Bishop Julian Dobbs of the ACNA Files Defamation Suit Against Bishop Derek Jones of the JAFC

By David W. Virtue, DD

www.virtueonline.org

March 4, 2026

The Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs, currently serving as interim ecclesiastical authority of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), has filed suit against the Rt. Rev. Derek Jones, head of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (JAFC), alleging defamation arising from statements Jones made during a Zoom call with chaplains and others last September. Those statements revived allegations — first raised six years prior — that Dobbs had committed "financial indiscretions." Dobbs contends that a prior investigation into those allegations found them unsubstantiated, thereby establishing the falsity required to sustain a defamation claim.

The 25-page complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama — where Jones resides and the JAFC maintains its principal place of business — traces the history of animosity between the two bishops, which appears to have originated in a dispute over JAFC's remittance of funds to the ACNA in 2019. Specifically, Dobbs is alleged to have improperly retained $48,000 of those funds.

The complaint is at times difficult to follow, as it references several bishops who, though not named as parties, were involved in the 2020 investigation into Dobbs' financial transactions. It also acknowledges separate, ongoing litigation between JAFC and ACNA concerning the alleged misappropriation of intellectual property, including trademarks — litigation the complaint expressly characterizes as unrelated to the present defamation action.

Dobbs seeks unspecified compensatory damages for harm to his personal and professional reputation within the ACNA, as well as punitive damages in an amount likewise left to the jury's determination. Notably, the complaint asserts that the rift between JAFC and ACNA has caused the ACNA to forfeit $1.2 million in "gifts and tithes" from chaplains. Whether this figure represents contributions from the chaplains themselves or from service members under their pastoral care is not specified. More significantly, the relevance of this alleged financial loss to Dobbs' personal defamation claims is neither explained in the complaint nor readily apparent from its allegations.

Further complicating the matter, a number of other ACNA bishops — including some reportedly involved in the original 2019 investigation — have themselves been inhibited for alleged canonical violations. Dobbs has added to the turmoil by recently inhibiting five additional bishops. The institutional situation within the ACNA has become sufficiently entangled as to be difficult to follow without detailed familiarity with its internal governance.

This litigation represents yet another disheartening instance of Christian leaders seeking resolution of ecclesiastical disputes through civil courts, in apparent tension with St. Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 6:1–8. Additional information bearing on what appears to be a serious personal conflict between two senior clergy may be forthcoming.

The complaint is publicly available at CourtListener.com: Dobbs v. Jones, No. 2:26-cv-00267 (N.D. Ala.).