"Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave..."ACNA Faces Escalating Legal Challenges as JAFC Lawsuit Exceeds $10 Million

By David W. Virtue, DD

www.virtueonline.org

December 24, 2025

Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (JAFC) filed an amended complaint against the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) in Federal Court on December 22, adding new counts alleging conspiracy, theft of proprietary information, and theft of personnel records. Link here: file:///C:/Users/david/Downloads/ECF%2035%20-%20Verified%20Amended%20Complaint%20for%20Permanent%20Injunctive%20Relief%20and%20Damages%20(1).pdf

The content of this amended filing further undermines any possibility that the ACNA could successfully claim protection under the Ecclesiastical Abstention Doctrine, an argument they have unsuccessfully presented to the judge at least three times.

The Federal Court has already issued injunctions on three counts against the ACNA. In legal terms, by issuing these injunctions, the court has essentially signaled that "the plaintiff (JAFC) is likely to prevail." The injunctions addressing purposeful trademark violations carry substantial fines, not including treble damages, attorney fees, and costs. According to experts in trademark law and precedent in similar cases, these three counts alone could exceed a $6 million judgment should the case proceed to trial.

However, these injunctions may now be the least of the ACNA's concerns.

The new claims submitted by attorneys representing the JAFC are serious and include allegations of theft of personnel records, which constitutes a federal crime. VOL has learned that JAFC clergy and staff have received letters, as required by law, notifying them of the data breach. "This is a grave development," a source told VOL.

The ACNA's professional communications team and Bishop Julian Dobbs of the Diocese of the Living Word, who is currently leading the ACNA, have maintained a sustained public criticism of Bishop Derek Jones, the JAFC's CEO. This strategy may have legal consequences.

The judge warned the ACNA about slander laws in October. Bishop Jones and the JAFC leadership have notably refrained from responding publicly to the ACNA's statements. In the amended claim, JAFC attorneys have introduced slander as a count, characterizing it as a purposeful corporate tactic to defame the JAFC's CEO, adding an additional $1 million claim against the ACNA.

In total, the lawsuit now exceeds $10 million on base counts alone, before penalties, costs, and attorney fees. The ACNA has had two formal opportunities to settle this matter. The reasons for the ACNA's refusal to pursue settlement remain unclear to observers.

While Bishop Jones may be facing challenges in public opinion, the JAFC appears to have the stronger legal position in Federal Court. One ACNA bishop, speaking on condition of anonymity, reportedly commented, "I think we are getting dangerously close to bankrupting ourselves into non-existence. Every day we wait to settle this, the more it's going to cost us."