December 18, 2025 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As you may be aware, on Tuesday the Ecclesiastical Court for the Trial of a Bishop issued its final order in the matter of The Rt. Rev. Stewart E. Ruch III, unanimously finding him not guilty on all canonical charges. 

This decision has been met with a wide range of reactions.  As members of one body in Christ Jesus, it is both our duty and privilege to bear with one another in love and to uphold one another in prayer as we all process and respond to the decision from the Court. 

As this matter comes to a close, on behalf of the ACNA, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to those who courageously came forward with their concerns and testimonies. I also want to express profound thanks to the seven volunteer members of the Court (and their families) for their diligent and sacrificial service over many months: The Rt. Rev. David Bryan, The Rt. Rev. David Hicks, and The Rt. Rev. Quigg Lawrence; Presbyters Rev. Canon Jeff Weber, Esq., and The Rev. Canon Jonathan Millard, barrister-at-law; and lay members Ms. Katie Grosskopf, Esq. and Mr. Larry Doyle. We are likewise grateful to counsel and witnesses who faithfully served. We are also mindful of Bishop Stewart Ruch, his family, and the Diocese of the Upper Midwest, who have carried a heavy burden throughout this process. It is our prayer that as this season draws to a close, the Lord would grant healing and peace to all who have been affected and that the Diocese of the Upper Midwest would be strengthened for faithful gospel ministry in the days ahead.

As you continue in prayer and reflection about these matters, I want to extend an invitation for you to bring your questions and concerns to our next Provincial Office Hours tomorrow, December 19 at 12:00pm EST. Those who register will have an opportunity to submit questions or comments in advance, and I, along with a number of provincial leaders, will do our best to address them. Priority will be given to questions submitted ahead of time, but participants can also contribute questions via chat on the call.Likewise, please join me and two of my fellow Bishops on Monday for our final time of Evening Prayer during this Advent season.  We will gather at 8:00pm EST on Monday, Dec 22 to pray and seek the Lord’s peace together as one Church.

In the peace of Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs