14 January 2022
ACNA engages Husch Blackwell LLP to investigate allegation of sexual abuse and mishandling of efforts to address such allegations. (Husch Blackwell Report)
14 January 2022
Bishop Ruch writes Archbishop Beach. He says, “I have decided to come off of my voluntary and temporary leave of absence effective March 7, 2022.”
14 January 2022
Alec Smith writes Archbishop Beach. He requests “…that the Provincial processes currently underway regarding two investigations of matters pertaining to Bp. Stewart and the Upper Midwest Diocese (“UMD”) be halted, that a sit-down meeting between Your Grace and Bp. Stewart (along with advisors) be arranged to discuss the further progress of these investigations, and that all further investigative activity and results be submitted to canonical procedures and norms.”
17 January 2022
Price, Roes, and VandeHei resign from the PRT.
8-12 February 2022
UMD Bishop’s Council meets with ACNA leadership discussing Ruch ending his LOA. UMD Bishop’s Council decides to ask Bishop Ruch to remain on leave until after the ACNA investigations are complete.
12 February 2022
Bishop John Miller calls Bishop Ruch, who is in Brazil for a family funeral, notifying him of the Bishop’s Council’s decision.
“Bp. Stewart was irate with this news and how Bp. John had never seen this side of him before…he was shocked at Stewart’s initial response to him. He reported that it took him a long time to calm Bp. Stewart down and that, by the end of the conversation, Bp. Stewart had returned to “being the person we all know and love.”
“Stewart shared that he’s been lied to, deceived, worst nightmare ever been through.”
Ruch says his relationships with Provincial leaders are deeply fractured.
March 2022
Bishop Derek Jones wrote to the primates of the Church of Nigeria and ACNA recommending canonical release of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy from the Church of Nigeria to the ACNA.
27 September 2022
Husch Blackwell submits its report to the Provincial Response Team. “…per the terms of our engagement, we have not rendered any legal determinations or assessment of other policies or rules. The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive summary of the information collected so that the Province can assess it and determine any responsive actions.”
1 April 2024
ACNA Ecclesiastical Court for the Trial of a Bishop convicts Bishop Todd Atkinson of Via Apostolica of several offenses, and he was removed from ordained ministry following the conclusion of his ecclesiastical trial.
27 May 2025
The Vestry of Incarnation Anglican Church (Williamsburg, VA) write Archbishop Wood, requesting an inquiry into DOMA Bishop Chris Warner for “multiple grievous contraventions of canonical duty, pastoral responsibility, and episcopal integrity under 1 Peter 5:2–3; Titus 1:7–9; 1 Timothy 3; and Title III, Canon 8 of the Canons.”
22 June 2024
ACNA elects the Rt. Rev. Steve Wood, bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas as the third Archbishop. Bishop Derek Jones claims he stopped Bishop Julian Dobbs from election.
26 June 2024
Claire Buxton tells a clergyman in South Carolina that Steve Wood sexually harassed her.
19 September 2024
Bishop Chip Edgar tells Rev. Robert Sturdy that Buxton and others should seek reconciliation with Steve Wood.
26 March 2025
Presentment and affidavits are given to Bishop Edgar, who agrees to sign the presentment and recruit signatures.
15 April 2025
Two bishops refuse to read the presentment. Another bishop reads it and proposes private reconciliation. DOMA Bishop Chris Warner says later that he “…engaged with the complainants and made requests of them…”
19 July 2025
C. Alan Runyan resigns as Provincial Prosecutor from the Ruch trial. He calls for “the entire record including everything submitted to the Court since this prosecution began” to be made available to the ACNA churches and members.
25 July 2025
Deputy Prosecutor in the Ruch trial, Rachel Thebeau, writes a public letter stating: “The proper channels are now compromised. Our sheep deserve better from our shepherds who are called to lay down their lives for us, not the other way around. You deserve to know that the Archbishop was aware his staff and chancellor made decisions that had a direct, negative, and irreversible impact on the Court proceedings. You deserve to know that a court member took intentional actions to go outside the process and it undermined the integrity of the Court. You deserve to know that the Archbishop is avoiding the real problem that remains by hanging the Provincial Prosecutor out to dry. You deserve to know what happened. You deserve to see the video and transcript and decide for yourself. You deserve a complete and competent prosecution. And you deserve an archbishop, staff, and court that is honest with you.
I’m sorry for all of us that this has not been the case.
29 July 2025
ACNA issues a joint statement from the College of Bishops and the Executive Committee affirming the integrity of the Archbishop, his provincial staff, and the Chancellor.
29 July 2025
Bishop Chip Edgar writes his diocese and says he “was not involved in the development of that statement and tried to object to its release…”
8 August 2025
The Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina writes to the clergy, “…we request an independent, third party investigation into the Provincial Office’s actions during the course of the trial, to begin no later than 60 days after the conclusion of the trial process. We invite other Dioceses of the ACNA to join us in this petition.”
12 September 2025
Archbishop Wood issues a Godly Admonition to Bishop Jones.
22 September 2025
Bishop Jones conducts an All Hands video denying the charges, attacking the ACNA, and stating that Bishop Dobbs is guilty of financial misconduct.
25 September 2025
The Standing Committee of the Diocese of the Living Word issues a statement, including: “After careful review of the public allegations made on September 23rd by Bishop Derek Jones regarding financial matters from 2017-2019, and having examined the independent forensic accounting review conducted by Paul Cursano CPA, the Standing Committee unanimously finds these allegations to be without merit and slanderous in nature.”
16 October 2025
GAFCON proclaims a reordered Global Anglican Communion “governed by a Council of Primates, choosing from among ourselves a primus inter pares—a first among equals—to serve in collegial oversight.”
20 October 2025
A group of four priests and seven lay ACNA members submits allegations of sexual, financial, and behavioral misconduct against Archbishop Steve Wood.
23 October 2025
The Washington Post reports a presentment against Archbishop Wood, including sexual misconduct with a staff member, financial misconduct, spiritual abuse, and plagiarism.
31 October 2025
Bishop Clark Lowenfield writes to the ACNA College of Bishops, saying in part “We, corporately, are and will be responsible before our Lord’s throne for the accountability of each other as Apostles. And I believe that accountability must begin with ourselves, individually. We all must repent of so much.”
3 November 2025
ACNA Archbishop Wood takes a voluntary paid leave of absence from his position as archbishop and as bishop of his diocese pending the resolution of proceedings to address allegations brought against him.. He also made effective his previously planned retirement as rector of his church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Bishop Ray Sutton takes on the role temporarily.
4 November 2025
The Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina meets in executive session with Bishop Edgar, Canon Jim Lewis, and Ben Hagood to review the allegations in the Presentment against Archbishop Wood.
6 November 2025
The court in the Derek Jones lawsuit vs. ACNA granted in part and denied in part the 8 Oct 2025 request for a temporary restraining order.
7 November 2025
The Washington Post reports that the amended complaint against Archbishop Wood now contains the statement of a woman identified as “Jane Doe 1,” who alleges that Wood sexually harassed her.
On the evening of November 7 the ACNA announces that Bishop Sutton recused himself from the Wood matter and that Sutton appointed Bishop Julian Dobbs to appoint, in turn, a three-member panel of bishops to “review and approve the composition” of the already-selected Board of Inquiry. (https://livingchurch.org/news/acna-archbishop-faces-second-sexual-misconduct-complaint/)
Andrew Gross, ACNA’s former communications director, “told RNS that Wood exhibited concerning behavior after beginning his tenure as archbishop. Gross, who left his position earlier this year after more than a decade in the role, claimed Wood was often preoccupied about possible claims of misconduct against him.”
“Gross said he heard a “credible report” from sources with “first-hand knowledge” that Wood and Bishop Ray Sutton, who serves as the denomination’s dean, spoke about a possible “bishop-friendly” Board of Inquiry, a 10-person body appointed to investigate claims of misconduct against bishops after a complaint has formally been made. Sutton denied to the Post that this conversation took place.”
“Gross also told the Post that in the fall of 2024, when he was briefing Wood about misconduct allegations against ACNA bishops, Wood cut him off, saying he didn’t want to know anything more.”
13 November 2025
Bishop Chip Edgar writes to his diocese and informs them that he has written to the College of Bishops: “I’ve written to the College of Bishops explaining to them that, for over six months the complainants sought a way forward, following the canonical structures of the Anglican Church in North America. I and several other bishops were involved at this preliminary stage. Throughout their efforts, they were stymied by a system that appeared unable to do what it is designed to do (if it is worth noting that this is well known, and a complete overhaul of these Canons is currently underway and should be completed about a year from now). I’ve asked the College for a unified, public apology for these disparaging statements.”
“In addition, in my letter to the College of Bishops, I urged the senior bishops tasked with calling for an inhibition of the Archbishop to do so. An inhibition makes no judgment as to guilt or innocence in the face of charges. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that continued ministry in the face of serious charges further damages the reputation of the Church.”
There is a follow up Zoom meeting with the laity and Standing Committee.
14 November 2025
Journalist Ian Shapira says on X that ACNA “is now calling Archbishop Steve Wood’s paid leave of absence a “voluntary inhibition.”
This is the first known mention of Wood’s leave being an inhibition.
15 November 2025
The Diocese of South Carolina publicizes that it will contact the College of Bishops “…urging them to correct the false narrative that has circulated regarding the victims, and to not only inhibit Archbishop Wood but to issue a godly admonition.Separately, DOMA Bishop Chris Warner admits that “…he was one of the four bishops that complainants approached six months ago regarding (the) archbishop.” (Jeff Walton on x)
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