South Carolina Standing Committee Demands Transparency in Bishop Stewart Ruch Trial
The Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina has issued a forceful letter calling for accountability and transparency in the ongoing ecclesiastical trial of the Rt. Rev. Stewart Ruch III, voicing deep concern over what it described as procedural chaos, lack of communication, and the threatened integrity of the church’s justice system.
The Standing Committee has requested the president of the trial court, the Rt. Rev. David Bryan, assistant bishop of South Carolina be suspended from conducting “episcopal visits” in the diocese, and has requested an independent investigation into the Most Rev. Steve Wood’s handling of the Ruch trial process.
The controversy erupted anew in July 2025 when the provincial prosecutor, C. Alan Runyan, resigned in protest over alleged misconduct by a member of the trial court. Runyan, previously known for defending the diocese in its ten-year legal battle with the Episcopal Church, charged that the court’s legitimacy had been “irredeemably tainted” by the use of materials not admitted as evidence and by unwarranted questioning that cast suspicion on the church’s own investigative process. This view was echoed by Deputy Prosecutor Rachel Thebeau in a subsequent letter, which alleged “misconduct” and called for the release of the full trial transcript to restore trust in the process.
The Standing Committee’s letter goes further, demanding that the trial court meet promptly, communicate openly about the status and timeline of the proceedings, and rectify the lack of interim measures against Bishop Ruch. As the letter pointedly observes, Bishop Ruch remains in active ministry and a member “in good standing” of the College of Bishops despite facing two presentments — a situation 88 clergy and lay leaders of the Diocese called “an affront” and a signal of “passive complicity with this travesty” in May 15, 2024 letter.
The Ruch affair dates back to 2021, when survivors and advocates alleged that the Bishop of the Upper Midwest, Stewart Ruch, had neglected and mishandled multiple reports of sexual abuse, most notably involving lay catechist Mark Rivera, who was later convicted of child sexual assault. Reports surfaced that more than ten clergy and church leaders in Ruch’s diocese had also been accused of misconduct during his tenure, and that he failed to inform his flock or begin an investigation until over two years after complaints first emerged.
An ecclesiastical court convened in July 2025 to consider four serious charges against Ruch: habitual neglect of episcopal duties, conduct causing scandal, violation of ordination vows, and willful contravention of church canons. Survivor advocates, clergy, and moral watchdogs across ACNA have decried the lack of transparency and survivor participation in the proceedings — fueling calls for deep reform.
The South Carolina Standing Committee’s letter reflects a rising tide of disquiet within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Signatories to the May 2024 letter demand that the trial court move with urgency and clarity, stop shielding proceedings behind confidentiality, and explain why Ruch remains uninhibited. They stated: “For too long, our silence has signaled a passive complicity with this travesty.” They join parallel calls from ACNA clergy and laity nationwide insisting that the denomination’s leaders address both transparency and survivor care as central moral imperatives.
The trial, conducted via a secure online platform, has seen delays and drama, now complicated further by questions about the newly appointed prosecutor — the Ven. Job Serebrov — whose suitability for the role is disputed by survivor advocates, raising fresh concerns about conflict of interest. Access to trial documents and transcripts has been withheld, despite requests from both prosecutors and survivor advocates, heightening the sense of crisis.
The resulting confusion and conflicting fact narratives have led the Standing Committee to recommend immediate actions. They wrote: “The issues raised by these events have caused serious alarm and forces each of us to prayerfully consider a proper response. Silence may signal complicity; haste may lead to harm. In this unprecedented moment, we risk either mistake with every decision we make. In our patient, prayerful discernment, we desire to bring clarity to misinformation and to direct what further action may be required by Bp. Edgar or us, if any.”
As such: “In consultation with the Standing Committee, Bp. Edgar has agreed to temporarily suspend episcopal visits by Bp. David Bryan. We think this temporary action is necessary given the significant contradictions between the statement of the court under Bp. Bryan’s signature and the statements of Mr. Runyan and his Assistant Prosecutor. We hope for the day when he can resume visits to our parishes, but we must patiently wait for the trial to conclude and for the facts of the proceedings to be released.”
“With regards to the accusations made against Archbishop Steve Wood and members of his staff, we recognize that we are not the investigative or disciplinary arm of the ACNA. We are, though, the concerned representative body of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, and as such, we request an independent, third party investigation into the Provincial Office’s actions during the course of the trial, to begin no later than 60 days after the conclusion of the trial process. We invite other Dioceses of the ACNA to join us in this petition.”
The Ruch case — the second such trial in ACNA history — has become a flashpoint for demands of transparency, survivor care, and careful safeguarding across the denomination. The outcome and aftermath of the trial will likely set far-reaching precedents for how the Anglican Church in North America addresses allegations of clerical misconduct, and whether it can recover the trust of its members and those it serves.