Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Pointing and laughing at religious lunacy for more than half-a-century

Sexual harassment, plagiarism and bullying are among allegations made against a US Anglican archbishop

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ARCHBISHOP Stephen Wood, 62, above, of the Anglican Church of North America, has been accused of bringing “scandal and offence” upon his office while overseeing more than 40 churches across the South.

The sexual harassment allegation comes from the former children’s ministry director at St. Andrew’s Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where Wood has served as rector since 2010.

In a detailed affidavit, Claire Buxton, 42, alleged Wood had behaved inappropriately toward her since October 2021, calling her “Claire Bear,” making unsolicited cash payments into her bank account, and eventually allegedly trying to kiss her in 2024.

Buxton described how she dropped her head to avoid the kiss and ran out of Wood’s office:

He put his hand on the back of my head and tried to turn it up towards him while he slowly brought his face towards my face to kiss me.

The alleged incident occurred two months before the married father-of-four ascended to the church’s highest position in June 2024. Wood has been married to his wife, Jacqueline, since 1986 and they have four sons and eight grandchildren together.

Following Wood’s election as the Anglican Church in North America’s third archbishop, his former colleagues and priests at St. Andrew’s were reportedly pissed off and decided to formally draft church charges against Wood after Buxton’s accusation.

In 2019, Rev. Hamilton Smith, rector of St. Thomas’ Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, wrote a letter to Wood accusing him of bullying colleagues, plagiarising sermons, and using a $60,000 car paid for by the diocese for personal use.

The accusations could trigger an ecclesiastical trial and force Wood to step down.

In another affidavit Anglican priest Rev Rob Sturdy wrote:

We have out-of-control men with absolute power and leaders who refuse to hold them accountable.

Wood himself stated that he doesn’t “believe these allegations have any merit,” and declined to comment further.

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