Introduction
“The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” (I John 4:21). Safe Church training is one way the Diocese of New York seeks to fulfill this pastoral mandate to care for God’s people. The Diocese uses an online curriculum facilitated by Praesidium Academy to provide the knowledge and expertise needed to nurture welcoming and safe communities.
Local Responsibility for Safe Church
Establishing a requirement to attend Safe Church training as a condition of volunteering or employment is the responsibility of each parish or organization.
Each parish or organization should appoint a Safe Church Administrator to oversee the training and ensure compliance with its requirements.
To appoint a Safe Church Administrator, the Rector, Priest in Charge, or Warden should email safechurchinfo@dioceseny.org, designating a specific person.
Anyone interested in Safe Church training should first contact their local administrator.
The Administrator should be long-termly accountable for the parish or organization’s operations and be able to administer a web-based program.
The ideal candidate is someone from the administrative or clergy staff.
It is recommended that a statement about attendance requirements be added to each parish or organization’s written policies and communicated to every volunteer or employee before they begin work or service.
If your parish or organization does not have an Administrator or you have additional questions, contact the diocesan Safe Church Office at safechurchinfo@dioceseny.org.
Requirements & Expectations
The Diocese requires that the following complete Safe Church training:
- All Clergy Leaders
- All Children Ministers and Volunteers
- All Youth Ministers and Volunteers
- All Elected Officers
- All Key Holders
- All Lay Leaders
- All Church Staff
- All School Staff
The diocesan course requirements follow the recommendations established by the 2022 General Convention Taskforce.
Click here to determine which courses are required based on your ministry role.
The current guidelines require that the training be updated every three years.
A transcript of your completed courses is accessible in your Praesidium account.
Training Options
Please note that until further notice, all Safe Church training will be conducted online. We hope to offer an in-person option in the near future but that is still under design.
For More Information
If you have additional questions, contact the Diocesan Safe Church Office at safechurchinfo@dioceseny.org.
For technical support, contact Praesidium Academy directly at (800) 743 6354.