One of the sideshows that has emerged from the conflict between Archbishop Wood and JAFC is Bishop Derek Jones’ accusations against Bishop Julian Dobbs of financial misconduct–-which it must be pointed out have been denied by the Standing Committee of Dobbs’ diocese, the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word. The recent court filings from Bishop Jones have shed some light on the timeline of these events.
September 2019: JAFC requests an investigation into Bishop Dobbs for missing funds not reported on the financial statements of CANA, totaling more than $48,000 according to Bishop Jones.
October 2019: Bishops Jones claims he discovered an additional financial indiscretion matter involving Bishop Dobbs and Barnabas Aid, which had been closed by ACNA. A later anonymous article claims that Jones and five other bishops discovered this and dealt with it quietly under the direction of Archbishop Beach, ensuring proper restitution was made.
April 2020: Due to the inaction of ACNA, JAFC contacted the IRS concerning Bishop Dobbs.
May 2020: ACNA appoints Bishop David Anderson to investigate Bishop Dobbs.
December 2020: CANA was dissolved and the Church of Nigeria North American Mission (CONNAM) was established with the three remaining CANA Dioceses.
Sometime in late 2020 or early 2021: Two bishops assigned by Archbishop Beach to assist with the “Chaplains’ provincial residence concern” become aware of Bishop Jones accusations against Bishop Dobbs through a discussion with Bishop Jones. These two bishops became “gravely concerned” and inserted themselves into the matter. “They understood the matter was about to be taken up by Federal Law Enforcement and wanted to protect the ACNA from scandal, and Dobbs from possible prison. Thus, they “championed” the solution we offered in November and had success compelling Abp Beach to properly handle the matter.” (Jones letter)
February 2021: Bishop Anderson reported that evidence showed that missing money went into Bishop Dobbs’s personal account following a forensic audit.
March 2021?: Bishop Dobbs writes to Archbishop Beach and takes responsibility for the illegal activity committed and agrees to conform to the direction of the Archbishop to rectify the “mistakes made.” Apparently, Dobbs admitted that he “mismanaged” money.
March 2021: Bishop Jones writes to Nigerian Archbishop Ndukuba about the controversy. According to Bishop Jones, Bishop Dobbs was found to have “absconded with approximately $48,000 of JAFC’s money.”
March 2022: Bishop 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.
June 2024: Bishop Jones prevents Bishop Dobbs from being elected the next Archbishop at the ACNA Conclave, according to those in his orbit.
12 September 2025: Archbishop Wood issues a Godly Admonition to Bishop Jones.
22 September 2025: Bishop Jones records his All Hands video.
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.”
My question is why did Bishop Dobbs sign a letter to Archbishop Beach admitting mistakes and mismanagement of money when the Standing Committee says, “all funds from the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy were properly deposited, categorized, and designated for their intended purposes. No funds were misdirected or misappropriated.” Is it just a question of terminology?
Also, his ties to the Barnabas Fund probably did not help matters. The last year that Bishop Dobbs was listed as an officer of the Barnabas Fund was tax year 2017. In 2015, the founder of Barnabas Aid, Patrick Sookhdeo, was convicted of sexual assault and two counts of intimidating witnesses. He was sentenced to a community order but was reinstated as the head of the charity a few months later. The conviction came after Barnabas Aid’s board had suspended Sookhdeo and conducted an internal inquiry into the allegations, initially brought forth by a staff member. The charity quickly concluded there was insufficient evidence and reinstated him before he was found guilty in court.
Sookhdeo has been mired in scandal for some time, as this article points out. It includes this:
Around this time, a series of articles by the news website Christian Today revealed an earlier power struggle within Barnabas Aid in 2012 and 2013. Trustees had grown concerned about lax financial controls and opaque spending, particularly over large transfers to a web of inter-related charities controlled by Sookhdeo and his associates.
A 2012 email from Bishop Martyn Minns showed the tight integration of CANA and Sookhdeo:
CANA’s Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns and Barnabas Fund’s International Director Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo (who served as Dean Theologian for Archbishop Peter Akinola) have made arrangements for the CANA headquarters to be located at the Barnabas Fund’s USA office. All correspondence, membership applications, and mailed donations should be directed to this new address:
CANA 6731 Curran Street McLean VA 22101
Whatever has gone on or not gone on would benefit from more light coming from the Provincial Office. The letter Bishop Dobbs sent to Archbishop Beach in 2021 would be a great start.
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