Phil Ashey

In November 2005, South Riding became the first of several churches in the Diocese of Virginia to seek to disaffiliate with the Episcopal Church as part of the broader Anglican Realignment. Ashey resigned as missioner and all but two of the congregation voted to affiliate with the Anglican Diocese of Rwenzori of the Church of Uganda. While the church plant did not own a building, Ashey turned over the congregation's personal property to the diocese.^[1] The bishop of Virginia rejected Ashey's claim to be under the canonical authority of the Ugandan bishop^[5] and interpreted his resignation as a "renunciation of ordained ministry" under the Episcopal Church's canons.^[6]

In 2008, Ashey joined the American Anglican Council as chief operating and development officer.^[7] As a priest then canonically resident in Uganda, he was appointed by the Church of Uganda to represent the church at the 2009 Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Kingston, Jamaica. However, ACC leadership refused to recognize Ashey's canonical status in Uganda and blocked him from participating.^[8] Ugandan bishops later said that it was the Church of Uganda's "prerogative to choose who should represent us," describing the denial of Ashey's participation in the ACC as "a profound violation of our rights by the Joint Standing Committee and the ACC."^[9]

Ashey was named CEO of AAC in 2014 and succeeded David Anderson as president in 2016. Under his leadership, the AAC pivoted from its role in supporting theologically conservative congregations and clergy within the Episcopal Church to developing the newly formed Anglican Church in North America.^[10] Alongside three fellow future ACNA bishops―Paul Donison, Chip Edgar and Jim Hobby―Ashey was one of eight candidates for the role of bishop of Pittsburgh in 2016.^[11]

Ashey completed an LL.M. in canon law at Cardiff University in 2016. As a canon lawyer, he has been counsel to the ACNA College of Bishops, chair of the ACNA's Governance Task Force from 2014 to 2023 and a member of the ACNA's Provincial Tribunal.^[7] He has also been an adviser to the Gafcon Primates Council^[12] and the GSFA, serving as the drafter of GSFA's covenantal structure.^[13][7] In 2024. Ashey was elected to the board of the GSFA Assembly.^[14] In addition to his formal roles with Anglican bodies, Ashey has taught Anglican canon law in Uganda.^[15] Ashey is the author of the 2017 book Anglican Conciliarism: The Church Meeting to Decide Together.^[16]

In 2021, Ashey moved to St. Simon's Island, Georgia, to plant an Anglican church there.^[17] In 2024, the Diocese of Western Anglicans elected him to succeed Keith Andrews as the diocese's third bishop. Ashey was consecrated to the episcopacy in March 2025.^[18] He relinquished his role as AAC CEO but continued on as the council's president.^[12]