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The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee -

Safe Church, Safe Communities

We’re Working to Build a Safer Future

The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee is committed to protecting each child of God. Sexual misconduct on the part of any clergy person, employee, or volunteer of any congregation, school, or diocesan affiliated organization violates the mission of the Church, is prohibited and will not be tolerated. The Safe Church, Safe Communities courses teach how exploitation and harassment occur, the awareness we need to prevent such occurrences, and how to respond, should an incident of exploitation or harassment occur. We strongly encourage each person in the church take Safe Church, Safe Communities.

   

Policies and Procedures

Please note: All parishes should have a hard copy of the policies and forms.

Additional Resources

Forms

 

 

How to Complete Your Training

 

 

Starting January 1, 2023, each church is responsible for assisting parishioners with creating their Praesidium Training accounts. Please contact your parish’s Safe Church Coordinator for assistance. Not sure who your Parish Safe Church Coordinator is? Find out here.

Please note: If you already have taken online training, please visit www.praesidiumacademy.com/learn to log into your account.

 

 

FAQ

Who is required to go through training?

Anyone who serves in our churches, schools, or camps as a volunteer or paid worker. This includes but is not limited to clergy, youth and children’s ministers, vestry members, key holders, lay leaders, all paid church staff, and summer/day camp workers/volunteers.

How long does the training take?

Safe Church, Safe Communities training ranges from 2 to 3.5 hours, depending on which courses are required for your role.

I just took both of the Safeguarding courses. Do I need to retake Safe Church, Safe Communities?

No, your Safeguarding God’s Children and Safeguarding God’s People certification is valid for three years. When your certificate expires, you will take Safe Church, Safe Communities. However, if you want to take these new courses anyway, please go ahead!

I took the training in 1998. Haven’t I already been trained?

If it has been more than three years since going through the training, you will need to take the training again.

How often do I need to go through the training?

Each person must take Safe Church, Safe Communities training every three years.

The policies I have say that I must take in-person training first, but I don’t see any in-person training available?

Starting September 1, 2022, our diocese moved to solely online training. We have re-written our diocesan policies to reflect this change. Please make sure that you are referencing the most recent version of our policies. Policies and Procedures for the Protection of Children, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults can be found HERE.

How do I get an online account?

Each parish should have someone who serves at the “Parish Safe Church Coordinator.” This person will either create your account for you or share a code with you so you can create your own account.

What do I do after I’ve finished my online courses?

Please share your transcript with your parish’s Safe Church coordinator.

You can print your transcript by:

  1. Click the grey circle with your initials in it on the top right-hand corner in your Praesidium account.
  2. Click “Transcript”
  3. Click “Print Transcript”

Which courses do I take online?

The courses you are required to take depend on your role in the church. Please view this chart to see which courses you should take.

How do I find the courses I’m required to take when I’m on Praesidium Academy?

The easiest way to find the courses you are looking for is by typing a keyword from the title of the course into the search bar. You will find the search bar under Bishop Brian’s message and the “My Learning” box.

 

 

 

Safe Church Coordinator Resources