(RNS) — The Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Steve Wood, will face a church trial starting on Monday (Sept. 7). It’s the young denomination’s first trial of a sitting archbishop.
Archbishop Steve Wood speaks during his investiture service in October 2024. (Video screen grab)
He faces three charges: violation of ordination vows, abuse of church power and sexual immorality.
“Our young Province finds itself in a challenging and uncomfortable season,” Julian Dobbs, who has taken over the archbishop’s duties, wrote in an email to the denomination on Tuesday. “Our unity, fervor, and faith are surely being tested.”
Wood, a bishop in South Carolina, was elected in 2024 to lead the ACNA, a small denomination founded in 2009 after congregations broke from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, both of which had begun ordaining clergy who identified as LGBTQ. In October 2025, The Washington Post broke the news that Wood had been accused of sexual harassment.
Claire Buxton, a former children’s ministry director who served under Wood at his parish, St. Andrew’s Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, said Wood began acting inappropriately with her in fall 2021, repeatedly showering her with money, calling her “Claire Bear” and offering to send her to a luxury resort. She claims Wood gave her more than $3,000 from church funds and, in April 2024, attempted to kiss her in his office. Buxton reportedly alerted a priest of her allegations in June 2024.
“I was in shock,” Buxton told the Post in October. “It’s just bizarre to me how far we — the Anglican Church in North America and its leadership — have gotten away from basic morals and principles.”
A group of Wood’s former colleagues submitted a presentment, or list of complaints, against Wood in October 2025 that included Buxton’s allegations, as well as claims that Wood bullied staff and plagiarized sermons. The presentment was signed by at least 10 individuals attesting to the allegations, as is required by church bylaws. In November 2025, it was resubmitted to include allegations from a second woman, who said Wood pressured her into situations she was “uncomfortable with” and invited her to drink alcohol with him. The updated presentment also included claims from ACNA’s former communications director that Wood conspired with other top leaders to rig the church investigation process to be “bishop-friendly.” Wood has denied all but the most recent allegations of sexual harassment, which he declined to comment on.
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Wood, who remains the archbishop, announced on Nov. 3 that he was taking a voluntary leave of absence. But more than 140 clergy signed an open letter calling for Wood to be inhibited, or temporarily suspended, from ministry. “Canonically, a voluntary leave of absence allows the Archbishop to return to office when he sees fit,” the letter said. “Instead, we suggest that the Archbishop be inhibited until the conclusion of the trial that will determine his guilt or innocence.” He was inhibited on Nov. 17.
In December, a 10-person Board of Inquiry considered the claims and found probable cause for bringing Wood to trial, and in June, the Court for a Trial of a Bishop denied Wood’s motion to dismiss the case.
The trial, held in person in Charleston, is scheduled for Sept. 7 through 12, and, if time is needed, will continue the week of Sept. 21 through 26. It could be up to 101 days after the trial’s conclusion until a judgment is issued. If the court finds Wood not guilty, the matter will be concluded; if they find Wood guilty, Wood has the option to appeal. The trial will not be open to the public.
In recent years, the denomination has been shaken by several dustups involving several other bishops. One ACNA bishop was defrocked in 2020 due to his pornography use; in 2024, another bishop, Todd Atkinson, was ousted for inappropriate relationships with women.
Last month, an ACNA church court found Bishop Derek Jones guilty of several charges, including willfully violating church bylaws and promoting schism within the church. Jones, who oversaw an influential jurisdiction that endorsed ACNA’s chaplains, announced his departure from the denomination in September 2025 after Wood moved to investigate misconduct allegations against him, including claims that he inflicted emotional harm on those under his supervision and fabricated church documents. Jones did not respond to a summons, and the outcome was decided without a trial.
In their judgment, the seven-member court described Jones as a “lord who employs another’s livelihood to obtain financial support, loyalty, or submission” and wrote that they “deeply regret the pain and suffering caused by the abuses of the Respondent against the individuals under his authority.”
Three other bishops who left ACNA to follow Jones have also been charged with promoting schism. Jones’ organization, The Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, has sued the ACNA in federal court, alleging unfair competition and trademark infringement. The denomination had filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that this is an internal church matter that can’t be decided in federal court.
Dobbs, who is the second bishop to take over Wood’s duties in his absence, has filed his own federal lawsuit against Jones, alleging defamation. In December, news broke that Dobbs was previously investigated — and reportedly cleared — of two instances of financial misconduct, both allegedly involving tens of thousands of dollars. Dobbs said Jones repeatedly made false public statements about those investigations to “destroy the reputations of Bishop Dobbs and the Anglican Church in North America.”
In March, ACNA leaders announced they hired the firm Lathrop GPM to review the disciplinary process that led up to the trial of Bishop Stewart Ruch, a controversial bishop who was acquitted in January after a lengthy and convoluted church trial. Ruch was accused of mishandling abuse allegations and failing to safeguard parishioners. The firm will not be re-assessing the court’s verdict. Anti-abuse advocacy group ACNAtoo criticized ACNA’s decision to partner with Lathrop, saying the group was known for prioritizing institutions over survivors.
Despite being roiled by multiple controversies and disputes involving bishops, denominational leaders shared in July that the young denomination is growing. They announced a 38% growth in attendance in their churches since 2022 and say ACNA has 130,000 members total, though the reliability of the reporting over the years is unclear.
In July, the denomination ratified revisions to its clergy misconduct and abuse protocols. The changes aim to improve transparency and clarify the process, making it easier to submit complaints against bishops while also introducing “off-ramps” so that not every complaint becomes an investigation. With some exceptions, the changes also normalize public church trials. They will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and will not affect Wood’s trial.
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