12-16 January 2026
The ACNA College of Bishops meets. It “…advanced discussions about updated procedures for the vetting and approval of candidates for the offices of Bishop and Archbishop. A final version of this Customary for Episcopal Elections is expected to be approved in the coming months.”
It “voted to support the creation of a new Diocese of the Mid-South.”
It “appointed a Subcommittee to oversee a third-party review of the provincial administration of disciplinary matters pertaining to Bishop Stewart Ruch.”
“Additionally, the Governance Task Force (GTF) has had an initial consultation with Rachael Denhollander, an attorney and leading expert in helping religious institutions properly respond to and prevent abuse. As part of the final public review cycle, the provincial office and the Anglican Diocese of the Carolinas have agreed to retain Ms. Denhollander to consult and provide additional feedback to the GTF about trauma-informed best practices.” (press release)
The Executive Committee creates a subcommittee to oversee the engagement of the Lathrop firm in their investigation of the Ruch investigation.
13 January 2026
Bishop Dobbs inhibits Bishops Mike Williams, Marshall MacClellan, and Mark Nordstrom. They were suffragans for the ACNA’s chaplaincy jurisdiction.
16 January 2026
Charles Perez writes an article for Virtue Online outlining the reasons for the JAFC’s decision to disaffiliate from the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
Perez says that the JAFC Executive Committee concluded that the ACNA has become an “untenable” partner due to systemic theological, structural, and ethical failures. The summary of their grievances includes:
- Broken Structural Promises (Canon 11)
- Theological Incoherence and “Dual Integrity”
- Selective Discipline and Sexual Ethics
- Departure from Pro-Life Convictions
- Institutional Crisis and Terminal Decline
18 January 2026
ACNA’s Director of Safeguarding and Canonical Affairs Tiffany Butler is reported to be leaving her post. “Supporters of Ms. Butler tell Anglican.Ink she was not properly resourced by the ACNA and her work did not have the support of the church’s top leaders – leading to frustration from victim advocates and from current and former ACNA staff.” (source)
4 February 2026
Bishop Dobbs sends a formal demand to Bishop Jones and the JAFC for a full retraction of defamatory statements.
17 February 2026
Bishop Dobbs files a defamation lawsuit against Bishop Jones and the JAFC in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
20 February 2026
Bishop Edgar and the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC) write to the Executive Committee of ACNA regarding the Ruch trial:
“Unfortunately that ruling has intensified our concerns instead of ameliorating them, and reinforced the urgency of our original request. The order neither fully exonerates Bishop Ruch nor adequately addresses the serious questions it raises. Its treatment of the Province raises further concerns about character, competency, and procedure among some of our highest-ranking and longest-serving bishops. At a moment when our Province most needs reasons for trust, we instead find ourselves with more reason to doubt.”
6 March 2026
Archbishop Laurent Mbanda is chosen as the first Chairman of the Global Anglican Council and the Abuja Affirmation is issued.
9 March 2026
In an interview, Archbishop Mbanda says of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) and GAFCON, “…let me put it this way, we continue to pray that the Lord will bring us together but something, somewhere went wrong and I don’t know what it is.” (link)
18 March 2026
The Living Church reports on Archbishop Mbanda’s problems within Rwanda, saying in part:
In the meantime, two church leaders from the Diocese of Shyira, the Rev. Fabien Byiringiro and lay leader Japhet Rokundo, filed separate lawsuits against Archbishop Mbanda in Nyarugenge Intermediate Court in Nyamirambo.
Both lawsuits allege that Mbanda unlawfully leads the Church of Rwanda, as its current canons (issued in 2019) stipulate that the primate must retire at 65, but Mbanda, who has served in the role for nearly eight years, is 71. One lawsuit also accuses him of making unilateral decisions without consultations and seeks his suspension from office.
20 March 2026
ACNA responds to the ADOSC and pleads powerlessness: “The Executive Committee is unable to order the release of trial transcripts, video recordings, motions, and other court documents, as you requested. The Court for the Trial of a Bishop is an independent body elected directly by the Provincial Council and is not under the jurisdiction or direction of the Executive Committee.”
8 May 2026
Bishop Phil Ashey writes to the ACNA College of Bishops because “I spoke imprecisely, and in two places I said things that, on reflection and on the record, I should not have said.” This apology is for a lecture in which he made several assertions about the trial of Archbishop Wood. (link, link).
18 June 2026
ACNA’s Provincial Council meeting reveals that the Trial Court has agreed with the Diocese of South Carolina and others to a third-party, mediated process to look into the Ruch matter. Four diocesan chancellors will conduct this inquiry into what happened in the trial. The Standing Committee of South Carolina says:
The two resolutions to the Council, that were the result of the work of our Bishop and Standing Committee with the Executive Committee of the ACNA, were consequently withdrawn without prejudice on the day they were to be debated and voted upon. This withdrawal was not the result of any attempt to thwart the purpose of these resolutions, nor did it represent a lack of resolve on our part. Rather, God opened a door for us to gain fuller access to the proceedings of the Ruch trial through the above-mentioned agreement with the Court for the Trial of a Bishop. We are now in a very favorable position with our chancellor Ben Hagood taking the lead in the inquiry.
Because all of this happened on the ground in Tulsa and Bishop Edgar was the only one of us present, he took the lead in the negotiations. The Standing Comittee President was informed of the opportunity on Wednesday night and was an early part of the decision to withdraw the resolutions. The Standing Committee and Bishop regret the lack of process these deadlines prevented as well as the void of information that existed in the aftermath. We wholeheartedly believe that the work of this inquiry and its release to the Standing Committees of the Province represents a large step forward in our quest for transparency. (link)
The transcript in the Ruch case is over 1,300 pages long.
23 June 2026
Sometime between the Provincial Council and the Provincial Assembly, Bishop Julian Dobbs fired Kate Harris, the Director of Outreach and Development. Senior Communications Manager Marion Ahlers sends an email on June 23 saying Harris “…has transitioned out of her role” and adds “…we will not be sharing additional details regarding this internal employment decision.”
23 June 2026
The Court for the Trial of a Bishop meets on Zoom and considers Archbishop Wood’s Motion to Reconsider the reset of the trial date. The court denies this motion and decides to seek input from the parties about a start date. (link)
25 June 2026
Amendments to Title I and Title IV are ratified by the ACNA Provincial Assembly.
26 June 2026
Rwanda’s propaganda organ the New Times reports that Archbishop Mbanda will be replaced as Archbishop. It says the candidates are Bishop Gahima of Gahini Diocese, Bishop Rusengo of Kigali Diocese, and Bishop Musabyimana of Kigeme Diocese. (link)
30 June 2026
Bishop Ryan Reed and Presiding Officer Katherine Grosskopf of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop issue a discovery Order “that both parties must abide by” in the Steve Wood trial. (link)
9 July 2026
The Court again speaks publicly, “The Court for the Trial of a Bishop is aware of recent commentary within the wider church concerning
the Court’s proceedings and communications…The Court asks the faithful to refrain from speculation and public contention, and instead to pray for all involved…” (link)
24 July 2026
Some Anglican chaplains file complaints with the ACNA Director of Safeguarding alleging that:
Foley Beach, Ray Sutton, and Steve Wood colluded, conspired, aided, and abetted Derek Jones’ abuse of power. A new complaint was submitted against every single one of them last week for: 1. Violation of ordination vows. 2. Habitual neglect of their duties. 3. Cause for scandal including abuse of power.
A complaint is also filed against Bishop Atwood:
An additional complaint is being filed against Bill Atwood which I cannot speak to firsthand having not seen the documents. (link)
19 August 2026
The Court for the Trial of a Bishop “unanimously finds Bishop Derek Jones guilty of each of the four canonical offenses brought against him in the October 21, 2025 Presentment and respectfully refers these findings to the College of Bishops for sentencing following the canonical thirty-day appellate period found in Canon IV.5.5.1.” (link)
2 September 2026
Bishop Chip Edgar agrees with charges filed against him in a previously unknown presentment and consents to be disciplined by the College of Bishops for his participation with a bishop of The Episcopal Church in a joint dedication of a local school chapel. (link)