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 come into 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. Please visit the other pages in this section to learn more about this.
Safe Church Safe Communities Training
Who is required to take this training?
For a comprehensive list, click here.
- All Employees
- Youth group directors
- Sunday school directors
- Lay Eucharistic Visitors and anyone going into someone’s home in any role related to the church
- Worship leaders
- All Volunteers
How often does this training need to be renewed?
“Safe Church Safe Communities” training is required by the Episcopal Church every three years. In 2019 California initiated a form of sexual harassment training which will be required biannually effective December 31, 2020. Praesidium, who manages our “Safe Church Safe Communities” curriculum, has developed a training tool that complies with the California state employment law to assist with compliance of this new requirement. While the California requirement is biannual, the church still requires the Safeguarding God’s People training be renewed every three years. We encourage all our churches to have their employees and volunteers complete the new sexual harassment training. Once you have completed the training, you are asked to notify your congregation administrator who will then notify the Diocesan Registrar, Alyson Terry.
If you are unsure about your renewal date, please contact Registrar Alyson Terry, 619-481-5455. We are pleased to offer this important training online at no cost.
To Enroll
- Go to https://www.praesidiumacademy.com/redeem
- Fill in your contact information including First Name, Last Name, Email Address, and desired Password.
- Enter the appropriate registration code for your organization (click here to find yours).
- Click Validate to confirm registration code.
- Click the checkbox to agree to the Terms & Conditions.
- Click Redeem.
- Write down your user login and password for future reference.
- Answer the Registration Questions about your status and role within the organization.
- Click Save & Continue.
- To begin taking training immediately, scroll down and click a course to start the content.
Submit Proof of Training to the Diocese
- Sign in to your Praesidium Academy profile using the following link: https://www.praesidiumacademy.com
- Click the drop down arrow in the upper left corner next to your name and select Transcript.
- Select Print Transcript in the upper left corner of your screen.
- Submit your Praesidium Academy transcript to the Registrar online by clicking HERE.
You may also email your transcript to Registrar, Alyson Terry aterry@edsd.org
