The Safe Church program provides training to both clergy and lay volunteers to ensure our churches are places of safety from the harm of misconduct that can occur in situations when there is an imbalance of power. Employees and Volunteers may not assume into their roles without the completition of Safechurch Training. Training is offered online through the Praesidium Academy training platform, which is used by all the dioceses in the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and the Yukon. Volunteers also have the option of attending in-person training at their parish every September with our Safe Church Training Video.

Criminal Record Checks are a requirement in the diocese for clergy, employees and lay volunteers. All employees are required to complete a Police Information Check with a Vulnerable Persons Sector check through their local police department. All volunteers will contact their parish safe church liaison to have CRCs completed through the online Criminal Records Review program with Public Safety.

For all resources including safe church liaison materials, youth programming forms, information on the duty to report or Praesidium module role assignments, please CLICK HERE.

Safe Church training is designed to:

  1. Ensure our parishes are places of safety and wholeness for those who come to us seeking the love of Christ.
  2. Ensure all our volunteers and employees are aware of their own personal safety and are equipped to manage their own personal risk.

Who is this training for?

  • clergy and paid parish staff
  • parish council members
  • wardens
  • choir director and/or organist and choral scholars
  • treasurer, envelope secretary and all others who handle money
  • children and youth workers, camp leaders and volunteers
  • honorary assistants
  • pastoral visitors
  • refugee volunteers
  • staff including admin, grounds and janitorial
  • volunteers at parish events
  • volunteers in leadership roles
  • social media assistants and tech support

Safe Church is required

Re-certification of Safe Church training and a new police information check or criminal record check are required every five years. Parishes are required to comply with Safe Church and to report to the synod annually through their parish’s safe church liaison. 

Questions?

For all questions relating to Safe Church training, please email safechurch@bc.anglican.ca.