Dear Friends in Christ,
The Diocesan Council has approved the Safe Church, Safe Communities Policy (formerly known as Safeguarding) to be used in The Diocese of West Missouri effective immediately. This policy contains the new screening and training protocols for our churches and organizations which can be found in Appendix A on pg. 28. A copy of the document can be found on our website.
Why do we need this document? Why have we put this together? The Diocese of West Missouri, along with all dioceses in The Episcopal Church is committed to providing a safe environment in which each person is respected, valued and honored as one who has been created in the image and likeness of God. As people of faith and members of the Church we are called to embody and advance God’s mission by living our lives in ways that reflect the Gospel teachings of Jesus and are consistent with the vows made in our baptismal covenant to seek and serve Christ in all people and to respect the dignity of every human being. As such the Diocese is committed to the prevention, reporting and addressing of abuse or neglect of any kind.
I am grateful to Mrs. Elaine Gilligan, Fr. David Wilcox and Canon Mark Galus for their work on this document.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Elaine, Fr. David, or myself.
