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Photo: St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina; via Wikipedia.
The leader of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is facing a formal complaint over allegations of sexual misconduct involving a former staff member. The allegations come as the denomination continues grappling with multiple high-profile clergy abuse investigations, The Friendly Atheist reports today.
According to reporting by The Washington Post, Archbishop Stephen Wood, 62, is accused by a former children’s ministry director of attempting to kiss her in his office at St. Andrew’s Church in April 2024, just two months before he was elected archbishop. The woman also told the Post he gave her thousands of dollars in unexpected payments from church funds before the alleged incident occurred.
“I was devastated when he became archbishop. It was the responsibility of the bishops to vet him and they failed at it, horribly,” said accuser Claire Buxton. “Now, I just want the truth to come out so other people don’t get hurt and that the church is held accountable.”
Buxton’s accounts allege a pattern of inappropriate behavior by Wood while he served as rector and bishop in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Her statements led to a formal church presentment. In response, ACNA required the roughly dozen priests and parishioners who signed it to re-sign under penalties of perjury, a move some saw as an intimidation tactic designed to silence criticism.
Wood also faces internal complaints accusing him of plagiarism in sermons and verbally abusive treatment of clergy and staff, which the complaint says violates ordination vows and brings “scandal and offense” on his office.
In a separate but ongoing ACNA case, Bishop Stewart Ruch III of the Upper Midwest is accused of allowing individuals with known histories of violence or sexual misconduct to hold leadership roles and mishandling abuse allegations. Proceedings in his private church court trial concluded in mid-October, with a verdict expected later this year.
Ruch previously characterized the allegations against him as spiritual warfare, telling a former archbishop that this was happening because “Satan hates us.”
These leadership controversies come as ACNA continues to face fallout from abuse scandals in recent years. Lay leader Mark Rivera was convicted of felony sexual assault and felony child sexual assault following accusations from at least ten survivors in the Upper Midwest diocese. That same region has now seen more than 10 clergy and lay leaders accused of misconduct and two prosecutors resigning during the internal trial over procedural issues.
Other ACNA bishops have also been disciplined, including one defrocked over pornography use in 2020 and another removed in 2024 for inappropriate relationships with women.
ACNA exists today as a breakaway denomination formed in 2009 by conservatives protesting LGBTQ inclusion in the Episcopal Church. It now claims more than 1,000 congregations and 128,000 members nationwide.
Members of ACNAtoo, an advocacy group supporting survivor voices, say the recent wave of allegations reveals deeper problems. “The rotten fruit of a denomination that refuses to take abuse seriously,” said spokesperson Abbi Nye, arguing that many join ACNA believing it will be a safer alternative to other conservative Protestant denominations only to find leadership equally ill-equipped to protect vulnerable people.
Survivors deserve to be heard. Clergy sexual abuse is not limited to the Catholic Church, the LDS Church, or the Southern Baptist Convention. If you or someone you know has been harmed by a religious leader, confidential legal support is available. Learn your rights and options for pursuing accountability.
