In 2002 he was elected as primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) in succession to Louis Falk.
Hepworth was involved in a process to create an Australian ordinariate for former Anglicans in the Roman Catholic Church.
They also voted to accept Hepworth's already announced resignation as TAC primate with immediate effect.
[9] Hepworth was formerly heard regularly on Adelaide's 5AA radio station where he acted as a political commentator on the conservative Leon Byner Show.
He has alleged that he was raped on numerous occasions by three priests during his seminary studies[11] and that the Catholic Church had failed to follow due process.
Two days before his death he was reconciled to the Roman Catholic Church and also recognised as a priest in good standing.