Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest

The decision to create a diocese in the Midwest of the United States was taken on 27 April 2013, at a gathering of 117 Anglican priests and laity, at the Church of the Resurrection, in Wheaton, Illinois. The movement to initiate a new diocese was started by several parishes in the states of Wisconsin, northern Illinois and Iowa, under the leadership of Robert Munday, former Dean of Nashotah House, a few months before. It had the support of the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of the American Anglican Council, whose President was Bill Chapin. The diocese was initially divided into four deaneries: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Greater Chicago, and Greenhouse. In 2025, the diocesan deaneries are located in Wisconsin-Iowa-Minnesota and Chicago-Kansas City. Its first elected bishop was Stewart E. Ruch III, Rector of the Church of the Resurrection, in Wheaton. The diocese was approved at the Provincial Council of ACNA at 18 June 2013. Bishop Stewart Ruch was consecrated the first bishop on 28 September 2013. ==Ministries and Organisations==

The Greenhouse Movement and Gregory House are religious organisations operating under the authority of the Diocese. and has overseen the expansion and multiplication of several churches in the Chicagoland area, including Church of the Resurrection, the cathedral for the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest. According to the Greenhouse Movement website, “...he began to travel extensively to Africa where he encountered the fruit of the Eastern African Revival – a movement of the spontaneous expansion of the church by the empowering of lay leaders under godly authority. This encounter gave William the faith for a similar “wineskin” here in North America, which led to the birth of the Greenhouse Movement – the fruit of which, in time, enables the spontaneous multiplication of many congregations that remain connected to one main church.” distinct church plants throughout the United States and Mexico, of which five are still in operation and affiliated with the Greenhouse Movement. They claim that “The Greenhouse Movement currently has around 50 employees located across 12 states.” Ministries In addition to planting churches, the Greenhouse Movement accepts donations on behalf of five ministries, though only two appear to be active within the last several years. St. Paul’s House of Formation, an online course in Anglican theology and tradition, and Word and Table, an accompanying podcast, are currently offering services. As of July 2025, Caminemos Juntos, a conference for Latino Anglican churches, Equipped to Heal, a healing prayer ministry; and Walk Across the Street, a movement for racial reconciliation, appear to be inactive. Greenhouse also lists two other ministries, Missio Corps and Reciprocal Mission, that do not accept donations. '''William Beasley's Retirement''' On Oct. 4, 2021, William Beasley retired as 'Missioner General' of the Greenhouse Movement. That same day, Archbishop Foley Beach requested he take a leave of absence from priestly ministry. Beach stated that, "His leave of absence is neither a suspension nor an inhibition but an opportunity to provide distance during the expanded investigation stemming from allegations of abuse in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest." Current Greenhouse Leadership As of 2025, the Greenhouse Movement is still under the authority of the Bishop of the Diocese of the Upper Midwest (Stewart Ruch.) The organisation is currently led by the Revs. Jens Notstad and Keith Hartsell. ==Sexual Abuse and Mishandling Allegations==

Joel Girard: In October 2019, a former Greenhouse employee claimed to Bishop Stewart Ruch that a current employee, Joel Girard, had sexually assaulted her. According to the Greenhouse Movement, Girard worked with their Latino church plants and in college campus ministry at College of Dupage and the University of Illinois - Chicago. He had previously worked for religious non-profits in Kampala, Uganda and Miami, FL. The Greenhouse Movement has made no public statement regarding the allegations against Joel Girard. The Diocese delayed notifying congregations until 2021 at the alleged survivor's insistence A police report was filed relating to the allegations in 2021. Girard is no longer employed by the Greenhouse movement and has not been criminally charged. 10 survivors came forward to report Rivera to the diocese, which only acknowledged some of the allegations. In 2021, Bishop Ruch took a leave of absence after admitting he had made a "regrettable error" after it was found that he mishandled the allegations of sexual abuse, and failed to inform the members of his diocese about the allegations. Ruch's mishandling of the allegations provoked not one but two parallel investigations — one into the accusations against Rivera and the diocese's response and another into allegations that Ruch and other Anglican Church in North America leaders had created a culture of coercion and control in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. In June 2023, 45 priests and lay persons from the diocese and other churches filed a presentment, and installing him as rector of Resurrection Anglican in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, 2) hiring Nephtali Matta as a pastoral resident despite his conviction for felony domestic abuse in Colorado, 3) appointing Church of the Resurrection member Chris Lapeyre to supervise a congregant convicted of child sexual abuse, despite Lapeyre being fired from his position as a school teacher for inappropriate conduct with minors, and 4) maintaining the employment of Joel Girard, which began in July 2025. The prolonged controversy in the diocese has led to several parishes leaving the organization or closing their doors. Two Minnesota parishes independently voted to transfer out of the diocese in 2023. In 2024 one closed in Kenosha, Wisconsin. ==References==