Safe Church

RNOTE: The Diocese has assembled additional best practices for safe church during COVID-19. Please take a moment to review.

Safe Church training is designed to increase awareness regarding sexual misconduct and abuse of power, to outline steps toward preventing abuse, to offer ways to intervene when misconduct occurs and to equip anyone in a position of parish leadership with ways of healing and rebuilding the body of Christ.

The training is required of all clergy and diocesan employees. It is also intended for wardens, vestry members, lay Eucharistic visitors, pastoral visitors, youth leaders, confirmation sponsors, acolyte leaders, choir directors, church school teachers, volunteers working in the parish on a regular basis and all employees of congregations.

The online Safe Church, Level I, training can be accessed below. Please contact your congregation's online Safe Church administrator or your local church office if you need a user name and/or password. If you have further questions regarding the online training, please contact Amy Campbell (919-834-7474, ext. 5404).

The Diocese offers at least one free Safe Church, Level II training per convocation, per year. Individual congregations (or other associated organizations) throughout the Diocese may schedule additional trainings through Amy Campbell at a cost of $10/participant with a minimum of 15 participants required. All trainings, both by convocation and at the congregational level, may be lead only by those who are certified as Safe Church trainers in the Diocese of North Carolina, and must be scheduled through the Diocesan office by contacting Amy Campbell.

Read the diocesan policy on misconduct prevention training.

Read the diocesan youth ministry department's "Best Practices for Safe Church: Policy, Procedures & Resources."

SAFE CHURCH TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

The Diocese has two levels of training to help provide the information and understanding required to work on the parish level. Employees and volunteers who work in the church will be required to attend Safe Church Training as follows:

• Level I: Online training (1.5 hours)
  
  Sign-in to Level I training. Please contact your congregation's online Safe Church administrator or your local church office if you need a new user name and/or password.
  
  Online training is required for (but not limited to) any adults volunteering with minors fewer than four (4) hours per month, such as all Sunday school teachers, nursery volunteers and volunteers working with a partner fewer than three times per month. This training should be renewed online every year. A best practice recommendation is that after two (2) years a volunteer take the Level II training. Parish Safeguarding Managers and/or Diocesan Safeguarding Managers have access (through the administrative tool) to completion information. Individuals may print a completion certificate directly from the first page of the online site.

• Level II: Classroom training (3 hours)
  In-person training is required for (but not limited to) all clergy serving in the Diocese, diocesan employees, church employees, anyone who works with minors more than four (4) hours per month and who has responsibility for minors overnight or off-site, (e.g. youth leaders and youth volunteers), Lay Eucharistic Visitors, Stephen Ministers, tutors, pastoral visitors and those who visit the sick, elderly or those in prison on behalf of the church. It is also recommended as a best practice for Vestry members.
  
  Training is provided through the Diocese by certified trainers. This course must be renewed every three years. The Diocese will keep records of those who have completed Level II training, and a certificate may be provided upon request.

If you require clarification on which class you need to take, please contact Canon Catherine Massey.

UPCOMING SAFE CHURCH LEVEL II TRAININGS

April 19, 7-9 p.m., via Zoom - Register
May 19, 1-3 p.m., via Zoom - Register
August 17, 1-2:45 p.m., via Zoom - Register
August 24, 7-8:45 p.m., via Zoom - Register
August 31, 10-11:45 a.m., via Zoom - Register
September 11, 10-11:45 a.m., via Zoom - Register

CONTACT

Contact Amy Campbell to schedule Safe Church Training events or for more information.

Resources for those certified by the Diocese as Safe Church trainers.