ACNA Court Finds Bishop Derek Jones Guilty on All Four Charges

Sentencing deferred to the College of Bishops until the appeal period closes; civil litigation continues.

By David W. Virtue, DD I www.virtueonline.org I August 22, 2026

The Anglican Church in North America's Court for the Trial of a Bishop has unanimously found Bishop Derek Jones guilty on all four canonical charges brought against him, formally condemning the founder of a breakaway chaplaincy body while leaving his punishment for a later day.

The court released its opinion on Wednesday, August 19. As of the judgment, Jones had not been released from the governance or discipline of the ACNA. Any sentence will be set by the province's College of Bishops only after the appellate period has run, and separate civil litigation in federal court in South Carolina remains pending.

The Four Charges

Jones, who has led the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy since 2014, was convicted on each count referred to trial: willful refusal to follow a Godly Admonition; disobedience to, or willful contravention of, the canons of the church; conduct giving cause for scandal or offense, including the abuse of ecclesiastical power; and having promoted and caused schism within the church. The charges fall under Title IV of the ACNA canons.

On the abuse-of-power count, the court set out a pattern that included the use of Title IV processes against clergy both under and outside Jones's authority, the tying of mandatory financial contributions to a chaplain's endorsement and career security, the improper withholding of transfers, harassment, retaliation against those who raised concerns, and the backdating of at least one official document. The court affirmed tithing as a legitimate spiritual discipline but held that binding a required payment so tightly to a person's livelihood amounted to an abuse of office.

On the schism count, the court concluded that Jones's formation of the Anglican Reformed Catholic Church, his targeting of ACNA chaplains, his attempt to sever the chaplaincy jurisdiction from the province, and an unauthorized consecration had together advanced schism.

The episcopal office, the court observed, is fundamentally pastoral, and a bishop is called to exercise authority as a shepherd rather than as a lord who uses another's livelihood as leverage for money, loyalty, or submission. Jones's conduct, it found, fell grievously short of that standard.

How the Case Reached Trial

The proceedings grew out of complaints that surfaced publicly in September 2025. On September 12, then-Archbishop Steve Wood and Bishop Ray Sutton met with Jones to issue a Godly Admonition requiring him to cooperate with an investigation into whether the complaints against him rose to a presentable offense. Jones refused. On September 21 he was placed under a 60-day inhibition barring him from ministry.

In response, the chaplaincy body announced its departure from the ACNA, and on October 6 it filed a lawsuit against the province alleging trademark infringement and seeking one million dollars in damages. The College of Bishops declared Jones's seat vacant and reconstituted the province's chaplaincy under Bishop Jay Cayangyang. A Board of Inquiry referred all four charges to trial on December 16, and Jones was served with a summons on April 24, 2026.

A New Jurisdiction

In December, Jones and his chaplaincy leadership incorporated a new denomination in Alabama, the Anglican Reformed Catholic Church, with Jones as its presiding bishop. For a period the new body described itself on its website as entering the Union of Scranton, an Old Catholic grouping, and framed the move as a reunion with the wider catholic tradition rather than a schism. That description was later removed. The ACNA has not recognized the withdrawal as affecting its own chaplaincy jurisdiction under its canons.

A Province Under Strain

The verdict lands while the ACNA is contending with turmoil at its highest level. Wood, who signed the original admonition against Jones, has himself been suspended from ministry since last November and is scheduled to stand trial before the same Court for the Trial of a Bishop from September 7 to 12 on three charges, including conduct giving cause for scandal and sexual immorality. Bishop Julian Dobbs, the Dean of the Province, has been exercising the canonical duties of the archbishop since Wood's inhibition.

Jones, 64, a former Air Force fighter pilot, has consistently dismissed the ACNA's investigation, characterizing it earlier as a witch hunt in remarks to more than 120 chaplains. He did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

David W. Virtue, DD, is founder and managing editor of VirtueOnline. His writings can be found here: www.virtueonline.org You can subscribe to receive his free biweekly VIEWPOINTS. You can also view his Substack on the Middle East here: davidvirtue2.substack.com