The Church must be a safe place for all people—a place of respect, trust, and caring.

Through baptism we share a common life of faith — a life of service and servanthood, a life characterized by love and faithfulness. This commitment is rooted in our baptismal covenant, which calls us to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.

Episcopal Church safeguarding policies bring this covenant to life by establishing clear standards to protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults from abuse, sexual exploitation, and harassment. The Episcopal Church in Europe requires all ministers, lay and ordained, to uphold the highest ethical and moral standards, especially in ministries involving those most at risk.  

For any Christian to betray that trust through the grave ethical transgression of sexual misconduct toward another person, whether child or adult, is to deny one’s own Christian identity. Our understanding of such misconduct must be framed within the context of our faith and what it means to be a sexual person living by the Christian faith as a servant in the church.

To support this commitment, the Convocation offers resources through the Episcopal Church’s Safe Church program in order to ensure that every person’s dignity is respected and protected. Free online training using the curriculum “Safeguarding Our Children” is now available for use by congregations in the Convocation. For more information regarding Safeguarding programs, please contact the Convocation office.

Special Note: The Statute of Limitations for Clergy Sexual Misconduct Allegations Suspended for Three Years – see details here.