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New Protect My Ministry Instructions

Instructions for the newer version of the Protect My Ministry integration with MinistryPlatform.

Attention: These are the instructions for the new Protect My Ministry background check integration. We recommend using these instructions as Protect My Ministry will soon move to a new version. If you have not migrated to the new Protect My Ministry integration, you'll find the previous integration instructions here.

Portal Customers: Use these instructions when transitioning from the Portal.

Warning: You CANNOT use the old Protect My Ministry integration and the new Protect My Ministry integration at the same time. You must first complete applications submitted from the old form before you sign up to use the new Protect My Ministry integration.

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.