Safe Church Training
As Christians, we live in a covenant relationship with God and with one another. Through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, we enter into a sacred covenant in which we pledge to live lives that “seek and serve Christ in all persons,” and to “respect the dignity of every human being.” Because incidents of violence, hatred, and sexual misconduct occur in our world, the Church must maintain ethical and moral standards that clearly communicate what is, and what is not, acceptable behavior on the part of those called to Church leadership. Pastoral leadership in the Christian Church is a calling that demands the highest standards of moral integrity and personal responsibility. Leadership is a gift of the Spirit that can be effectively exercised only in an environment of trust. Where there is no trust, there can be no community. Since trust is so fundamental to the well-being of the Christian community, Christian people have the right to expect that their leaders, both lay and ordained, understand and are committed to standards of behavior that are trustworthy.
Safe Church, Safe Communities (formerly known as Safeguarding God's People) training will help you to develop appropriate teaching, caring and mentoring relationships which are based in trust and the promises that we make in the Baptismal Covenant. This training will prepare you so that you can create relationships and environments where you can Make, Equip, and Send Mature Disciples.
Online Training
The online training platform known as Armatus Learn-to Protect relaunched as Praesidium Academy on July 14, 2021. All Armatus users active since 2017 should have received an invitation to complete their profile in the new platform. Please continue to use the form below to request an account for training; we will continue to use the online training system for all training purposes. For more information on Praesidium Academy, visit here.
Additionally, The Episcopal Church is releasing new online modules for training based on the model policies approved at the 79th General Convention; you can read more about the modules here. Please be patient as the Diocesan Staff works with TEC leaders to determine how to use these modules both online and in-person. Some content in the new modules may differ from our current diocesan policies.
Currently, Safe Church training needs to be renewed every 5 years. To complete training, please use the form below to request an online account. Once your account has been created, you will receive an email from Praesidium Academy with the training portal link and training instructions (this email sometimes gets filtered into 'Spam' or 'Junk' folders). If you have additional questions, you can reach Katelyn Kenney via email or at 803-771-7800 x105. Once you complete your training, you must send your record keeper and Katelyn Kenney a copy of your record of completion; a diocesan certificate can be generated upon request.
If you lose your invitation email, the platform URL is www.praesidiumacademy.com.
Thank you for requesting a Praesidium Academy online account! Please be patient as your request is processed. Once your account has been created, you will receive an email from Praesidium Academy with further instructions.Safe Church Certification Online Account Request
For Trainers
When you send the completed certificate applications and covenants to the Diocesan House, please include the sign-in sheet and ask that participants indicate if this is their first training.
For Parish Administrators
We ask for your patience as we work to process all incoming lay licensure applications. If you have an urgent circumstance, please contact Katelyn Kenney. We recommend that you make copies of the certificate applications and covenants for your own records, if possible. We know sometimes it's more convenient for individuals to attend a training at a location other than their parish, and we do our best to relay that information to you as soon as possible.
