One of those men, Nephtali Matta, works as the \u201cAlpha Coordinator\u201d at Ruch\u2019s flagship church, leading regular discussions on Christianity. But Matta was arrested in Colorado in 2011, charged with attempted second-degree murder of his first wife, and spent nearly 480 days in jail. He later pleaded guilty to felony menacing and was released. He then moved to Illinois, joined Rez in Wheaton and was eventually hired to work part time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The church\u2019s interim head pastor, Matt Woodley, told The Post this year that he oversaw Matta\u2019s hiring and that Ruch does not hire or oversee non-clergy employees. But the authors of the clergy-and-parishioner presentment have told The Post that the denomination\u2019s bishops \u2014 as defined by the church\u2019s own canons \u2014 are \u201cadministrators of godly discipline and governance\u201d and \u201coverseer[s] of the flock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The clergy-and-parishioner presentment also said that Ruch allowed John W. Hays, a registered child sex offender, to attend Rez as a worshiper, even though Hays had pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two boys years earlier. Hays\u2019s presence at Rez became publicly known only when the watchdog group ACNAtoo published<\/a> a blog item about it on its website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The court\u2019s ruling did not address Matta or Hays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read it all<\/a>.<\/p> THREAD: The ecclesiastical court's acquittal of N. American Anglican Bishop Stewart Ruch bemoans the "narrative capture" of the case and claims that advocacy groups "exerted ongoing and distorting influence" over the investigation. But the verdict does not address many key areas:<\/p>— Ian Shapira (@ianshapira) December 17, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>