It’s getting downright nasty and legal. ACNA bishops led by Bishop Phil Ashey contend that the charges of misconduct (but not of a sexual nature) laid at the feet of Bishop Derek Jones of the Special Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (SJAFC) are grounds for an inhibition.
The complaints include allegations of ecclesiastical power abuse, wrongful use of disciplinary processes, backdating or fabrication of church documents, interference with external employment opportunities, wrongful release of a priest from orders, and infliction of financial, emotional, and psychological stress upon persons in Jones’ care.
As someone who has worked for a denominational chaplains’ accrediting agency (the Church of God Chaplain’s Commission) in a denomination which, like the ACNA (supposedly,) has a centralised episcopal government, this whole thing is bizzare. (I also am on a board which oversees the COGCC.)
The purpose of accrediting agencies like the SJAFC and the COGCC is to give denominational accreditation to chaplains who then serve in institutions. The principal institution for our Commission is the military, but it also applies to prisons, hospitals and other institutions as well. These institutions need to know that the person being recommended by the denomination has valid ministerial credentials, the requisite education and is of good quality (and in our case that means men and women, because most institutions these days will accept either.) The key here is “denominational:” these chaplains represent their denomination to the institution, not a rogue agency that one day had affiliation but the next didn’t.
If the Executive Director of the COGCC would, by some process, try to do the same thing as Derek Jones is, I have no doubt that either the Divisional Director (our church departments are in divisions,) the Executive Committee or both would fire him and find another to take his place. I am happy to report that both of the Executive Directors I have known (both military men) loved their church more and had more respect for those over them in the Lord than to try something like that.
Additionally, full-time chaplains are required to regularly report to the Commission on their activity and to contribute a “fair share” contribution to the Commission, which includes ongoing education and training activities. The Church of God is very strong that the tithe goes to the local church.
Unfortunately this situation has arisen because of two things, one which antedates the ACNA and the other a by-product of the ACNA’s own “loosey-goosey” structure.
The first is the Egos Inflatable to Any Size phenomenon which seems to ooze out of the purple shirts and mitres which Anglican bishops wear. This has been a plague on the “Anglican Revolt” since the days of AMiA Bishop Chuck Murphy’s Moment of Truth and TAC Archbishop John Hepworth’s Tough Trip to the Bottom and before that in the Continuing movement.
The second is the ACNA’s aforementioned “loosey-goosey” structure, which like Sun Yat-Sen’s characterisation of post-Ching dynasty China is a “sheet of loose sand.” Sheets of loose sand, as pointed out in my book Soils in Construction, have no strength. Most of the energy around this problem is focused on WO (which is misplaced,) but this fiasco exposes the weakness of the ACNA’s basic structure. The accrediting agency for the denomination should have been under the control of the Archbishop, but like every other diocese it is not. Jones claims that the SJAFC has a special status based on its initial formation; if he is right, that was a mistake.
I am worried about the future course of the ACNA, an institution that I lauded when it was launched (although I was aware of the “unresolved problems segment” as Bill O’Reilly would say.) Caught between its loose structure and the rise of Gothardian “little Caesars,” it’s turning into a rough ride that will eventually manifest itself down the line.
Positive Infinity 
We agree that Abp. Wood and the ACNA have some rather unusual issues to navigate. But make no mistake about it…Derek Jones is a renegade bishop with ego to spare and a clear track record of abusing people. The latter I experienced personally.
My prayer is that the ACNA create a new endorsing agency that makes certain this can’t happen again. I also think they will probably defrock Derek Jones for his unwillingness to submit to godly counsel and the conditions of his inhibition. Finally, I pray that the new bishop, Jay Cayangyang, can pick up the pieces of this debacle and focus on taking care of his chaplains.
The arrogance and unbiblical actions involved in all this is just abhorrent.
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Things would be simpler if the endorsing agency weren’t a diocese but an office of the central church. It’s possible to have a bishop head of such an agency (or not) but not be at the head of a diocese. Some will wince as such an arrangement but since the ACNA has already muddied the waters with non-territorial dioceses…
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You might be confused about who’s doing what to whom or there’s a typo. You wrote: “If the Executive Director of the COGCC would, by some process, try to do the same thing as Steve Wood is, I have no doubt that either the Divisional Director (our church departments are in divisions,) the Executive Committee or both would fire him and find another to take his place.” Perhaps you meant Derek Jones (as he is essentially the equivalent of your Executive Director, not Steve Wood). Clarification?
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You are correct, thanks for the catch. I edited the post. When you’re a one-person operation like this, it’s hard not to make mistakes from time to time.
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