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2015 Ethical Education Training Opportunities
A Message from RMC Ethical Education Task Force Chair, Rev. Steve Easterday-McPadden, July 2015
Dear Colleagues in Ministry in the Rocky Mountain Conference,
This webpage has several different links that take you to specific content areas in which you may be interested:
- If you want to know about currently scheduled EETF workshops across the RMC, click here.
- If you want to know about Hosting and Facilitating an EETF workshop at your church or ministry setting, click here.
- If you want to know about the Conference Standard Policy on Safe Sanctuary and related resources, click here.
- If you want to know about the history of the Ethical Education Task Force and its charge, click here.
2012-2016 Quadrennium Workshops / Training Opportunities
The Schedule for EETF workshops offered in the 2012-2016 quadrennium is as contained in this document: 2015 EETF Workshop Schedule UPDATED!
If you see a workshop you would like to attend, please take the following actions:
- Get in touch with the “Contact” person listed at the Host Site to register and learn about any logistical particularities for that workshop.
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Download the following files, and read through them well ahead of time to be prepared on the day of the workshop.
- Detailed Overview for Participants - Ethical Education Training
- Supplementary Material for Segment 1
- Supplementary Material for Segment 2
- Supplementary Material for Segments 3 and 4
- Supplementary Material for Segment 5
- Supplementary Material for Segment 6
- Attend with the intentions of sharing, learning, listening, and having a good time doing so!
CLERGY ONLY: Please go to this link: safegatherings.com, select “GET STARTED” in the upper right corner of the Safe Gatherings homepage, and complete the application. If you are a District Superintendent or on another form of Extension Ministry appointment, please select “Greenwood Village” at the City prompt, skip the District, and select “Rocky Mountain Conference” at the Church prompt. When you have completed the Ethical Education workshop, the Safe Gatherings administrator will update your application with that information, and you’ll be notified of your application’s completion. This will serve as your documentation of having met the Annual Conference requirements for quadrennial Ethical Education training. If you encounter problems, please email Steve Easterday-McPadden at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
If your church or ministry setting would like to host and/or serve as a facilitator for a workshop, please do the following:
- Read this document to familiarize yourself with the details of providing this necessary and appreciated service to the Conference: Host Site Letter and Facilitator Instructions NEW
- Contact Candace Gordon at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to set a preliminary date, receive the necessary workshop DVD, and coordinate with your District Superintendent and District Office re: communicating this event in your District.
Facilitator Documents
If you are interested in being a Facilitator of an EETF workshop, please download these files and contact Candace Gordon at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss the process.
- 01 Detailed Table of Contents for Ethical Education Training
- 02 Participant Registration Form
- 03 Certificate of Completion
- 04 Evaluation Form
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Conference Safe Sanctuary Policy and Documentation
- Title Page and Overview for Rocky Mountain Conference Safe Sanctuary Policy (PDF)
- Rocky Mountain Conference Safe Sanctuary Policy (PDF)
- Rocky Mountain Conference Safe Sanctuary Policy - Legal Issues (PDF)
- Safe Sanctuary Policy Sample Forms (PDF)
- Safe Sanctuary Policy Supporting Documents (PDF)
- Model of Local Church Safe Sanctuary Policy including Safe Practices (PDF)
- Survey of State Child Protection Laws (PDF)
The Ethical Education Task Force, or EETF, currently chaired by Rev. Steve Easterday-McPadden, was established to address the prevention of violations of the sacred trust of ministry through developing and offering relevant educational workshops in each District to keep the subject of appropriate ministerial relationships before the clergy and lay ministry leaders of the Conference. The scope of the workshops has been expanded over time to include topics related to “Safe Sanctuaries” (the protection of children, youth, and vulnerable adults – and those who work with these persons) and the proper use of Social Media and Church Technology. Since the work of the EETF is associated with ongoing formation of clergy and laity and the healthy practice of ministry, it is supervised by and accountable to the Board of Ordained Ministry.
The work of the EETF is established by legislative action of the RMC. The legislative history is documented in the Journals of the Rocky Mountain Conference; however, the foundational piece of legislation is Petition AC07-1999 “Conference Church Ethics and Sexual Misconduct Prevention Training”, which established the requirement that all RMC clergy under appointment by the Bishop or assignment by a District Superintendent attend Ethics and Sexual Misconduct Prevention Training “once every four years”.
With the passage of Petition AC12-2009, the requirements for Ethical Education for clergy serving under appointment in the RMC changed from "once every four years" to "once per quadrennium", with quadrennium being defined by the 4-year period between General Conferences. (Technically, it's the 4-year period marked out by our Annual Conference sessions following a General Conference.)
The significance of this is that the Ethical Education Task Force no longer has to offer workshops every year. Under the old rule, some group of us were faced with falling out of compliance every year depending upon when we last participated in a workshop. Under the new rule, as long as we get our training in any time within the quadrennium, we are in compliance.
Taking advantage of the 2009 rule, the EETF undertook in 2013 and 2014 a complete revision of the 2008-2012 Ethical Education workshop curriculum with the goals being:
- More discussion than “lecture” along with greater interaction among participants
- More consistent quality among workshops and workshop leaders,
- Less hassle (and expense) with the procurement of materials for the workshops, and
- Less administrative overhead for EETF members and District Administrative Assistants.
In our Internet-age, with the emphasis on so much work taking place online, we remain committed to the value of having face-to-face workshops and will not be going to an online, "read-and-take-the-quiz" format. The RMC Cabinet and the EETF feel that there is great value in discussing ethics and best practices in ministry where we learn from each other's experiences and not just listen to a presentation on the subject.
I would like to thank those on the EETF this quadrennium for their strong participation and invaluable contributions to our work: Rev. Dr. Andy Dunning, Rev. Linda Cheek, Rev. Dr. Val Jackson, Candace Gordon, Chris Wilterdink, Rev. Don Sperber, and Rev. Amy Strader. This work could not have been completed without them.
God’s blessings to you all in the year ahead. I hope you find the new EETF workshop valuable, enjoyable, and helpful in keeping your ministry settings places that are safe and healthy for all and that glorify God in Jesus Christ, whose disciples we are and are becoming moment by moment that the world might be transformed!
Rev. Steve Easterday-McPadden, Chair
RMC Ethical Education Task Force