ACNA's Troubling Track Record in Episcopal Appointments

By David W. Virtue, DD

www.virtueonline.org

December 18, 2025

The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) now faces a sobering reality: ten of its bishops—past and present—have been inhibited, deposed, placed on leave, or departed the College of Bishops under contentious or controversial circumstances. In a relatively small communion with just 49 active bishops (out of 86 living bishops total), that number represents over 20% of its current episcopal leadership—a deeply troubling proportion for any ecclesial body, let alone one still in its formative decades.

A Growing List of Departures

Currently Under Discipline or Suspension:

Archbishop Steve Wood (III, ACNA Primate) — Inhibited in 2025

Bishop Stewart Ruch (I, Upper Midwest) — On leave since 2021; awaiting final verdict in his canonical Trial of a Bishop

Deposed for Canonical Offenses:

Bishop Ronald Jackson (II, Great Lakes) — Deposed in 2020

Bishop Todd Atkinson (I, Via Apostolica) — Deposed in 2024

Voluntary Withdrawals or Transfers:

Bishop Chuck Murphy (AMiA) — Withdrew from ACNA in 2010 (d. 2018)

Bishop Amos Fagbamiye (CANA suffragan) — Resigned ACNA College of Bishops membership in 2019 to serve exclusively under the Church of Nigeria

Bishop Derek Jones (I, Armed Forces) — Withdrew from ACNA in 2025

Departures to Other Jurisdictions:

Bishop David Blane (IX, Southern Virginia, retired) — Returned to The Episcopal Church (TEC) in 2015

Bishop Sam Seamans (REC Mid-America suffragan) — Entered the Antiochian Orthodox Church in 2015

Bishop George Fincke (REC Mid-America assistant) — Joined the Anglican Province of America in 2015 (d. 2016)

A Systemic Failure in Selection

These departures are not isolated incidents. Nor do they reflect a single type of failing—moral, canonical, theological, or administrative. Rather, they point to a deeper, systemic issue: how ACNA identifies, vets, and elevates its episcopal leaders.

According to ACNA’s own governance documents, bishops are elected by diocesan conventions and must receive consent from the College of Bishops. Yet in practice, the process has too often resembled an insular, collegial endorsement—more a matter of relationships and reputation within narrow circles than rigorous discernment.

Consider this: Why did it take investigative reporting by the Washington Post to bring Archbishop Wood’s alleged misconduct to light—when troubling reports reportedly circulated long before his consecration? Where was the due diligence? Where was the lay voice?

This is not ecclesial accountability—it is the Anglican “old boys’ network” in full operation.

Overlooked Excellence: Qualified Candidates Ignored

The troubling reality is that many deeply qualified, orthodox, and faithful leaders have never been seriously considered for the episcopate—even as the church struggles with leadership crises.

A few exemplary candidates, in my judgment, who merit serious consideration:

Dean Chuck Collins — A Reformed theologian with over 40 years in pastoral ministry, author, and respected biblical expositor—well-equipped to lead with theological clarity and pastoral wisdom.

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Noll — Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Trinity School for Ministry; former Vice Chancellor of Uganda Christian University; convener of GAFCON’s Task Force on Women in the Episcopate (2015–2017); chair of ACNA’s Task Force on Marriage, Family, and the Single Life (2015–2020). His global Anglican experience—especially in the Global South—positions him uniquely for cross-cultural leadership.

The Rev. Alan R. Crippen II — Former Executive Director of the Faith and Liberty Initiative (American Bible Society), founding president of the John Jay Institute, and policy leader at the Family Research Council. His blend of theological training (Westminster Seminary, Cairn University), military service (U.S. Army), and executive leadership offers a rare profile of civic and ecclesial competence.

The Rev. Dr. Kendall S. Harmon — Oxford-trained theologian, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of the South since 2002, and former leader of the American Anglican Council. A prolific writer and trusted voice during the Anglican realignment, he combines intellectual rigor with deep loyalty to orthodox Anglicanism.

These men are not merely “available”—they embody the theological fidelity, moral integrity, and administrative acumen the ACNA so urgently needs. Their exclusion from episcopal consideration should itself provoke hard questions.

A Moment of Reckoning—and Opportunity

If ACNA is to survive—let alone thrive—it must confront this crisis with honesty and resolve.

Encouragingly, the Province is currently reviewing its canons, aiming to strengthen accountability, streamline disciplinary processes, and protect the vulnerable. These reforms cannot come soon enough.

But structural change must be matched by cultural change:

Lay voices must be meaningfully included in episcopal discernment—not as formality, but as essential witnesses to character and competence.

Background checks, psychological assessments, and independent vetting should become standard—just as they are in many secular and other ecclesial institutions.

The College of Bishops must prioritize integrity over influence, wisdom over winsomeness, and faithfulness over faction.

The next decade will define ACNA’s future. It can either repeat the mistakes of the past—or rise, humbled and reformed, to fulfill its original calling: to be a faithful, missionary, and trustworthy Anglican witness in North America.

The choice is before them.