As people who stand before God and one another and declare that we will, in the words of our Baptismal Covenant, “respect the dignity of every human being,” we rightly and publicly set the bar as high as it can be set.  As we continue to strive for that high bar, we need some tools to assist us. In addition to the canons of the church, policies and guidelines, we provide training in prevention of harassment and abuse in the workplace and worshipping communities.

Sexual Exploitation and Harassment Prevention is a diocesan requirement for anyone in a pastoral or one-on-one situation, such as Eucharistic Visitor or Pastoral Caregiver. This training includes guidelines for the prevention of misconduct in all pastoral relationships.  It covers healthy boundaries; high risk situations; the abuse of power; accountability; ethical and theological concerns; and diocesan policies and procedures, to ensure safety in our congregations.

Safeguarding God’s Children is a training program in sexual abuse awareness for clergy, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, vestry members, and others who work with minors in our churches. This training covers prevention, detection and reporting guidelines, and was created in response to General Convention Resolution B008.

The Whitaker School implements these national prevention programs on behalf of the Diocese of Michigan.