ACNA Commissions Independent Review of Bishop Stewart Ruch Trial
Law firm will investigate the disciplinary process from 2021 to 2025.
The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) Executive Committee announced on March 24 that a third party law firm will review the role of the provincial office in the disciplinary process and trial for Bishop Stewart Ruch III.
ACNA College of Bishops from its January 2026 annual meeting / Photo via ACNA website
“The intent and purpose of this review is to assess how the Provincial Office managed the disciplinary process, identify opportunities for improvement, and strengthen the Province’s practices for future disciplinary matters,” the announcement said.
The review will examine the Provincial Office’s administration of the disciplinary process from summer 2021 to December 2025, the office’s role in several aspects of the investigation process, and the office’s operational decisions including communication and record keeping. The review will also examine the resignation of members from the original Provincial Response Team in 2022 and other concerns with the current provincial staff members.
“The review will not revisit the outcome of the trial, re-examine the merits of the charges, or assess the internal processes, deliberations, or rulings of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop or any other judicial or investigative body,” said the ACNA announcement.
Following the trial in December 2025, 89 ACNA clergy signed a petition calling for an investigation into the trial. Another 126 lay leaders and members, plus 30 former members and clergy of the ACNA also signed it.
But the ACNA announcement says the denomination’s College of Bishops had called for an eventual investigation in 2022 when the investigation was still ongoing. According to the announcement, the Executive Committee and College of Bishops reconfirmed the commitment to a review on July 28, 2025, and the review was formally commissioned in January 2026, with the creation of a subcommittee following the December 2025 release of the trial’s final verdict.
The review will be conducted by Lathrop GPM, a national law firm that has “conducted hundreds of investigations for non-profit and religious institutions, specifically regarding clergy misconduct and governance concerns.”
An ACNA spokesperson told The Living Church that Lathrop began working the week of March 16 and is expected to take about three months, depending on interview schedules and witness availability.
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