JURISDICTION OF THE ARMED FORCES AND CHAPLAINCY® FILES SUIT AGAINST THE ACNA

PRESS RELEASE

Oct. 10, 2025 

The Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy ("JAFC") filed a lawsuit on Oct. 6 against the Anglican Church in North America ("ACNA") for injunctive relief and damages, alleging that the ACNA violated federal and state trademark and unfair competition laws in an effort to effectively achieve a hostile takeover of the JAFC. 

During an emergency hearing on Oct. 8, a federal judge of the U.S. District Court for South Carolina noted that the ACNA's actions appeared "aggressive" and directed the ACNA to "hold off" on conducting a meeting it had scheduled for 6 p.m. that evening. The JAFC has repeatedly reached out to Archbishop Steve Wood and the ACNA to amicably resolve the parties' differences but has received no response. 

The JAFC will continue seeking solutions even as the judicial process proceeds. The JAFC is confident that the truth will prevail, and its chaplains will continue to do the good work that they have done for nearly two decades. 

The JAFC is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides for the care, training, ordination, and endorsement of chaplains, with various participating Anglican bodies. The chaplains serve in the U.S. military, other federal and local government agencies, hospitals and hospice programs, law enforcement, and other vocational and voluntary chaplaincies.

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