Anglican Watch demands answers over law firm hiring, church leadership’s actions, and ongoing allegations of misconduct at Trinity Episcopal Church
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Anglican Watch
Nov. 2, 2026
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 2, 2026 /Standard Newswire/ — Watchdog organization Anglican Watch today demanded transparency surrounding the decision by Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, Virginia, to retain a law firm that publicly advertises its experience defending churches facing child sexual abuse allegations and individuals accused of sex crimes.
The decision comes amid ongoing allegations of sexual misconduct and mounting questions about the actions of the church’s current leadership. Calls for financial transparency and disclosure to the congregation regarding the allegations have gone unanswered. Anglican Watch is now calling on church officials to explain the firm’s role.
The firm, Simms Showers Law of Leesburg, Virginia, also advertises church misconduct investigations conducted under attorney-client privilege, with confidential findings delivered to church leadership.
“When a church facing allegations of sexual misconduct hires lawyers who advertise their work defending institutions against child sex abuse claims, parishioners have every right to ask whose interests are being protected,” said Anglican Watch official Eric Bonetti.
The decision to retain the firm comes amid reports that church leadership has worked to silence staff and congregants and prevent the disclosure of information affecting the safety of children. That includes allegations that the congregation has not been fully informed about the priest’s history, the circumstances surrounding his suspension from Trinity Episcopal Church, the Diocese’s findings of inappropriate conduct by the priest, and the disciplinary action taken as a result of that misconduct.
The concerns extend beyond Trinity.
A 2025 Washington Post investigation documented that Trinity Upperville’s priest, the Rev. Jonathan Adams, previously served at Church of the Apostles in Atlanta alongside Jeffrey Turner Taylor, a former youth minister who was federally indicted in Virginia in September 2026 on charges involving the alleged sexual abuse of minors.
The Post reported that Adams raised concerns about Taylor’s conduct with church leadership in 2003. Taylor has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. Adams has not been implicated in Taylor’s alleged crimes.
The history raises serious questions about how religious institutions recognize warning signs, respond to allegations, and protect children.
“Christians should be the first to demand accountability when credible allegations of sexual misconduct are associated with a priest’s history,” said Bonetti. “Protecting children is not optional, and protecting the reputation of church leadership should never come before protecting victims.”
Simms Showers publicly promotes a practice called Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Defense, while its criminal defense practice expressly includes sex crimes. The firm’s church investigation materials also describe efforts to address institutional litigation exposure and the delivery of confidential, potentially privileged investigative findings.
Anglican Watch is calling on Trinity Episcopal Church to disclose immediately the scope of its engagement with Simms Showers, including whether the firm has been retained to conduct an investigation, advise church leadership, or both.
Anglican Watch is demanding that church officials explain the circumstances of any alleged efforts to silence or retaliate against staff, congregants, or members of church leadership.
“A congregation deserves to know whether its leaders are protecting the flock or protecting themselves,” said Bonetti.
Anglican Watch encourages anyone with firsthand information about suspected abuse or misconduct to contact appropriate law-enforcement or child-protection authorities. Individuals should not assume that attorneys retained by the church represent them personally.
Children deserve protection. Witnesses deserve protection from retaliation. And church leadership must be held accountable.
Sources
• Simms Showers Law: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Defense.
• Simms Showers Law: Criminal Defense, including Sex Crimes.
• Simms Showers Law: Church and Nonprofit Investigations.
• The Washington Post, January 15, 2025: “Minister accused of sex abuse landed one high-profile job after another.”
• U.S. Department of Justice, September 15, 2026: “Former Falls Church youth minister indicted for sexual abuse of children.”
Founded in 2015, Anglican Watch is the unofficial watchdog of the Episcopal Church. The organization addresses both sexual and non-sexual abuse in the Episcopal Church and other faith communities.
SOURCE Anglican Watch
CONTACT: Eric Bonetti, 240-331-6977, eric@anglicanwatch.com