Second woman says U.S. Anglican Church archbishop sexually harassed her

Source: Washington Post

WP EXCLUSIVE
Second woman says U.S. Anglican Church archbishop sexually harassed her

The new allegation adds to a crisis facing the denomination founded by conservatives who split from the Episcopal Church in the early 2000s over an openly gay bishop

November 7, 2025 at 5:00 a.m. ESTToday at 5:00 a.m. EST 10 min


Archbishop Stephen Wood has taken a leave of absence following allegations that he committed sexual misconduct shortly before he took the helm of the Anglican Church in North America. (Grace Beahm Alford/Post and Courier/AP)

By Ian Shapira
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/ian-shapira/

Stephen Wood, the archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, is facing sexual harassment accusations from a second woman, deepening a crisis that has engulfed his tenure atop the conservative denomination. ... The new allegation, by a woman identified as "Jane Doe 1," appears in a revised ecclesiastical complaint -- known as a "presentment" -- submitted to the denomination on Thursday. The statement does not identify the location or time period of the alleged incidents.

"I have a complaint against Archbishop Steve Wood of sexual misconduct, in the form of sexual harassment, to include pressuring me to be in situations I was uncomfortable with, even after I expressed my discomfort, pressuring me to be in a private space with him, one-on-one, to drink alcohol with him, despite me saying it was inappropriate and that I was uncomfortable," the woman wrote in the presentment. "I do not wish to go into further detail now for fear of being identified."

Wood, 62, a married father of four, has been the Anglican Church in North America's most powerful figure since summer 2024, when he was elected as its third archbishop. But on Oct. 20, a group of Anglican priests and parishioners in South Carolina submitted a presentment accusing him of three canonical offenses: sexual immorality, bringing "scandal" to the church and violating his ordination vows.

As first reported by The Washington Post, the chief allegation in the original complaint stems from an alleged incident last year at St. Andrew's Church in the Charleston area of South Carolina, where Wood was the longtime rector until this week. In April 2024, just two months before his election as archbishop, Wood allegedly tried to kiss Claire Buxton, who at the time was the church's children's ministry director. According to the presentment, he placed his hand on the back of her head and tried to turn her head toward his for a kiss.

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Ordained priest Andrew Gross, the denomination's former communications director, wrote an affidavit in a revised presentment against Archbishop Wood, accusing him of deceitful and manipulative behavior. (Courtesy of Andrew Gross)

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Reach us confidentially
Are you a parishioner, clergy or staff member in the Anglican Church in North America? Please contact Ian Shapira on Signal at ianshapira.63 or via email at ian.shapira@washpost.com with anything you believe is pertinent or warrants further reporting.

By Ian Shapira
Ian Shapira is an investigative reporterfollow on X@ianshapira
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/ian-shapira/

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2025/11/07/anglican-church-archbishop-harassment/