A chaplaincy body embroiled in a legal conflict with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) has announced the formation of a new Christian denomination, the Anglican Reformed Catholic Church (ARCC).
Leaders of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (JAFC) confirmed that bishops affiliated with the organization recently established the ARCC, which has been formally incorporated in Alabama as a nonprofit entity.
According to Virtue Online, JAFC Bishop Derek Jones has been named to lead the newly formed denomination. Those behind the initiative describe the ARCC as firmly rooted in historic Anglican identity, characterizing it as “classic Anglican.”
“We live in the tradition and prayer book expression we have all known and loved in the JAFC for nearly 20 years,” the group told Virtue Online.
The ARCC’s official website notes that the denomination remains “under careful construction,” stating that it “exists to provide a stable ecclesiastical home for those who love Anglican tradition but seek clear accountability, uncompromised doctrinal standards, and a deep connection to the broader catholic Church.”
Organizationally, the ARCC currently lists three dioceses: the Anglican Diocese of Saint Andrew, serving the western United States; the Anglican Diocese of Saint Martin Tours, covering the eastern United States; and the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy.
The creation of the ARCC comes against the backdrop of a contentious legal struggle between JAFC leaders and the ACNA over control of the chaplaincy organization, which was founded in 2014 as an endorsing body for Anglican military and institutional chaplains.
In a letter sent in September, ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood alleged that church leaders had “received credible complaints regarding Bishop Derek Jones, alleging abuse of ecclesiastical power.”
JAFC officials rejected both the allegations and the investigation, asserting that Jones had been subjected to “a targeted attack” by Wood because he had “been critical of errors, missteps, and mismanagement within the Archbishop's office.”
Later that month, JAFC Chairman David van Esselstyn informed Wood that the chaplaincy group was ending its relationship with the ACNA and demanded that the denomination cease using the JAFC trademark.
The ACNA declined to acknowledge the disaffiliation and instead appointed new leadership for the chaplaincy body, prompting JAFC to file a lawsuit against the denomination in October.
In November, U.S. District Judge Bruce Hendricks of the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division, issued an order partially granting JAFC’s request for a temporary restraining order against the ACNA.
