American Anglican archbishop accused of sexual misconduct

The Anglican Church of North America, or ACNA, received a complaint against Archbishop Steve Wood, his church confirmed to WORLD on Friday. A former children’s ministry director at St. Andrew's Church in Mount Pleasant, S.C., accused Wood of sexual misconduct and abuse of power. The Washington Post first shared the complaint last Thursday.

The conservative denomination’s leadership will create an inquiry board to investigate the accusations and determine whether they meet requirements for an ecclesiastical trial, St. Andrew’s leadership told WORLD. The church couldn’t comment further on the ongoing process, it said.

What specific conduct is Wood accused of? The female ministry director claimed Wood in 2024 forcibly tried to kiss her and that over a period of several years, he gave her more than $3,000 in church money for her personal use. Wood was also accused of demeaning other church staff, discussing potential sexual affairs, and additional intrusive behavior toward the woman, according to The Washington Post. Six other former church staffers, including priests, filed affidavits supporting her statements or containing similar allegations, according to the newspaper.

What did Wood say about the allegations? The archbishop said he did not believe these complaints had merit. He trusted the process outlined in church law to bring clarity and truth to the situation, he said in an emailed statement to WORLD.

Dig deeper: Read my report on conservative Anglicans’ break with the Church of England, led by bishops including Wood.