(RNS) — Bishop Stewart Ruch, an Anglican bishop accused of mishandling abuse allegations and failing to safeguard parishioners in his care, was found not guilty on all counts after a tumultuous trial that spanned more than four months, a church court announced Tuesday (Dec. 16).
The decision comes more than six years after a 9-year-old child in the Upper Midwest Diocese, which is led by Ruch, first came forward with sexual abuse allegations against a lay minister, who has since been convicted of felony sexual assault and felony child sexual assault. More than 10 clergy and other lay leaders in Ruch’s diocese have been accused of misconduct, a pattern that abuse advocates say resulted from Ruch’s leadership failures.
Ruch’s trial came amid a broader crisis over sexual misconduct charges in the denomination. The denomination’s leader, Archbishop Steve Wood, was temporarily suspended from ministry in November in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and plagiarism against him. On Friday, the denomination announced Wood will face his own church trial.
Ruch was the second bishop tried in the Anglican Church in North America, which was formed in 2009 by congregations that withdrew from the Anglican Canadian and the Episcopal Church over various disagreements, primarily acceptance of women priests, LGBTQ+ affirmation and a new version of the Book of Common Prayer, a key unifying text of the Anglican Communion.
In two different sets of charges, Ruch had been accused of mishandling misconduct allegations in his diocese or knowingly welcoming individuals with histories of predatory behavior into diocesan churches without alerting church members.
The seven-member court, which included bishops, priests and lay members, set out to address four charges: that Ruch habitually neglected the duties of the bishop’s office; that he engaged in conduct “giving just cause for scandal or offense,” including abuse of church power; that he violated his ordination vows; and that he disobeyed or …