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Church trial of Anglican Archbishop Steve Wood, accused of sexual misconduct, begins Monday

September 3, 2026 · 1 min read

(RNS) — The Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Steve Wood, will face a church trial starting on Monday (Sept. 7). It’s the young denomination’s first trial of a sitting archbishop.

He faces three charges: violation of ordination vows, abuse of church power and sexual immorality.

“Our young Province finds itself in a challenging and uncomfortable season,” Julian Dobbs, who has taken over the archbishop’s duties, wrote in an email to the denomination on Tuesday. “Our unity, fervor, and faith are surely being tested.”

Wood, a bishop in South Carolina, was elected in 2024 to lead the ACNA, a small denomination founded in 2009 after congregations broke from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, both of which had begun ordaining LGBTQ+ clergy. In October 2025, The Washington Post broke the news that Wood had been accused of sexual harassment.

Claire Buxton, a former children’s ministry director who served under Wood at his parish, St. Andrew’s Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, said Wood began acting inappropriately with her in fall 2021, repeatedly showering her with money, calling her “Claire Bear” and offering to send her to a luxury…

Source: Religion News Service · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (6) 🌐 Translate comments

Ilie Constantinescu

Trist ce se întâmplă. Omul ăsta a fost ales arhiepiscop abia anul trecut și acum apare cu acuzații de hărțuire sexuală față de o femeie care lucra cu copiii la parohia lui din Mount Pleasant. Oare cum de s-a ajuns aici, după ce s-au rupt de episcopalii care hirotoniseră LGBTQ+? Rugăciune pentru toți, că procesul ăsta o să fie greu pentru toată provincia.

Sophia Bennett

It's sad to see another leader fall like this, especially right after he was elected. The article says the misconduct started in 2021 with the children's ministry director at St. Andrew's, calling her "Claire Bear" and giving her money. Makes you wonder what kind of screening they did before putting him in charge of the whole province.

Emily Clark

It’s sobering that the misconduct allegedly started back in 2021 with Claire Buxton at St. Andrew’s, long before he was elected archbishop last year. The “Claire Bear” nickname and the money gifts should have raised red flags with someone on staff. I hope the trial gets to the facts without turning into another spectacle.

Mark Baker

The screening bit is a fair question, especially since the stuff with Claire Buxton started back in 2021 at St. Andrew’s. Makes me think about how we check not just theology but basic character before handing someone the top job. Hope the trial gets to the facts without dragging the whole province through the mud.

Photini Brown

The part about the gifts and the “Claire Bear” nickname starting in 2021 really stood out to me too. Our own parish does background checks and reference calls, but that only catches so much if someone’s good at hiding things. Do you think the screening committee should have talked directly to more staff who worked under him at St. Andrew’s?

Adrian Marin

Da, Ilie, e trist că un om ales abia anul trecut ajunge în situația asta, mai ales după ce parohia lui din Mount Pleasant avea o slujbă cu copii. Mă întreb și eu cum de s-a ajuns aici, când scopul rupturii de episcopali era tocmai să se păstreze o linie mai clară. Să ne rugăm pentru adevăr în proces, că altfel se zguduie toată provincia.