On X, Anglican chaplain Lance M. Lormand states that Bishop Derek Jones tried to defrock him when Bishop Jones was not his endorser or bishop. He says Bishop Jones sent a backdated, uncanonical Letter of Godly Admonition to him and charged him with offenses that were not possible.
On December 4, 2023 Lormand transferred his canonical residence from The Anglican Diocese of Fort Worth in the ACNA to another jurisdiction. Bishop Jones–who was not Lormand’s bishop–sent him a Letter of Godly Admonition dated December 3, but which Lormand alleges contained metadata showing that it was created on December 12 “at exactly 4:27:31 PM” by “jonesdj.” The email with the Godly Admonition attached said in part:
This letter has already been sent to you. However, phone calls today suggest you either have not read it, or may be trying to circumvent or elude following the ACNA canons, processes, and requirements. It is the intention of the canons that this letter be presented face to face (video media is allowed). However, now aware you are attempting to leave the ACNA while under admonition, also in violation of the Canons, I send you this email. No one wants your livelihood or career negatively impacted. Our prayer is that you would be repentant and do what needs to be done to be reconciled.
Lormand says that there is further electronic proof the message had not been sent once before in contradiction to what Bishop Jones asserted.
According to Lormand Jones stated, “Your propensity to seek to escape from canonical and episcopal direction and requirements indicate a moral and character failure.” Lormand continues: “At the top of this letter was written the chaplains home address. He appealed to Foley and Julian, who both failed to adequately respond.”
In June 2024 the ACNA Conclave elected the Rt. Rev. Steve Wood as the third Archbishop. According to Bishop Jones, “(Wood) made promises to Bishop Jones, Bishop Michael Williams, and Bishop Mark Nordstrom…that he would help resolve matters that adversely affected the business relationship between JAFC and ACNA and which prevented JAFC from being part of ACNA. These reassurances secured the Bishops’ support for Wood’s election as Archbishop.”
Rev. Lormand says that three ACNA bishops were asked to sign a presentment about Bishop Jones which alleged misconduct against Rev. Lormand and other complainants. The bishops indicated they may have been willing to do so but then apparently changed course as Archbishop Wood decided to pursue a “pastoral” approach to Bishop Jones.
Regarding this inaction from the Province, Lormand says, “To my memory, I personally told the misconduct office during that period that if the Archbishop did not come out in full force of presentment against Bishop Jones that he would 1. Say that a letter of inhibition was ineffective. 2. He would say this was political, or theological, or that he was the victim 3. He would attempt to pull the whole SJAFC out of ACNA and flee to Nigeria 4. He would sue the province. Every one of those things has happened, just as I predicted. I therefore may have had more knowledge and understanding about this situation than every bishop in the ACNA combined, and yet time and time again I was ignored by the very people who had a duty to know and a duty to act, who instead seemingly decided to use the canons as a shield for their inaction and professed helplessness, even as many of them at times and in my opinion aided and abetted Bishop Jones’ abuse of power but at a minimum all of them save one having failed to do all that they could or should have done. We do not need canons to know right from wrong. Use your voice.”
Rev. Lormand urged the ACNA to protect its sheep:
In my opinion instead of handling this situation with the moral clarity of force that it deserved, Archbishop Wood initially decided, according to Derek’s public accounting, to handle this “pastorally”. Why? What does that mean? Why after all of this and all that you have seen and heard was it deserving of a “pastoral” response? Surely a pastoral response to a wolf involves the protection of sheep. I suggest it was because he was a fellow bishop, or because the province was afraid of how he might respond. It is in my opinion past time for the ACNA and its leaders to stop treating people like Derek pastorally and start being pastoral to people like me, innocent people of lesser rank that have done nothing wrong.
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