Safe Church Training

A Message from The Right Reverend E. Mark Stevenson:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” John 13:34.

At our baptism, we made vows to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to respect the dignity of every human being. As we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we strive to love others as Jesus himself does. Because of the depth of our commitment to living the way of love, we in the Diocese of Virginia require that all clergy, lay leaders, staff, and volunteers be trained in the awareness and prevention of sexual misconduct against children, youth, and adults. We also require that those who have already been trained renew and refresh their training at least every three years. May this training be a blessing to you as you continue in ministry to and with children, youth, and adults in this diocese and beyond.

Faithfully yours,

The Rt. Rev’d E. Mark Stevenson

Bishop of Virginia

Getting Started

Instructions for Creating a new Safe Church Training account (First-time):

To Enroll in the Safe Church Training (Create an Account):

1. Go to https://www.praesidiumacademy.com/redeem
2. Create a new account: Fill in your contact information including First Name, Last Name, Email Address, and desired Password.
3. Enter the appropriate registration code for your Church – Click the link below for registration codes:

Diocese of Virginia Church Registration Codes

4. Click Validate to confirm registration code.
5. Click the checkbox to agree to the Terms & Conditions.
6. Click Redeem.
7. Write down your user login and password for future reference.
8. Answer the Registration Questions about your status and role within the organization.
9. Click Save & Continue.
10. To begin taking training immediately, scroll down and click a course to start the content.

Instructions for Sign-in to your Safe Church Training account (current account):

Sign into Praesidium Website:  https://www.praesidiumacademy.com/  in order to begin the training modules.

Please “Sign In” in the upper right corner using your user login and password.

Required Safe Church, Safe Communities Modules

• Complete the Diocesan required Safe Church, Safe Communities modules based on your ministry role.
• Each module should take about 30 minutes to complete.
• The Safe Church Training modules need to be completed every 3 years.
• A transcript of your completed modules is accessible in your Praesidium account.

Safe Church Transcript

Once you have completed your Safe Church training online, you can print the transcript via the online portal. You should keep a copy for yourself and give a copy to your church which will be kept on file in their Church records.

To find your transcript:

Once you have signed in, click on the down arrow in the right-hand corner next to your name:

It should show the following information on the dropdown listing below:

• Profile
• Account
• Transcript
• Support
• Sign Out

Click on “Transcript“, then you can print or export your transcript.

For More Information and Resources:

Social Media Guidelines

• Safe Church Social Media Guidelines

Reporting & Response

• Form for Reporting Suspected Child Sexual Abuse or Misconduct
• Congregational Healing and Response
• Policy and Covenant for Congregations: Safe Church Practices for Welcoming Registered Sex Offenders

Contact Information for any additional questions regarding Misconduct Prevention Training and Background Checks:

Gloria Parham, Administrative Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary 

Email address:       gparham@episcopalvirginia.org 

Phone Number:     804-622-3189