation function and provided counsel on significant legal matters. He currently serves as a Partner at Allen, Norton & Blue, P.A., in Tallahassee, Florida, where his practice focuses on labor and employment litigation and appellate advocacy.

In addition to his legal training, Mr. Ojetayo holds a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He completed his pastoral residency at Incarnation Anglican Church in Tallahassee in 2022 and currently serves as Discipleship Pastor at Four Oaks Church East.

While under consideration for the appointment, Mr. Ojetayo disclosed that he has a brother who serves as a rector within Bishop Julian Dobbs’ diocese. As Mr. Ojetayo has no personal involvement in the matters under review, and his appointment is based on his professional qualifications and experience, the province deemed this not to be a conflict of interest.  

Read it all.

https://t.co/NzE22DL2Qe

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) June 3, 2026

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.As part of our commitment to walk together in transparency, mutual support, and our common life in Christ, I want to share a brief update regarding the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast.In recent months, the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast entered a season of episcopal discernment, including an election process that did not result in the election of a new Bishop Ordinary. Following conversations between diocesan and provincial leadership, the College of Bishops determined that the wisest course is to allow additional time for prayerful discernment.

No election will proceed at this time.Additionally, after an extended season of personal reflection and consultation, Bishop Clark Lowenfield has shared his intention to retire as Bishop Ordinary, effective August 15, 2026. Bishop Lowenfield’s decision comes after many years of faithful service to the Diocese and to the Province, including his role as founding bishop of the Western Gulf Coast.

To support the Diocese during this transition and to help provide continuity, wisdom, and pastoral care in the months ahead, with the consent and counsel of the Diocese, I have appointed Archbishop Robert Duncan to serve as Interim Bishop for a season.We recognize that leadership transitions can bring uncertainty, but we also recognize the faithfulness of God in every season of the Church’s life. The clergy and people of the Western Gulf Coast continue to bear witness to the Gospel through their mission and ministry, and we remain grateful for their partnership within this Province.

While this update may not directly affect every diocese, it is important that we remain connected to one another’s joys, burdens, and moments of transition as members of one Body in Christ. The College of Bishops remains united in its commitment to serve faithfully, prayerfully, and with confidence in the leading of the Holy Spirit.Please continue to pray for Bishop Lowenfield and his family, for Archbishop Duncan, and for the clergy and people of the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast in the months ahead.

Faithfully in Christ,

–The Rt. Rev. Julian M. Dobbs, Dean of the Province, ACNA

#ACNA update from Bp Julian Dobbs–'Secondly, I wanted to let you know that The Court for the Trial of a Bishop has notified us that it expects to render its verdict and issue a final order in the matter of The Rt. Rev. Stewart Ruch III, Bishop of the Diocese of the Upper… pic.twitter.com/MlbaRed2zy

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) December 16, 2025

Dear Beloved in our Lord Jesus of the Diocese . . .

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,

and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit,

be with us all evermore! 2 Corinthians 13:14

A week ago, yesterday, I woke up extra early to pray, as I knew I would be spending time that morning with the Dean of the Province, Bishop Julian, to discuss the results of our Electing Synod. As I prayed, the most profound sense of peace came over me. I had known the peace that passes understanding during the two days following the lack of an election, but this was a different kind of peace. This was the peace that one feels when they are experiencing the “release” from an assignment they had been given by the Lord. I knew I had only experienced it a couple of times before in my 50 years of walking with Him. In this case, I was being released from my assignment as your Bishop. When I met with Bishop Julian, he began by saying he had a hard question to ask me. I told him not to worry, that the Holy Spirit had gone ahead of our conversation. When I shared what I had experienced early in the morning, he said he had indeed planned to ask me whether I was prepared to carry out my assignment if it were extended beyond my announced retirement date of August 15th. I shared the only fleece I had before the Lord was His appointment of a pastoral-gifted bishop to serve as Interim Bishop. His provision would ensure I would not abandon the sheep but instead entrust them to a faithful pastor. 

Here is a resolution passed by the College of Bishops at a meeting on Thursday, May 21st and accepted by our Diocesan Council earlier today. In the resolution, the College accepts my resignation as Bishop Ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast, effective on the previously announced August 15th, 2026. It also states that the College chooses not to elect a Bishop Ordinary at this time, but names Archbishop Bob Duncan as Interim Bishop for not more than a year, and hopefully much less, permitting the Diocese the opportunity and space to “take a breath” and seek the Lord’s will for her future in healthy mission and vitality. Please read the resolution. 

In the coming weeks, I will serve Archbishop Bob in any way I can to help him prepare for his new assignment. 

With more love for each of you than you will ever know, and in His peace,

–(The Rt. Rev) Clark Lowenfield, bishop of the Western Gulf Coast

An Update on Sam Allberry AND Ray Ortlund
ACNA Bishop Clark Lowenfield acts and quickly. https://t.co/wbglX8qm0i pic.twitter.com/CBmgdzVIvy

— WannabeAnglican (@WannabeAnglican) May 7, 2026

Bishop Edgar described the complainants as “credible and trustworthy” and joined those urging the senior bishops to impose an inhibition, noting that “an inhibition makes no judgment as to guilt or innocence … Rather, it is an acknowledgement that continued ministry in the face of serious charges further damages the reputation of the Church.” The diocesan Standing Committee followed on 14 November with a letter of its own standing with the bishop and the complainants and urging the College to inhibit Wood.

The South Carolina position hardened with experience. On 24 March 2026, Bishop Edgar and the ADOSC Standing Committee wrote formally to the ACNA Executive Committee demanding transparency. The letter, occasioned by concerns arising from the December 2025 acquittal of Bishop Stewart Ruch (a separate ACNA trial in which the court found that the prosecution had not met its evidentiary burden, set out specific demands:

• That “the standard of avoiding any appearance of impropriety” be upheld among all provincial staff in pending and future proceedings;
• That those involved in allowing a court member in the Ruch trial to access prosecution files without the prosecutors’ knowledge or consent be recused from all future disciplinary proceedings, “particularly those involving Archbishop Wood”;
• That a complete transcript of trial and pretrial proceedings, including unedited video or audio, be released;
• That all motions, court rulings, and the three pretrial investigations be made public;
• That the identity and engagement letter of any investigator be disclosed, with appropriate confidentiality protections for victims.

“Those who would deny a public response to valid questions,” the diocese warned, “insisting the province is best served by withholding answers — do so at the risk of destabilizing the very foundation on which their authority rests.” Edgar added: “Lack of trust and mutual suspicion erode our communion and weaken our witness to a watching world. But our communion and witness are strengthened by a commitment to transparency and truth that is above reproach.”

That earlier framing places the present moment in unusually sharp relief. South Carolina has consistently asked for procedural rigour, transparency, and a posture of belief toward the complainants. Bishop Ashey’s lectures — delivered to a general audience the week before a dispositive motion was heard in the trial of his client-of-conscience — were perceived by some bishops as cutting in the opposite direction: prejudging the verdict, attributing improper motives to colleagues, and casting complainants as merely terminated employees.

Read as a whole, the 8 May letter is more than a routine clarification. It is a public acknowledgement, on the record, that:

• No bishops have signed the presentment, contrary to impressions Bishop Ashey himself helped create;
• The five senior diocesan bishops who joined Dean Dobbs’s inhibition did so on the merits, not under social-media pressure;
• The Title IV revisions now before the College are being deliberated on their substance, not from institutional self-protection;
• Predictions of “exoneration” have no proper place in public commentary about a pending bishop’s trial;
• The complainants were not, as Ashey had suggested, simply “terminated employees”;
• His role with Archbishop Wood is volunteer and personal, not provincial, and any judgment on the Archbishop’s compliance with the inhibition belongs to the Dean and the College.

Ashey’s renewed offer to recuse himself from the College of Bishops “until after all procedures with regards to Archbishop Wood are concluded” is significant. He had made the same offer earlier and was declined; the public revival of the offer effectively returns the question to Dean Dobbs and to a College that, in the weeks since the lectures, has had to navigate its own discomfort with the optics of one of its members serving as personal counsel to an accused archbishop while continuing to sit and vote among those who will, in due course, receive the Court’s verdict.

What the letter does not address is the substantive accusation, attributed to Bishop Ashey in The Living Church‘s reporting, that “the province did not forward all of the evidence, including exculpatory evidence, to the court.” If that claim is maintained, it sits uneasily alongside the seven items Bishop Ashey did withdraw. If it is not, it deserves its own clarification.

Read it all.

Bishop Ashey withdraws lecture claims about Wood Trial in letter to ACNA Collegehttps://t.co/3l3JWv1o0q pic.twitter.com/NPamXRmZSZ

— George Conger (@GeorgeConger8) May 27, 2026

The South Carolina standing committee also criticized Bishop Ashey for other comments he made during the lecture that “prognosticat[ed] about the outcome” of the pending case against Archbishop Steve Wood and “promoted falsehood” about its complainants. Ashey is advising Wood as he awaits trial on canonical charges of personal and sexual misconduct.

In a lengthy retraction sent to the church’s bishops a week later, Ashey apologized for his speculation that Wood would be exonerated and for his “inaccurate” portrayal of the complainants, some of whom now belong to the Diocese of South Carolina, as “aggrieved” terminated employees. Of the complainants formerly employed under Wood at St. Andrew’s Church, Mount Pleasant, none were terminated, and all resigned, though Wood asked most of them to stay, one complainant told TLC.

While the province contends that the Council is without authority to govern the court’s protocols with regard to the Ruch documents, the Council’s main item of business at its June meeting will be a vote on a comprehensive Title IV revision that fully restructures the church’s disciplinary bodies and their procedures.

If passed, the new canons will phase out the current seven-member Court for the Trial of a Bishop and replace it with a tribunal from which smaller panels are drawn, and will introduce norms of public trial procedure=—two features also found in Episcopal Church canons.

Read it all.

New for @Livng_Church: The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina calls for the release of documents related to the trial of ACNA Bishop Stewart Ruch as the church's fraught process for revising Title IV comes to a vote.https://t.co/zzTJB5SM4h

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) May 20, 2026

The Anglican Church in North America’s Court for the Trial of a Bishop will hold hearings this week on the first pretrial motions filed in the disciplinary matter of the Most Rev. Steve Wood, according to a court announcement.

Archbishop Wood, the denomination’s primate, was indicted on ecclesiastical charges of personal and sexual misconduct last December. His trial is scheduled to begin July 20.

Four priests and seven laypeople filed a complaint against Wood last October, alleging that as bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas and rector of St. Andrew’s Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Wood plagiarized sermons, bullied staff, and made continual sexual advances toward a children’s ministry director. Wood has denied the allegations.

The ACNA’s disciplinary system sets a denominational prosecutor against an accused bishop, who is tried by a neutral court of three bishops, two priests, and two adult confirmed church members. Before trial, both sides may make requests of the court by motion.

Read it all.

There are four motions they must decide in total:
1) Abp Wood's motion to dismiss the case
2) His motion to hold the trial in private
3) The province's motion to "re-establish fairness"
4) Its motion to disqualify Cn Jeff Weber from defending Wood.https://t.co/HIjraTzJjo

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) May 8, 2026

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are writing to you today on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina to ask you to pray. As schools close and many scatter for the summer, it is easy and natural to lose track of important provincial gatherings that will occur this season. We are writing to remind you that much is at stake in our Province and for our Diocese, and to ask you to pray for:

The May 19 Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) Executive Committee Meeting
The May 20 hearing in the Archbishop Wood case in Charleston, SC
The June 15-17 College of Bishops Meeting in Tulsa, OK
The June 17-19 Provincial Council Meeting in Tulsa, OK
The June 25 virtual Provincial Assembly
The July 20 Trial for Archbishop Wood in Charleston, SC

As we remind you to pray for these important events, let us commend to you the work of our Diocesan Standing Committee on your behalf. We have maintained a strong and united call for accountability in the Province. In the past three weeks, members of our Standing Committee have met with the Executive Committee of the ACNA and Bishop Julian Dobbs, the Dean of the Province, via zoom, and have shared our concerns with members of the Executive Committee who visited with us in Charleston. The Executive Committee in many ways shared our concerns and encouraged us in the action steps below.

We are currently working for you and for justice and transparency in the Province in the following ways:

1. We have submitted resolutions regarding the public release of the transcript of the Ruch trial and the findings of the independent investigation to the Executive Committee for consideration at Provincial Council.
2. We are seeking to build a coalition of other ACNA dioceses who share our concerns about the work of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop and the importance of transparency.
3. We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the complainants in our Diocese receive fair treatment and transparency in the process. To that end, we want to publicly say how disappointed we were when a video (see details here) of a lecture given given by an ACNA bishop promoted falsehood about the complainants as well as prognostication about the outcome of the trial. While he apologized privately to the College of Bishops and granted permission for his apology to be shared, we believe that, given the wide dissemination of that video (now removed) he should disseminate his apology as widely, and we call on the Province to address this matter.

Please do pray for us and for the Standing Committee. The spiritual warfare that surrounds a struggle for the heart of the church is always intense. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Blessings,
 
The Rt Revd Chip Edgar
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina

The Very Revd Shay Gaillard
President of the ADOSC Standing Committee

A Message from the #Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina’s Standing Committee about recent #ACNA matters–'We have submitted resolutions regarding the public release of the transcript of the Ruch trial and the findings of the independent investigation to the Executive Committee for… pic.twitter.com/Dbij8ONxzY

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) May 16, 2026

Smith Institution as Rector of St. Luke’s, Hilton Head, June 10

By the grace of God and the consent of the people, Bishop Chip Edgar will institute and induct the Rev. Greg Smith as the 8th Rector of St. Luke’s Anglican Church on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 5 p.m. Your prayers and presence are welcomed. A “Hog Heaven” barbecue reception will follow the service. Clergy are asked to wear red stoles. 

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The Latest Edition of the Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina Enewsletter https://t.co/GJKo9DxCcO #parishministry #media Greg Smith will be Instituted as Rector of St. Luke’s, Hilton Head, June 10 pic.twitter.com/XFLHnVPwcs

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) May 6, 2026

The Anglican Church in North America has chosen to retain Lathrop GPM to conduct a restricted and nontransparent review of the Title IV proceedings surrounding Bishop Stewart Ruch, and in that choice the truth of the matter is already disclosed, not at the end of the process but at its beginning. The terms will not be released. The findings are not promised to the light. The scope has been drawn with a care that ensures the most decisive questions will never quite arrive where they must be answered. One need not wait for conclusions. The arrangement itself speaks with sufficient clarity.

What presents itself as sober inquiry carries the unmistakable grammar of preemption. There will be interviews, reports, careful language, and the appearance of discipline, yet all of it unfolds within limits that have already been secured against the possibility that the truth might actually do what truth does, which is to judge, to expose, and to reorder. The structure is not neutral. It is already an answer. It ensures that whatever is said will be said in a way that does not require the institution to become something other than what it presently is.

The choice of Lathrop GPM makes this plain in a way that no further argument can improve. A firm known for defending institutions against claims of abuse has been entrusted with examining an institution under precisely such a shadow. One might search for a more transparent declaration of intent and fail to find it. This is not a tension to be resolved. It is a coherence to be recognized. The task is not to discover a truth that might unsettle the body under examination but to render events intelligible within a horizon that preserves that body’s continuity. While the conclusion has not been written in detail, its boundaries have been drawn with precision.

Even the most modest traditions of law would find this intolerable. The idea that judgment must be free from the control of those who stand to be implicated is not an advanced refinement. It is the bare minimum required for justice to exist at all. 

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Re: Ruch trial aftermath: The Ex. Committee has appointed a subcommittee to "oversee a third-party review of the provincial administration" of the Ruch matter. They have not yet determined the scope of the review but will "retain a qualified firm or individual to complete it." pic.twitter.com/U1CXTUnENM

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) January 17, 2026

The province’s intent to exclude the trial court’s processes from the coming review represents a source of “deep concerns” for the Anglicans for Truth, Renewal, and Accountability (ATRA), a grassroots group formed in 2025. A December open letter issued by ATRA, which gathered over 200 clergy and lay signatures, called for an independent post-trial review with a clear scope and a promise of eventual publication.

In a March 25 statement, ATRA echoed the Diocese of South Carolina in calling for the Executive Committee to publish its contract with Lathrop GPM “to answer some important remaining questions.”

“Who will have control over the final report? Will the final report be made public? Does the firm hired have a fiduciary duty to the Province, meaning ‘a legal duty to act solely in another party’s interests,’ which constrains the firm’s ability to pursue truth independently? Who will have access to and control over the information gathered by the firm?” the ATRA statement asked.

According to Harris, the province intends to publicize the findings of the report, though has not determined in what format. It does not intend to publish its contract with Lathrop.

ACNAtoo, the advocacy group formed in 2021 in response to allegations of abuse in Bishop Ruch’s diocese, criticized the denomination’s choice of Lathrop to conduct the review. The group called Lathrop’s participation “inappropriate” in light of the firm’s “deficiencies” in investigating sexual misconduct allegations against Mike Bickle, former leader of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City; its legal defense of Roman Catholic bishops and dioceses in civil sexual assault cases; and its use of “scorched earth” tactics against victims described by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Roes, VandeHei, and Price also stated concern to TLC regarding Lathrop’s “track record of defending religious institutions in sexual abuse lawsuits,” and expressed a desire for those overseeing the post-trial review to work to earn the confidence of the church’s members.

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New for @Livng_Church: Lathrop will review the process that ended in a controversial acquittal of Bp Stewart Ruch, but the court record of the ACNA's chaotic trial will remain under wraps.https://t.co/kFRSWZZjbx

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) March 27, 2026

The ADOSC initially proposed sending three Standing Committee members and the Dean of the Province (also serving as Chancellor) to meet with three ACNA representatives. The diocese subsequently clarified, however, that it would meet only with its full Standing Committee present and with no promise of confidentiality, given that its sole purpose is to bring transparency to the province’s process of justice.

The ACNA Executive Committee responded by proposing that a delegation visit the ADOSC instead. Bishop Edgar and the Standing Committee declined that offer. The Executive Committee then invited Bishop Edgar to attend their next regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 21.

The Executive Committee further stated that it would not revisit the outcome of the Ruch trial, re-examine the merits of the charges, or assess the internal processes or rulings of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop or any other judicial body.

In his response, Edgar wrote: “Lack of trust and mutual suspicion erode our communion and weaken our witness to a watching world. But our communion and witness are strengthened by a commitment to transparency and truth that is above reproach.

“We therefore urge you to join us in seeking clarity and truth in these matters, and to work diligently alongside us so that, together, we may pursue reconciliation, restore confidence, and ensure that God is glorified in all we say and do as a Province.”

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South Carolina Bishop Chip Edgar’s Diocesan Convention address–'after five years, a verdict was reached in the trial of Bp Ruch, (Diocese of the Upper Midwest). Our diocese was drawn into that fray last summer, and again in December when verdict was issued, as one of our own,… pic.twitter.com/zQKnUkz3al

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) March 20, 2026

Please read it all carefully and follow all linked documents–KSH. You may find the current list of all the current Standing Committee members there.

Anglican Diocese of South Carolina Gathers in Myrtle Beach for 2026 Convention; “Becoming Mature in Christ”–Bishop Chip Edgar stressed the importance of intentional Christian formation in both his sermon and his address during the 2026 Convention of the Anglican Diocese of South… pic.twitter.com/In4eeLdbDy

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) March 20, 2026

First, after five years, a verdict was reached in the trial of Bp Ruch, (Diocese of the Upper Midwest). Our diocese was drawn into that fray last summer, and again in December when verdict was issued, as one of our own, Mr. Alan Runyan, both a hero to us and a godly man, was unfairly denigrated during the proceedings and then again in the final, 71-page verdict.

Having called for an independent audit of all the matters related to the trial, including the trial proceedings themselves, our Standing Committee was compelled to raise concerns with the verdict (to be clear, not with the ruling, we know that is not in our purview) to ensure that these proceedings be included in the audit.

I’m pleased to report that, so far, the ACNA’s executive committee has responded to us largely positively and I am hopeful. We’ll know more from them in the coming week, and we’ll be reporting to you as of March 23rd, or a day or two after.

Throughout all of that, our goal has been that given we have upcoming prominent cases before the province, one including the Archbishop himself, this audit we’ve called for would be able to help restore some confidence that regardless of the outcome of those future trials, they’ll be handled appropriately.

Again, this case matters much to us as a diocese as it involves several of us who are members of the diocese who are involved in these legal proceedings. We want to do what we can as a diocese to try to ensure a fair outcome without crossing the line and tampering with that outcome.

Now, throughout all of this, I’ve heard people say from time to time they’re tired of being asked to “trust the process” when they feel that the process has already been pretty bad and let them down. I just want to say to you all, I do not ask you to trust the process. I ask you to trust the Lord of the process and the Lord of all processes. Even as this works out, knowing that his promise is true, that all things, including mishandled church processes, will under his strong and end up for the good, the true, and the just. Even if we must wait until all things are made new and everything sad is going to come out untrue.

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South Carolina Bishop Chip Edgar’s Diocesan Convention address–'after five years, a verdict was reached in the trial of Bp Ruch, (Diocese of the Upper Midwest). Our diocese was drawn into that fray last summer, and again in December when verdict was issued, as one of our own,… pic.twitter.com/zQKnUkz3al

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) March 20, 2026

The future shape of the Global Anglican Communion is being debated this week in Abuja, Nigeria. At the GAFCON conference, more than 400 bishops and global leaders are working through the logic of the proposal that could lead to a new Global Anglican Communion — a fellowship grounded in the authority of Scripture and historic Anglican doctrine.

On Day 2 of the conference, Dominic Steele speaks with key leaders including Vaughan Roberts (Oxford), Julian Dobbs (ACNA), and Richard Condie (Tasmania), along with presenters from Uganda, Brazil and Nigeria.

They discuss: • The implications of the Church of England’s current trajectory • The logic behind a reordered global communion

• The mission opportunity for global Anglicans • What this could mean for churches in the UK, North America and Australia

Watch and listen to it all.

The Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs, acting archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, has sued the Rt. Rev. Derek Jones, former head of the denomination’s chaplaincy jurisdiction, in federal court for defamation.

Bishop Dobbs’ lawsuit was filed on February 17 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and claims that Bishop Jones repeatedly made false public statements about Dobbs’ previous handling of two financial matters.

Jones and his independent chaplaincy jurisdiction, which announced its departure from the ACNA last September, allegedly “knew or recklessly ignored” that investigations into the two matters had found no wrongdoing by Dobbs, but made the statements anyway, according to the filing.

“Defendants have made these false assertions repeatedly in the public record … in an all-out campaign to make the community, especially the Anglican faithful in North America and abroad, view Bishop Dobbs and other leaders within the ACNA (and, of course, by extension the ACNA) with disdain and disassociate from them,” the filing said.

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New for @Livng_Church: Acting ACNA primate Dobbs sues former chaplaincy bishop Derek Jones for defamation, accusing him of making repeated false statements about Dobbs' handling of two financial matters. https://t.co/ZgxWlO73eE

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) March 3, 2026

[Audrey] Luhmann said the report by Husch Blackwell found Ruch sent emails attempting to coordinate legal representation for Rivera and authorized the priest at Rivera’s church to ask the victim’s family about dropping charges against Rivera, but specifying it should be done without pressure. But the court, which assigned minimal weight to that report, describes Ruch’s decisions at the time as “pastoral judgment exercised in real time, without the benefit of hindsight.”

The order also acknowledged that Ruch ordained Presbyterian Pastor Joshua Moon to the priesthood in 2020, despite knowing that Moon previously pleaded guilty to and served a 90-day sentence for attempting to solicit a prostitute. Ruch installed Moon as rector of a church plant, where Moon was later suspended from pastoral ministry for life after a female deacon reported him for making an unwanted sexual advance. The female deacon told The Washington Post that Ruch chastised her for being alone with Moon.

“The outcome of Moon’s ministry, while grievous and contrary to the hopes invested in him, does not negate the thoughtful, conscientious, and vigilant approach Bishop Ruch employed with the information available at the time,” the court wrote.

A person who assisted the prosecution acknowledged that whether the evidence against Ruch met the clear and convincing threshold for conviction was a legitimate question but said it was incorrect to claim there was no evidence. The source asked to be referred to anonymously due to concerns about negative repercussions.

“They should have seen a pattern of failing to properly vet and have accountability for these leaders in his diocese,” the person said. They also said fear of retribution and lack of legal authority in the church court to subpoena witnesses or materials created barriers for calling witnesses; The Living Church reported that other witnesses disputed the court’s characterization of their knowledge of Ruch’s conduct.

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As the denomination looks ahead to two additional bishops’ trials, the precedents set by the Ruch trial will have substantial bearing on the upcoming proceedings. https://t.co/zHTGehgzWj

— RNS (@RNS) January 24, 2026

Updates from the Court for the Trial of a Bishop 

The College received an update on the Court for the Trial of a Bishop, which held an organizational meeting earlier this month to consider all recusals in the disciplinary matters of Archbishop Steve Wood and Bishop Derek Jones. Elizabeth Medley, Esq. of Tallahassee, Florida, has been appointed to serve as the Provincial Prosecutor. Bishop David Bryan, acting Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of the Carolinas, has recused himself from the Wood matter, and Bishop Ryan Reed has succeeded him as President of the Court.  Ms. Katie Grosskopf, Esq., will serve as its Presiding Officer. The Court has indicated it is considering plans to hold proceedings for both cases concurrently.  It will host an orientation session for all members of the Court later this month to establish its communications protocols and create a plan for moving forward….

Post Ruch Trial Review 

Following the College of Bishops meeting, the Executive Committee met on Friday afternoon and appointed a Subcommittee to oversee a third-party review of the provincial administration of disciplinary matters pertaining to Bishop Stewart Ruch. The committee includes: Bishop Mark Engel, Bishop Ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes (Chairman), The Rev. Canon Dr. Keith Allen, Rector of Christ Church Vero Beach in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese and member of the Executive Committee, Mrs. Sarah Kwolek, Director of Administration and Diocesan Treasurer for the Diocese of Pittsburgh and member of the Executive Committee, and Mrs. Kellie Moy, lay member at Church of the Good Shepherd in the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic. This subcommittee will meet soon to determine the final scope of the review and retain a qualified firm or individual to complete it.

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ACNA NEWS: A press release has been issued in the wake of the College of Bishops' meeting that features lots of news about disciplinary matters in the church. 🧵to walk through them: pic.twitter.com/wBFqnsZP74

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) January 17, 2026

The Anglican Church in North America will host its semiannual College of Bishops meeting…[this] week, January 12–16, 2026, in Melbourne, Florida. The gathering will bring together more than 50 bishops from across North America for a week of prayer, discernment, and decision‑making on key priorities, including canonical reform, revised processes for the election of bishops, consent to a new bishop, and prioritizing the mission and health of the Province. 

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Congrats to Cn. Billy Waters on consent to his election as Suffragan Bishop for Diocese of the Rocky Mountains. Waters serves as Rector of Wellspring Church in Colorado, one of the ten largest congregations in the @The_ACNA measured by attendance. https://t.co/xclxxab4dY

— Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) January 13, 2026

The group most incensed by the trial’s outcome are ACNAtoo survivors—women abused by Rivera, who is currently incarcerated for his crimes. They believe the verdict overlooks Bishop Ruch’s failure to exercise due diligence. 

“[We] feel denied and crushed by the verdict that found the bishop not guilty of multiple charges,” their statement read. “It is devastatingly clear that if an abuse victim wants to report abuse in the ACNA, they must now bear the additional burden of ensuring they are not perceived as being ‘captured’ by narratives the ACNA deems illegitimate.” 

They argue the verdict is “rife with easily refutable claims.” 

“This verdict comes 6.5 years after Rivera’s nine-year-old victim initially disclosed her sexual abuse. This girl, now 16, has waited more than a third of her life for closure from a church system and leaders that repeatedly failed her. She could not even participate in the Husch Blackwell investigation because the ACNA refused to commission an investigation that did not jeopardize her criminal case against Rivera.” 

They assert that ACNA has relegated survivors’ stories to the category of propaganda, demonstrating how the province views those it claims to protect.

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'Reform theologian and historian Dean Chuck Collins recounts the abuse of his oldest daughter who was emotionally groomed and manipulated starting at age 17, and then sexually abused when she was “of age.”

“If you have been sexually abused, do not bother reporting it to your…

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) December 22, 2025