The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is grappling with serious charges against one of its top leaders, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
The denomination’s highest-ranking official, Stephen Wood, 62, has been accused by a former children’s ministry director of inappropriate behavior — specifically, attempting to kiss her by placing his hand on the back of her head during an April 2024 meeting in his office, the Post reported.
The alleged incident took place two months before his election as archbishop.
The woman, identified in the Post’s coverage, also claims that Wood made several surprise payments from church funds totaling thousands of dollars to her before the alleged advance, the report said.
Wood is married with four sons and continues to serve as rector of St.?Andrew’s Church in the Charleston, South Carolina, area, while overseeing a diocese of more than 40 churches.
If the formal presentment triggers an ecclesiastical trial, Wood could face defrocking and removal from office — the first archbishop in ACNA’s history to face such a proceeding, according to the denomination’s spokeswoman.
Wood issued a brief statement saying, “I do not believe these allegations have any merit. I place my faith and trust in the process outlined in our canons to bring clarity and truth in these matters and respectfully decline to comment further at this time.”
Meanwhile, church leadership informed parishioners at St. Andrew’s of the complaint —acknowledging it as “a painful and very personal process for all involved.”
At the same time, ACNA is dealing with another major internal scandal: Bishop Stewart Ruch III, 58, who oversees an 18-church Midwest diocese, is under ecclesiastical review for allegedly allowing men with histories of violence or sexual misconduct into ministry or leadership roles. The trial panel’s verdict is expected later this year.
Internal critics say the denomination’s leadership culture is facing a deep crisis.
“This is a crisis without precedent, and how these concerns are handled will determine the future trajectory of the denomination and its credibility,” Anglican priest and former ACNA Communications Director Andrew Gross told the Post.
ACNA acknowledged the claims against Wood but noted the alleged misconduct predates his term as archbishop. Once the complaint is validated as a presentment, a Board of Inquiry will decide whether an ecclesiastical trial is warranted.
The woman who brought forward the allegation, a 42-year-old divorced mother of three, told the Post the alleged advance followed a pattern of what she considered unwanted “fondness” by Wood. She described the payments and gifts as inconsistent with usual processes at the church.
Other accusations against Wood include claims of sermon-plagiarism, bullying of staff, and misuse of church resources — such as a $60,000 truck for diocesan use that critics argued benefited his personal lifestyle, the Post reported.
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