20 May Todd Atkinson Sentenced

Please note that the following content refers to abuse of ecclesiastical power. 

Dear Friends and Family of the Upper Midwest Diocese,

We are writing to you because Bishop Stewart is currently out of the country on a previously planned trip. We have received word that the Provincial leadership published this announcement regarding former ACNA bishop, Todd Atkinson. In April, the Court for the Trial of a Bishop decided that he was guilty on four charges of “Conduct giving just cause for scandal or offense, including the abuse of ecclesiastical power.” The charges included: I. Inappropriate Relationships with Women, II. Interfering in Marriage and Family Relationships, III. Inappropriate Interactions with Minor Females, and IV. Abuse of Ecclesiastical Power through Patterns of Manipulation and Control.

You can read the redacted Court Order here. Warning – the Court Order reveals disturbing details of Todd’s behavior and may be traumatic to read. 

On May 9, the College of Bishops, including Bishop Stewart, voted to depose (remove from Holy Orders) Todd Atkinson.

We want to remind you that in 2019, Todd and some of his leaders participated in several events and services in our diocese. He preached at the Cathedral and assisted in confirmations. Todd and some of his team members participated in Holy Week and Fully Alive at the Cathedral as guests. At that time the Diocese was unaware of any inappropriate behavior or concerns regarding Todd.

If you had any concerning interactions with Todd Attkinson, or, if you would like to talk with a pastor for any reason, we encourage you to seek pastors and caregivers within your congregation. If you prefer to talk with a female pastor within the Diocese, please email Deacon Meghan Robins at meghanrobins@churchrez.org. Either she or another female pastor can connect with you. Your communication will be kept confidential.

We invite you to pray with us for everyone affected by this situation, especially the victims and their families.

Further questions about this can be directed to the Standing Committee at standingcommittee@midwestanglican.org, or our consulting bishop, Martyn Minns at bishopminns_umw@icloud.com.

In Christ,

The Standing Committee of the Upper Midwest
Fr. Kent Anderson, chair
Alyssa Tennison, vice-chair
Kate Clark
Dan Easley
Dcn. Kaitlyn Wallet
Fr. Will Chester was unavailable to sign this letter due to his sabbatical