Episode 18 is a continuation of the Zoom conversation with ACNAtoo members Abbi Nye, Audrey Luhmann, Heather Griffin, and Whitney Harrison answering questions from listeners and supporters about the verdict of Bishop Stewart Ruch's presentment trial. With questions about transparency, the trial process itself, and what ACNA members can do in response, one course of action is to set about getting the trial transcripts released.

You can find a transcript of the episode here.

Links and resources referenced:

A bishop’s secret church trial and the U.S. Anglican Church in turmoil—Washington Post article by Ian Shapira

The presentment documents against Bishop Ruch—from ACNAtoo's website

Final order from Bishop Ruch's trial

ACNAtoo's response to the Ruch verdict

Recent article from ACNAtoo: Why ACNAtoo is Not Participating in Title IV Revisions

Anglicans for Truth, Renewal, and Accountability Open Letter

On December 16, 2025 the Anglican Church in North America's Court for Trial of a Bishop released their verdict for the presentments against Bishop Stewart Ruch: acquitted on all charges. In this episode members of ACNAtoo (Abbi Nye, Audrey Luhmann, Heather Griffin, and Whitney Harrison) discuss their reactions to the verdict and the 71 page trial order the court released. Did the members of the court follow basic due diligence in the process they followed to reach their verdict? Though not comprehensive, this episode hopes to answer that in part, while continuing to point those seeking understanding to the two presentments against Ruch, the detailed timeline of events put together by ACNAtoo, and other documents directing us to Bishop Ruch's actions and demonstrating why there was so very little "firsthand" testimony given in the trial by abuse survivors and whistleblowers in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. Provided below are links to a number of those sources.

You can read a transcript of this episode here.

Links and resources referred to in the episode:

The ACNA's landing page for Bishop Ruch's trial can be found here, and the full text of the trial order can be found here.

ACNAtoo's response on the Ruch Verdict

Ruch Acquitted on All Charges—article by Arlie Coles from The Living Church

ACNAtoo's comprehensive timeline of events—Piecing It All Together: Part 01, An Accusation and Arrest (Part 1 of 5)

The texts for the lay presentment against Ruch and the bishops' presentment, and a general page about the presentments from ACNAtoo. Please see the footnotes as the bottom of the lay presentment page for full citations of firsthand sources.

Article by Helen Keuning detailing her accounts of Ruch's leave of absence.

Washington Post article about Bishop Julian Dobbs: "He suspended the archbishop, but faced his own probes — financial ones"

Suspended ACNA Bishop Founds Breakaway Church—article about Bishop Derek Jones and his break away Anglican denomination by Arlie Coles from The Living Church

This episode features another conversation with Sam Lacy—a lawyer and co-author of the lay presentment against Bishop Stewart Ruch—with reactions and reflections about the series of Washington Post articles with allegations toward ACNA archbishop Steve Wood and new revelations from survivors of clergy abuse in Ruch's diocese. Lacy specifically offers his insights about where the church gets off course in its attempt to adhere to the American law system.

You can find a transcript of this episode here.

Links to articles referenced in the episode:

Wood Inhibited; Sutton Steps Down

ACNA Archbishop Faces Second Sexual Misconduct Complaint

Second woman says N. American Anglican Church archbishop sexually harassed her

N. American Anglican archbishop suspended after sexual misconduct allegations

Bishop Chip Edgar's pastoral letter #1

Bishop Chip Edgar's pastoral letter #2

ACNA News: Archbishop Wood is Inhibited; Bishop Sutton Resigns as Dean; Bishop Julian Dobbs Appointed Dean of the Province

Bishop Chris Warner's pastoral letter

Quote from Bishop Felix Orji

Episode 14 features the story of Sam Lacy, a lawyer and ACNA churchgoer, who helped to write the lay lead presentment against Bishop Stewart Ruch. While in part about the careful work that went into preparing the presentment document, Sam's story is largely about the frustrations he faced as he sought to bring up Bishop Ruch's actions within his church community, particularly the reactions of his church leaders.

Sam has also played an integral role in podcast host Chris' own story, as this episode details, notably in how that relates to Chris's meeting with his former bishop, which included the other lawyer referenced in the episode's title, the Canon Lawyer in Chris's former diocese.

You can read a transcript of this episode on ACNAtoo's website here.

Please see these articles with explanations and updates (as of September 2025) for Bishop Ruch's Presentment trial:

New Trial Date Announced from ACNAtoo

Ruch Trial Halted By Prosecutor's Resignation by Arlie Coles

Chaotic Ruch Trial On Hold by Arlie Coles

Amid trial crisis, ACNA pushes forward with clergy misconduct overhaul by Katharyn Post

Third prosecutor appointed in ACNA trial of Bishop Ruch by Katharyn Post

Assistant Counsel Releases Details of Court Misconduct from ACNAtoo

Provincial Prosecutor Replaced Again from ACNAtoo

This episode features a conversation with four members of ACNAtoo (Abbi Nye, Audrey Luhmann, Conor Hansen, and Whitney Evans Harrison) covering the significant details found the the Bishops' presentment against Bishop Stewart Ruch. This presentment was not previously available to the public, but was published by the ACNA on June 11, 2025 and then quickly taken down after ACNAtoo addressed a number of concerns they had with it. While the ACNA has not yet re-released this presentment, ACNAtoo has published a redacted version of it which you can find on their website. This episode also contains an announcement from Chris Marchand where he publicly lets everyone know that he has resigned from the ACNA and his diocese as a priest, and why he did so.

You can find a transcript of this episode here.

Articles and resources referenced in this episode:

ACNAtoo's article with the redacted version of the Bishops' presentment

Recent ACNAtoo article "Ecclesiastical Trial Process FAQ's"

The ACNA's presentment trial update page for Bishop Stewart Ruch

This bonus episode features a segment you can hear in full on the podcast's Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/c/WallofSilencePodcast

Addressing the issue of the podcast being a conflict interest, this episode also features audio from former archbishop Foley Beach. The full Patreon episode also addresses the issue of canonical obedience and how Chris decided to continue with the podcast despite his bishop's call to pause it indefinitely. Along with that, the Patreon episode feature the full interview with Nephtali Matta from the Holy Post podcast.

Patreon bonus material can now be listened to by being a monthly support or by purchasing individual episodes.