He suspended the archbishop, but faced his own probes — financial ones

Julian Dobbs, interim leader of the Anglican Church in North America, denied claims and said he was cleared of alleged financial wrongdoing.

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Julian Dobbs was appointed in November to take over duties associated with the church's archbishop. (Courtesy of Kevin Kallsen)

13 min

By Ian Shapira

The interim leader of the Anglican Church in North America — who suspended the denomination’s archbishop over allegations of sexual misconduct — was himself previously investigated over two separate allegations of financial impropriety, according to a federal lawsuit and a global charity’s internal records.

Bishop Julian Dobbs was appointed on Nov. 15 as the dean of the Anglican Church in North America, assuming the duties of Archbishop Stephen Wood. The next day, with the consent of five other bishops, Dobbs, 57, “inhibited” or suspended Wood for 60 days after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced by two women, one of whom was a church employee. The woman said Wood, a married father, put his hand on the back of her head and tried to kiss her inside his South Carolina office in April 2024, shortly before he was elected archbishop.

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