Protection Policies for Minors and Vulnerable Adults
Below are resources provided through The United Methodist Church and the Virginia Conference for protection policies for minors and vulnerable adults. God calls us to make our churches safe places, protecting children and other vulnerable persons from abuse. We are also called to make off-site venues or activities as safe as possible.
We would like to recommend that churches purchase the book Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust Within Faith Communities. This updated resource is available for purchase on Amazon, Cokesbury, and The Upper Room.
Child/Youth/At-Risk Adult Protection Policy (implemented by the Virginia Conference) – pdf
Background Checks
Contact the Safe Gatherings team at contact@SafeGatherings.com or 888.241.8258 to provide the contact information for your church or group.
Contact the ScreeningOne VAUMC representative, Paul Craddock, at (919) 533-5005 or Paul.Craddock@screeningone.com for more information.
Background Screening Release Form (implemented by the Virginia Conference) – pdf
Safer Sanctuaries Trainers
Below is a list of people who might be available to lead Safer Sanctuaries training in your church. Local Churches resourcing trainers will provide compensation for travel and offer an honorarium for their training services.
Coastal Virginia: Teresa Woodworth (teresawoodworth@vaumc.org)
Living Waters: Tim Beck (timbeck@vaumc.org), Terri Rosser (terrirosser@vaumc.org), Glenn Riggs (glennriggs@vaumc.org), Carrie Moffitt (carriemoffitt@vaumc.org)
Mission Rivers: Cecelia Short (dr.cshort@gmail.com), Cindy Banek (banek1@cox.net)
Mountain View: Andrew LaBar-Dietz (andrewlabardietz@vaumc.org)
Northern Virginia: Kelly Crespin (kcrespin@florisumc.org), Ruth Anne Luckenbaugh (raluckenbaugh@stmatthewsumc.org), Darlene Runaldue (drunaldue@wesleyvienna.org)
Shenandoah River: Jed Markwood (jed@braddockstreetumc.org)
Three Notch’d:
Valley Ridge: Debbie Brown (debbieb@gmumc.org)
Conference Staff: Dwayne Stinson (dwaynestinson@vaumc.org), Hannah Bryn (hannahbryn@vaumc.org), and Jason Stanley (jasonstanley@vaumc.org)