Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Stephen Wood, the archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, has resigned as rector of St. Andrews in Mount Pleasant following claims of sexual harassment, bullying, and plagiarism, the church stated Wednesday.
Wood, 62, a married father of four, disputes the claims made against him.
The Washington Post released a piece in October detailing the claims against Wood.
He [Wood] and Jackie had discerned and reached clarity about this decision in late summer, and planned to make this announcement to the church the week that the Washington Post story broke,” Priest-in-Charge Randy Forrester said in a video posted to social media.
“This is a significant change for St. Andrews and the Wood family,” Forrester stated. “We want to give it the weight and honor it deserves, with gratitude for the ways that Steve and Jackie served and led us well over many years.”
Wood took a leave of absence from the church on Monday to await the conclusion of a disciplinary process initiated by a formal complaint.
Wood is accused of attempting to kiss a former children’s ministry director, plagiarizing lectures from other priests, and bullying and demeaning church staffers prior to becoming archbishop.
In a statement, Wood stated, “I do not feel these concerns are valid. I believe the method established in our canons will bring clarity and truth to these matters.”
When a complaint is validated as a presentment under canon law, Dean of the Province Bishop Ray Sutton convenes a Board of Inquiry to investigate the allegations and determine whether there are reasonable grounds to hold an ecclesiastical trial, according to church staff.
