Privacy Expectations and Keeping God’s People Safe

Church is a space where support for private prayer, private reflection, and private conversation is to be expected. At the same time, maintaining safeguarding standards, which in the Episcopal Church we honor as Keeping God’s People Safe, is also expected. Keeping God’s People Safe is a program we use to demonstrate respect for the dignity of each person, one of our Baptismal commitments. One way this balance of safeguarding and privacy is maintained is the architectural choice to maintain windows in doors for offices and public spaces like the Chapel, the Library, and the Community Room. What is happening beyond the door is visible, but not necessarily audible. The audibility of events in the Community Room can be an exception, but for example private conversations when the Community Room is otherwise empty should not be audible when the hallway doors are closed. This balance of visibility and audibility using windows in doors serves moment by moment Sometimes there is a desire to look back though.

You may recall that items were taken from the Chapel in recent weeks by a neighbor experiencing apparently some kind of cognitive distortion, which led to a police investigation. Reflecting upon that circumstance has led to the decision that security cameras will be installed in the Chapel and other areas of the St. Michael’s premises. This applies to areas that are already visible by windows in doorways. The idea is to potentially have a visible recording in the event of another unfortunate incident. The focus is upon maintaining visible information, while keeping the audible content of private prayer, spiritual guidance, or inter-personal conversation private.

Deacon Tim