Our Commitment to a Safe Church Environment

Clergy, Grace employees, lay leaders, and volunteers are all required to complete the Safe Church Safe Communities training in order to prevent misconduct.


The community has certain expectations of the Church and those who work for it. They believe that the church is, and ought to be, a place where they and their families can be completely safe in moments of deepest faith and in times of vulnerability and stress. They also believe that people who have chosen to work for the church do so out of a particular commitment to God and to the Christian way of life, and they trust those persons to act in accordance with Christian principles. When Church workers act inappropriately, they hurt those the church is called to serve, damage the Church as an institution, give rise to scandal, and alienate others from God.


For reasons of both professional ethics and Christian theology, sexual misconduct by members of the clergy is especially damaging. The cleric’s profession is teaching the Word of God and helping others establish a right relationship with God. Clergy take a vow at ordination to pattern their lives after the teachings of Christ, so that they may be a wholesome example to the people of God. Clergy who abuse the power and authority of their office by becoming sexually involved with people who are vulnerable to abuse or who are in their professional care betray their vows and their calling. They betray their victims and the Church as a whole.


The Church condemns sexual misconduct by clergy and other church workers in the strongest terms, and we have clear rules that define what it is and how it will be punished.


To report misconduct, please visit: edsd.org/safe-church-safe-communities/reporting-misconduct/


Safe Church Safe Communities Training


Safe Church training is required every three years. Who is required to take this training?


Leadership

  • Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Retired Clergy, Postulants, Seminarians. 
  • All paid church, school, camp, and diocesan staff. 
  • Youth group directors
  • Sunday school directors


To enroll, follow the instructions found here.


Lay Volunteers  

  • children’s ministry volunteers – Sunday School Director, Children’s Choir Director, Sunday School Teachers, Sunday School Assistants, Nursery Volunteers  
  • youth volunteers – Youth Minister, Youth Choir director, Acolyte Leader/Mentor, Camp Counselor, Youth Group Leader, Counselor-in-Training, Teenage Volunteers, Confirmation Mentor, Day Camp Volunteers, Vacation Bible School Volunteers 
  • Elected Positions – Treasurer, Vestry, Wardens, Convention Delegates 
  • Lay Leadership – Eucharistic Visitors, Pastoral Care Team, Small Group Leaders, Catechist, Preacher, Evangelist.

 

To enroll, follow the instructions found here.


Once you complete your training, please give a copy of your transcript to the office. If you do the online course, please give a copy of your transcripts to the office. To download your transcript, click on your name in the upper right corner. Then click on "Transcript." Click on "Export Transcript CSV" which will save it in your download folder. Send that file to the office.


Periodically, the Diocese does in-person training. They will be announced in Grace Notes. If you attend this training, please give a copy of your certificate to the office.