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Integrations

Protect My Ministry

Note: This integration may require setup by our Support team. Review the information in this topic to make sure you provide the appropriate details.

Managing Background Checks

To manage Background Checks, see Background Checks.

Cost

There is no charge from ACS Technologies for configuring the integration.

Fees from Protect My Ministry are assessed as per each church's individual contract agreement.

Supported Packages

This is the complete list of supported packages:
  • Essential - This package includes One County Auto with Smart Search and Plus County.
  • Preferred - This package includes Auto County 7 Years with Smart Search.
  • Premier - This package includes unlimited counties and federal districts.
Attention: Unless you have the Essential package, you must use the Enterprise paid version of Bing to process background checks with county searching. The free version of Bing is no longer supported. When you're ready to switch, you can sign up with Microsoft Azure to continue using this service. For more information, see this topic.

Custom Packages

Custom packages may be added by Protect My Ministry on a customer-by-customer basis. Please make your request to Protect My Ministry to get your custom package name. Then, if you're using the new version, the tool will check your packages in Protect My Ministry and add any new ones for you under Lookup Values > Background Check Types. If you're still using the previous version, email Support with your custom package name to add the package to your system.

See Also

If you have an existing integration and want to:
  • Add or change packages, reach out to Protect My Ministry. If you're using the previous version, you'll then need to contact Support to add the package to your system. If you're using the new version, the tool will automatically add new packages under Lookup Values > Background Check Types.
  • Take advantage of the download and attach feature for future checks, reach out to Support. (Retroactive download and attach is also available upon request.)

Step 1: Integration Sign-up

To use MinistryPlatform to submit Background Checks to Protect My Ministry, you must complete this step even if you already use Protect My Ministry.
  1. Complete the Integration Sign-up Form. There will be a question during the process that asks if you are a current Protect My Ministry customer. If you have an existing account, it links to this new one, so you have one account and invoice.
  2. Your account will be configured with three standard Protect My Ministry packages. These packages will be added to MinistryPlatform under Lookup Values > Background Check Types when you launch the Background Check tool.
    Note: You can toggle off any packages you do not need in your menu through the Protect My Ministry portal. There should be no change to your pricing unless you upgrade to a more comprehensive package.
    A Protect My Ministry representative will contact you once they receive your sign up to review your existing package, confirm if you need any changes, and let you know the new name.

Step 1b: Adjudication (Optional)

Work with Protect My Ministry to set up adjudication:

  • Adjudication is church-specific criteria to automatically mark a Background Check clear.
  • Adjudication is global for the church and applies to all submitted Background Checks.
  • If you configure adjudication with Protect My Ministry and:
    • If the background check record returns:
      • Clear: The Background Check record in the Platform will have All Clear set to Yes.
      • Need More Info / Not Clear: The Background Check record in the Platform will have All Clear set to Undefined to allow for human review and assessment.
  • Submit a ticket to compliance@protectmyministry.com requesting to add risk assessment to your account and mention that you use MinistryPlatform terms Clear or Needs Review.

Step 2: Prepare MinistryPlatform

  1. In the navigation menu, click Administration > Configuration Settings.
  2. Update your Protect My Ministry credentials:
    • COMMON, BackgroundCheckProvider: Enter "PMM"
    • COMMON, BackgroundCheckOrderUrl: Use "https://horizon-api-prod.protection-services.com/api/v2/invitation/send"
    • COMMON, BackgroundCheckPackageUrl: Use "https://horizon-api-prod.protection-services.com/api/v2/invitation/packages"
    • TOOLS, BackgroundCheckPassedVerbiage: Make sure this is set to "Clear"
    • COMMON, BackgroundCheckEmailTemplateUrl: Use "https://horizon-api-prod.protection-services.com/api/v2/invitation/email-templates"
    • COMMON, BackgroundCheckApiKey: Protect My Ministry provides this value
    • COMMON, BackgroundCheckUsername: Leave this configuration setting blank
    • COMMON, BackgroundCheckPassword: Leave this configuration setting blank
    • TOOLS, BackgroundCheckCallbackUsername: Leave this configuration setting blank
    • TOOLS, BackgroundCheckCallbackPassword: Leave this configuration setting blank

Step 4: Test Submission

Create a test submission to ensure the integration works as currently configured.

Note: Tests will still incur charges from Protect My Ministry. MinistryPlatform does not have a testing database for customers to test submissions for free. Once you submit the form online, the order is submitted and you will be charged. MinistryPlatform cannot cancel test submissions and credit you for the cost. We apologize for any inconvenience.
  1. Select a Contact. For testing purposes, it is best to use a real person, such as yourself.
  2. Click Tools > Background Chek (New) to launch the Background Check tool.
    When you open the tool, it checks Protect My Ministry to see which packages you have. Any new packages are automatically added to Platform under Lookup Values > Background Check Types.
  3. Create a Background Check.
  4. Click Fill Out Form to view the form.
  5. Complete and submit the form.

You should receive an acknowledgment on the form page that you submitted it successfully. If any steps fail, contact Support.

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Last updated: January 22, 2026