Our survivor stories and statements are firsthand accounts written by survivors of abuse in ACNA contexts.

If you are interested in telling your story of abuse and/or failed response to that abuse by ACNA leadership, you can contact us confidentially here.

ACNAtoo 7/16/24 ACNAtoo 7/16/24

Clarke’s Testament

In 2021, we published “Clarke’s” account of being groomed by their high school English teacher Christopher Lapeyre, then an ACNA lay leader. In June 2024, Clarke released an online memoir that chronicles the aftermath of the grooming, including subsequent abuse at the hands of ACNA lay catechist and now-convicted sex offender Mark Rivera.

ACNAtoo 5/16/22 ACNAtoo 5/16/22

Ursa’s Story

“Ursa” alleges that Christopher Lapeyre abused his power as a teacher and mentor to groom her while she was a minor and enter a manipulative sexual relationship with her when she was a very young adult.

ACNAtoo 2/21/22 ACNAtoo 2/21/22

River’s Story

“River” was a Wheaton College student when she met Mark Rivera at Church of the Resurrection. Read her story of how Mark’s grooming in plain view of Rez leaders set her up for sexual abuse at the hands of a female Wheaton professor and others.

ACNAtoo 11/9/21 ACNAtoo 11/9/21

Clarke’s Story

“Clarke” was 16 when her high school English teacher began cultivating an inappropriately close relationship with her. Read her story of how Christopher Lapeyre groomed and manipulated her, causing lasting pain and trauma.

ACNAtoo 8/9/21 ACNAtoo 8/9/21

Lily’s Story

“Lilly,” a survivor of abuse by Mark Rivera at Christ Our Light Anglican Church in the ACNA Diocese of the Upper Midwest shares her story.

ACNAtoo 8/4/21 ACNAtoo 8/4/21

Part 4: Reporting abuse, a mother sees another side of church leadership

A 9 year old survivor’s mother speaks about how leaders at Christ Our Light Anglican (COLA) responded when she shared her nine-year-old daughter’s allegations that COLA Catechist Mark Rivera had sexually abused her.

ACNAtoo 7/7/21 ACNAtoo 7/7/21

Part 3: Child Survivor’s Mother Speaks

A 9 year old survivor’s mother speaks out with detail of how their abuse was mishandled by both Bishop Stewart Ruch and the Midwest Diocese Chancellor/lawyer. Bear with us as we are working to transcribe all screenshots in this post.

ACNAtoo 7/3/21 ACNAtoo 7/3/21

Part 2: Evidence of Misconduct

Abuse survivor and advocate Joanna Laurel provides extensive documented evidence of her case being mishandled by the Upper Midwest Diocese.

ACNAtoo 6/26/21 ACNAtoo 6/26/21

Part 1: Joanna’s Story

Abuse survivor and advocate Joanna Laurel shares her story of sexual abuse and subsequent mishandling by the Upper Midwest Diocese of the ACNA