Practically three years in the past, earlier than taking a depart of absence, Bishop Stuart Ruch of the Anglican Church within the Diocese of the Higher Midwest, North America, admitted to “regrettable errors” within the dealing with of allegations of sexual abuse in opposition to a lay minister. An appearing bishop took over the diocese and one other ACNA bishop, Todd Atkinson, was tapped to help him.
However Ruch’s absence hasn’t dampened heated debate within the diocese, a sliver of a small, theologically conservative denomination that break up from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada in 2009 over the acceptance of LGBTQ clergy and marriage for identical. -Intercourse couple.
On Monday, a bunch of ACNA clergy printed an open letter expressing concern that there had not been a public replace on the church trial promised for the Ruach from November 2023. The letter pressed for normal updates on the trial’s progress and knowledge on why the raids weren’t held. He has been hindered or restricted in his duties attributable to his alleged laxity prior to now.
On the identical day, Atkinson, the auxiliary bishop, was faraway from ordained ministry after a church trial discovered he had engaged in inappropriate relationships with girls and interactions with minors.
Atkinson’s misconduct dates again to at the very least 2012, six years earlier than he joined ACNA, in response to a church courtroom order. In 2014, Atkinson started overseeing By way of Apostolica, a Canadian church planting initiative that was later grafted into ACNA’s Diocese of the Higher Midwest in 2020. A church courtroom discovered on Monday that Atkinson had repeatedly developed exploitative relationships with a number of girls “underneath their guise”. Father.”
In keeping with the courtroom order, Atkinson typically gave the ladies extravagant private items value a whole bunch of {dollars}, generally with funds from accounts managed by the By way of Apostolica. Monetary experiences present that for the reason that fall of 2013-2014, Atkinson spent greater than $10,000 on items for pastors and their spouses with whom he behaved inappropriately, in response to the order.
Proof submitted for trial confirmed Atkinson texted the ladies incessantly, sending greater than 11,000 textual content messages over 4 months in 2015. The lady reported that Atkinson had tried to present her a hoop and a household heirloom with out his spouse’s information, and after church leaders prevented him from speaking with the lady, he distributed 80 pages of his handwritten journal entries to a 3rd celebration.
A part of the proof at trial included a 2016 report that Atkinson had participated in a “codependent” and “extreme” relationship that had the “look of evil,” in response to the order. Atkinson reportedly focused girls with histories of trauma or abuse, initiating “father-daughter” relationships with them whereas serving as clergymen, bishops and counselors.
“The courtroom finds credible the testimony from a number of witnesses that the respondent fostered a tradition through which his authority shouldn’t be questioned,” the order stated. “The respondent misused religious language to excuse and normalize inappropriate behaviour, exploiting non secular authority to coerce, management and exploit chosen girls from related profiles.”
The order additionally discovered that Atkinson had inappropriate interactions with minors. In a single occasion, the courtroom discovered, Atkinson invited a 13-year-old woman out for espresso alone and with out her dad and mom’ information, and later hosted her alone for a film evening in his basement. The courtroom stated Atkinson’s misdeeds had been compounded by the truth that he didn’t disclose any details about the earlier allegations in opposition to him when he utilized to hitch ACNA in 2018.
Andrew Gross, ACNA’s director of communications, praised the work of the church courtroom. “The Courtroom for the Trial of Bishops, a bunch of chosen volunteers, has completed a superb job in producing a sound judgment based mostly on 2,000 pages of proof,” he stated, including, “This case is an instance of the Anglican Church within the North. The construction of America is doing a very good job at each the investigative and judicial phases of the method. .”
Whereas Atkinson was barred from all ministry in June 2022 pending the end result of his investigation, Ruch determined to finish his depart and return to his workplace in October 2022. He apparently continues to function bishop of the diocese of the Higher Midwest. Rector of diocesan headquarters, Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.
The letter additionally suggests there’s a lack of transparency concerning the presentation or the church’s grievance, introduced in opposition to him by three bishops and a grassroots group in Minnesota.
“We have now completed our greatest to stipulate the problems with out attributing deliberate malice to provincial actions, and we’ve got not prejudged the end result of the trial,” the authors wrote. “Our concern stays concerning the potential hurt brought on by this course of, which has been publicly lamented by many survivors. We consider that the Church can and will do higher.”
As of Tuesday night, the letter had been signed by 46 ACNA pastors.
Two associated open letters had been additionally lately printed – one echoing the considerations and requests of the ACNA lay and clergy letter, and one other signed by 88 clergy and leaders of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, calling on church courts to prosecute. Representations in opposition to Ruch are met instantly and are clear concerning the standing and timeline of the trial.
“The truth that Bp. Ruch has not been suspended and continues to serve in good standing in his diocese and as a member of the School of Bishops whereas the 2 shows are a shame,” the South Carolina church leaders wrote.
“For too lengthy, our silence has indicated a passive complicity with this fraud.”
