Archbishop Stephen Wood, the 62-year-old leader of the conservative Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), is facing a second sexual harassment accusation from a woman named Jane Doe 1. The allegations, which include pressuring her into uncomfortable situations and trying to kiss her, have sparked a crisis for the denomination.
Wood has been accused of three canonical offenses: sexual immorality, bringing “scandal” to the church, and violating his ordination vows. These charges stem from an alleged incident at St. Andrew’s Church in South Carolina, where Wood was the rector until this week. The woman who made the original accusation, Claire Buxton, also claimed that Wood gave her multiple unexpected payments totaling thousands of dollars.
The ACNA has announced a voluntary paid leave of absence for Wood and a retirement as rector of St. Andrew’s Church. However, some critics argue that his leave is too lenient and fails to adequately address the concerns raised by the accusers.
Multiple bishops and rectors have released statements assuring parishioners that the denomination takes accusations against its leaders seriously. However, others, like Rev. Drew Miller, who wrote one of the presentment’s affidavits accusing Wood of abusive behavior, believe that the church’s handling of the crisis has been inadequate.
The allegations against Wood have sent shockwaves through the young denomination, which was founded in 2009 by theological conservatives who split from the Episcopal Church over its confirmation of an openly gay bishop. The ACNA opposes same-sex relationships and bars women from becoming bishops or archbishops.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2025/11/07/anglican-church-archbishop-harassment