Being a Safe Church

All people in the diocese who engage or oversee pastoral relationships must do the following:

  1. familiarize themselves with the diocesan Safe Church policies;

  2. complete Safe Church training every three years online; and

  3. submit to a background check every three years.

Safe Church Policies

Each congregation should have one person (Safe Church administrator) who is in charge of ensuring that the congregation is in compliance with these policies. Contact Randall Curtis in the diocesan office if you are unsure of who your Safe Church administrator is. 

Trainings

The Diocese of Arkansas currently offers Safe Church training online through Praesidium Academy.

Each congregation will have its own log-in for the training system, set up by a Safe Church administrator from that congregation. If you are not sure whether your congregation already has an account or who your administrator is, please contact Randall Curtis at rcurtis@episcopalarkansas.org.

To determine which classes you or your church's employees and volunteers need to take, click the button below and consult the simplified for each person.

If your congregation would like to do in-person trainings, they can go through the online training together as a group. Please contact Randall Curtis to record the group training.

Background Checks

The Diocese of Arkansas has authorized Praesidium and Oxford Documentation as preferred background screening services. If a person has completed a background check with another organization in the past three years and can supply official documentation, that background check may be considered.

To open a Background checking system for your congregation please check the “more info” button below.

Please contact Randall Curtis with any questions.