FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2025
THE COURT FOR THE TRIAL OF A BISHOP RENDERS VERDICT IN THE TRIAL OF BISHOP STEWART RUCH III
Mount Pleasant, SC – The Court for the Trial of a Bishop has issued its verdict in the ecclesiastical trial of The Rt. Rev. Stewart Ruch III, Bishop of the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. The Court unanimously found Bishop Ruch not guilty on all four charges, citing the prosecution’s failure to meet the canonical burden of proving the charges by clear and convincing evidence. The 70-page final order with verdict, which details the Court’s rationale for its decision, is available here.
The disciplinary proceedings against Bishop Ruch originated from the disclosure in May 2019 that a Lay Catechist serving in Bishop Ruch’s Diocese of the Upper Midwest had sexually abused a child. The Catechist, Mark Rivera, was subsequently convicted in criminal court in December 2022* on multiple counts of child sexual abuse. Questions about how this and other matters were handled within the diocese, and later by the province, led to increasing public scrutiny, and in December 2022 three bishops signed a presentment against Bishop Ruch. In June 2023 a second presentment was filed by several clergy and lay members from the Diocese of the Upper Midwest.
The trial, which began July 14, 2025, addressed four canonical charges brought in the two presentments:
- Habitual neglect of episcopal duties (Canon IV.2.10)
- Conduct giving scandal, including abuse of ecclesiastical power (Canon IV.2.4)
- Violation of ordination vows (Canon IV.2.3)
- Disobedience to canons (Canon IV.2.9)
The trial was temporarily delayed on July 20 when the Provincial Prosecutor abruptly resigned. It resumed on October 8, 2025 and concluded proceedings on October 13, 2025. Additional information about the context, background, and details of the trial are available on the ACNA website.
The ACNA is profoundly grateful to members of the Court, to counsel for the parties and to all witnesses for their commitment and sacrifices throughout this process.
The ACNA and its dioceses and congregations remain committed to continually improving their safeguarding practices, training, and enforcement to better prevent and address all instances of misconduct and abuse. Updates will follow.
*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this release noted that Mark Rivera was charged in May 2022. Mark Rivera was criminally charged in June 2019, convicted in December 2022, and sentenced in March 2023. We regret the error.
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Contact: Kate Harris, Director of Outreach and Development, 703-740-6736 or kharris@acna.org
