All members of the clergy who are canonically resident or licensed in the Diocese of Texas must be certified in Safeguarding God’s Children (SGC) and Safeguarding God’s People (SGP) if they are active in ministry, whether stipendiary or non-stipendiary. Danielle Tatro of the EDOT Wellness and Care Team initiates all clergy certifications and recertifications in the Safeguarding Records System. She also sends out reminders to members of the clergy when certifications are expiring and recertification is required.
SGC certification for members of the clergy is required within the first 30 days of ministry start date and every five years thereafter. Certification involves a Criminal Background Check and a live training. Criminal Background Checks are managed by Millie Longoria in the Houston Diocesan Office. The required SGC training is not clergy specific and may be taken anywhere in the diocese that SGC training is offered in person or on a virtual platform by an authorized Trainer. Recertification requires a new Criminal Background Check and additional training. If the recertification process is begun before certification expires, the training requirement can be met by watching videos online.
SGP certification is required within 90 days of ministry start date and every five years thereafter. This training is clergy specific and is facilitated by the Rev. Canon Lisa S. Burns, Canon for Wellness and Pastoral Care and Safeguarding Minister. The clergy version of SGP training includes a review of Title IV and the training required for certification in Safeguarding God’s People in the Workplace (SGP-H).
Contact Danielle Tatro if you have questions about certification or registration for a training.
