A050 Funding for Safe Church Training
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That this 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church commits itself to the financial support of developing and maintaining safe church training materials to reflect the Model Policies for the Protection of Children and Youth, and Model Policies for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults approved in 2017, and the prevention of sexual misconduct, to be developed during the next triennium, to advance clergy wellness and reduce liability, with costs to be shared equally by the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society [DFMS], and the Church Pension Group [CPG]; and be it further
Resolved, That the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance provide a budget allocation for half the cost, $245,000 and directs the Church Pension Group [CPG] to provide the matching $245,000 to provide safe church training materials to implement the Model Policies.
Explanation
An updated, easily accessible safe church training program is essential for the effective implementation of and compliance with the Model Policies for the Protection of Children and Youth, and Model Policies for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults as approved in 2017. Such safe church training programs will also support the reduction of liability, enhancement of wellness of clergy and laity, and furtherance of all members’ ability to more fully live out their Baptismal Covenant. Safe church training materials will consist of written and web-based training materials that include responsive and multilingual online web-based resources, a modern content management system and a curated resource list. The Model Policies set out Universal Training accessible to all congregants and ministry participants that fosters a culture of safety and inclusion for all people, and Specialized Training consisting of discrete modules on topics directly related to ministry roles and functions. The Task Force created a detailed report of these anticipated costs which was provided to the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance in April 2017.