South Carolina Anglican Bishop Demands Transparency in ACNA
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Bishop Edgar blasts Ruch decision, demands openness in upcoming trials
By David W. Virtue, DD
March 24, 2026
The Rt. Rev. Chip Edgar, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC), has announced that he will not participate in private discussions about the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) without his own representatives present.
The ACNA is navigating multiple crises simultaneously: active lawsuits between The Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, (JAFC) and Bishop Julian Dobbs, the interim ecclesiastical authority, and an impending ecclesiastical trial of its archbishop. The cumulative effect has left the province appearing increasingly adrift.
ADOSC Demands
In a formal letter from Bishop Edgar and the ADOSC Standing Committee to the ACNA Executive Committee, the diocese set out several specific demands:
That the standard of avoiding any appearance of impropriety be upheld among all provincial staff in pending and future proceedings.
That those involved in allowing a court member in the Ruch trial to access prosecution files without the prosecutors' knowledge or consent be recused from all future disciplinary proceedings — particularly those involving Archbishop Wood.
That a complete transcript of both trial and pretrial proceedings be released, including unedited video or audio.
That all motions, court rulings (including pretrial rulings), and all three pretrial investigations be made public.
That the identity of any investigator or firm retained, together with the engagement letter defining the investigation's scope, be disclosed — and that results be made public with appropriate confidentiality protections for victims.
"Those who would deny a public response to valid questions — insisting the province is best served by withholding answers — do so at the risk of destabilizing the very foundation on which their authority rests," the letter states.
The Standing Committee further argued that a lack of trust and mutual suspicion erode communion and weaken the church's witness, while transparency and truth strengthen both.
The Exchange
The ADOSC initially proposed sending three Standing Committee members and the Dean of the Province (also serving as Chancellor) to meet with three ACNA representatives. The diocese subsequently clarified, however, that it would meet only with its full Standing Committee present and with no promise of confidentiality, given that its sole purpose is to bring transparency to the province's process of justice.
The ACNA Executive Committee responded by proposing that a delegation visit the ADOSC instead. Bishop Edgar and the Standing Committee declined that offer. The Executive Committee then invited Bishop Edgar to attend their next regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 21.
The Executive Committee further stated that it would not revisit the outcome of the Ruch trial, re-examine the merits of the charges, or assess the internal processes or rulings of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop or any other judicial body.
In his response, Edgar wrote: "Lack of trust and mutual suspicion erode our communion and weaken our witness to a watching world. But our communion and witness are strengthened by a commitment to transparency and truth that is above reproach.
"We therefore urge you to join us in seeking clarity and truth in these matters, and to work diligently alongside us so that, together, we may pursue reconciliation, restore confidence, and ensure that God is glorified in all we say and do as a Province."
END