In a unanimous decision released on December 16, 2025, the Ecclesiastical Court for the Trial of a Bishop in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) found the Rt. Rev. Stewart Ruch III not guilty on all charges. The 71-page final order absolves Bishop Ruch, of the Diocese of the Upper Midwest, of allegations that he mishandled reports of sexual abuse by a lay catechist, Mark Rivera, and neglected his episcopal duties. The verdict caps a tumultuous multi-year process marked by public scrutiny, multiple investigations, and procedural controversies, including the resignations of several provincial prosecutors.
The case originated from grievous criminal acts committed by Rivera, a lay leader in a Greenhouse Movement congregation within Ruch’s diocese. Rivera was convicted in civil court of abusing at least nine victims, including minors and adults, with incidents occurring outside church programs and property. The ecclesiastical presentments against Ruch—filed in 2022 and 2023—alleged violations of ACNA Canons IV.2.3 (violation of ordination vows), IV.2.4 (conduct giving just cause for scandal), IV.2.9 (willful disobedience), and IV.2.10 (neglect of episcopal duties). Prosecutors claimed Ruch failed to adequately respond to abuse reports, allowed a “culture of predation” in the Greenhouse network, and created an appearance of bias by attending Rivera’s 2019 bond hearing.
The court’s order, however, paints a different picture, emphasizing Ruch’s prompt pastoral responses and the diocese’s cooperation with civil authorities. “The evidence at trial established that the Diocese’s initial response was fourfold: Rivera was promptly removed from ministry; the matter was immediately reported to law enforcement; pastoral care was offered at once to the victim’s family; and the Diocese cooperated fully with the Department of Children and Family Services (“DCFS”) and the police,” the order states. It further notes that no evidence showed prior knowledge of Rivera’s behavior by diocesan leaders, and that safeguarding policies evolved normally in a rapidly growing diocese.
Expert testimony, including from provincial-retained attorney Teresa Sidebotham of Telios Law, supported this view. Sidebotham testified that she found “no leadership culpability on the part of Bishop Ruch—not even under the civil ‘preponderance of the evidence’ standard—let alone the more demanding standard used in ecclesiastical matters of clear and convincing evidence.”
The trial itself, which ran from July to November 2025, was fraught with disruptions. Former Provincial Prosecutor C. Alan Runyan resigned on July 19, 2025, after a week of proceedings, citing procedural irregularities. In his resignation letter to Archbishop Steve Wood, Runyan stated that “the trial process had been irreparably tainted.” He called for “full transparency… in the best interests of the entire ACNA” and urged the release of the full trial transcript. Runyan expressed regret for the burden on those involved, adding, “I am sorry for the burden it places on you and on all those who have been affected by this process.”
Runyan’s deputy, Rachel Thebeau, who served as assistant counsel and had worked on ACNA disciplinary matters for nearly eight years, followed with an open letter on July 25, 2025, alleging court misconduct. Thebeau detailed how a court member improperly accessed prosecutorial files via ACNA staff, leading to biased questioning during the trial. “The trial process was tainted because a member of the Court, enabled by the Archbishop’s staff, made a series of decisions that fatally undermined the Court’s integrity,” she wrote. Thebeau criticized the lack of transparency, stating, “You deserve to know that the Archbishop was aware his staff and chancellor made decisions that had a direct, negative, and irreversible impact on the Court proceedings.” She added, “Our sheep deserve better from our shepherds who are called to lay down their lives for us, not the other way around.”
The court responded to these claims during the trial, issuing a statement that all questions were “appropriate.” In the final order, the court sharply critiqued Runyan’s actions, noting that he “accepted an office requiring diligence, impartiality, and adherence to this Court’s directives. Yet near the close… [he] abandoned his duties.” The order also faulted the provincial process for “procedural drift,” including overlapping investigations and influence from advocacy groups like ACNAtoo, which it accused of shifting focus from facts to “narrative capture” driven by theological disagreements.
Three independent investigations—by Grand River Solutions, Husch Blackwell, and Telios Law—cleared Ruch of wrongdoing, with the court giving weight to Telios’ findings that allegations stemmed from institutional growth pains, not negligence.
As of December 17, 2025, neither Runyan nor Thebeau has issued public statements specifically on the acquittal. ACNAtoo, an advocacy group for abuse survivors, has not yet released a formal response to the verdict, though their site notes the trial’s conclusion in October with a verdict expected by mid-December. The Wheaton Record reported the acquittal, highlighting the diocese’s rapid growth and Ruch’s pastoral heart.
The verdict praises Ruch’s humility and willingness to learn, describing his leadership as marked by “a shepherd’s heart—one that seeks restoration, bears responsibility for unintended harm, and prioritizes care for those in pain over the protection of reputation or position.” It urges ACNA to address structural vulnerabilities exposed by the case, such as unclear oversight in mission networks like Greenhouse.
This outcome may deepen divisions within ACNA, a young denomination formed in 2009 amid realignments from the Episcopal Church. With ongoing scrutiny of abuse handling—including a recent presentment against Archbishop Wood himself—the church faces calls for reform. As one observer noted, the case underscores the challenges of balancing justice, mercy, and institutional maturity in a missionary context.