ACNA Bishop Stewart Ruch found not guilty on all counts after tumultuous church trial

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.

Religion & Politics

Photos of the Week: Hanukkah, Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day

Rabbi Motti Feldman speaks during a menorah lighting ceremony at a floral memorial for victims of Sunday's shooting, at the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

In Opinion

And finally, From church to crystals: One study shows interest in magic as religion declines

Would you buy a house where you knew there had been a murder?

Researchers asked that question and found that 64% of Americans would be disinclined to take such a step. That discomfort held whether respondents were interested in religion (64%) or not (62%), according to the latest findings from the Baylor Religion Surveys.

It’s one example of what scholars are calling “secular supernaturalism,” as more people move away from regular attendance in religious institutions and toward individual spiritual explorations that don’t involve God or gods but could involve anything from internet rituals to palm reading — activities researchers are categorizing as “magic.”

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