1. I’m a Formula Partner minister and I would like to serve in a PC(USA) congregation in an "Orderly Exchange" under the Formula of Agreement. Can I file a Personal Information Form (PIF) through Church Leadership Connection (CLC)?
2. I’m a minister of another denomination, but would like to transfer into the PC(USA). Can I still file a PIF?
3. I’m a minister of another denomination and do not want to transfer into the PC(USA). Can I still file a PIF?
4. I’m not receiving my emails from CLC, what should I do?
5. I’m the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) Chairperson or Committee on Ministry
   (COM) Moderator, how do I get a copy of a minister’s PIF?
6. I forgot my password to access CLC, what should I do?
7. How do I update and make changes to my PIF?
8. How do I get a Log-in ID and Password?
9. How do I access "Opportunity Search"?
10. How long do the PIF and CIF remain in CLC?
11. Who performs matching?
12. When do I request a rematch?
13. Where can I request a list of Racial Ethnic ministers or Interim Pastors?
14. Is there a shorter version of the CIF for interim positions?
15. How do I send self-referrals of my PIF?
16. How do I update and make changes to the CIF?
17. Our housing allowance is included in the salary figure, but the CIF asks for cash salary only, which is separate from housing. How do we complete this section of the form?
18. Once the CIF has been approved, how long will it take before we receive PIF’s?

1. I’m a Formula Partner minister and I would like to serve in a PC(USA) congregation in an "Orderly Exchange" under the Formula of Agreement. Can I file a PIF through CLC?

As of November 1, 2003 there was a policy change effecting members of our Formula Partner denominations. The policy was changed in order to provide equity among denominations in the orderly exchange process. Ministers of Formula Partners can no longer use Church Leadership Connection, but may submit their denominational resume papers to the presbytery for consideration by the congregational pastor nomination committee. In the spirit of orderly exchange, they are advised not to contact congregations directly, but to work through the presbytery in which they wish to serve.

The Process for Orderly Exchange is:

• Contact your regional governing body for authorization to make yourself available for Orderly Exchange.
• Ministers must use the form of their own denomination.
• Contact a regional staff person of the partner church in the area you wish to serve and follow that church’s procedure.

According to Presbyterian polity, the Presbytery decides who shall be members and approve calls for service in congregations. Contact the presbytery office in the region you wish to serve. For contact information for presbytery offices, please call 1-888-728-7228 ext. 8550 or go to: our web page of Presbyterians and Synods listings.

2. I’m a minister of another denomination, but would like to transfer into the PC(USA). Can I still file a PIF?

Not until certain parts of the transfer process are completed. Ministers of other denominations who wish to become PC(USA) ministers must meet all the Book of Order requirements in G-11.0404 that says:

• Be an Ordained Minister;
• Have a Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited college or university and a Master of Divinity degree from a theological seminary acceptable to the presbytery of call;
• Pass PC(USA) Standard Ordination Exams;
• Have attestation of good standing by an authorized official from his or her present governing body.

Any waiver of these requirements is an "extraordinary circumstance" and can be made only by the calling presbytery with a 3/4 vote. Ministers of other Reformed churches ordained for 5 or more years only need a 2/3 vote.

If you have not already done so, you should contact your local PC(USA) presbytery to begin the transfer process. When you have passed all five of the Ordination Exams and the presbytery in which you are seeking membership approves, you may submit a PIF.
Transfer into the PC(USA) is finalized when:

• The transferring ministers has a call from a Presbyterian church;
• The transferring minister has been examined and approved by the presbytery of which the church is a part. They will be examined on: Christian faith, theology, and the system of government of PC(USA) and other subjects as deemed necessary;
• The transferring minister must answer the constitutional ordination questions in the affirmative;
• The transferring minister must be officially dismissed by their present governing body.

3. I’m a minister of another denomination and do not want to transfer into the PC(USA). Can I still file a PIF?

The CLC system is only used by PC(USA) ministers, candidates and lay professionals along with ministers of another denomination who are transferring into the PC(USA). All others should contact the presbytery in which they live and discuss the process for evaluating non-Presbyterians for position.

4. I’m not receiving my emails from CLC, what should I do?

First, check to see that your email address is correct on your PIF or CIF and correct if necessary. If you use ".aol" (and certain other Internet Service Providers[ISPs]), your emails may be blocked by anti-spam programming. Contact your ISP to see if any of these blocks apply. Of course, the problem may also be that the system is malfunctioning and the programmer is currently working to fix the problem. If the problem persists, contact a CLC consultant at 1-888-728-7228 ext. 8550 to report the problem.

5. I’m the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) Chairperson or Committee on Ministry (COM) Moderator, how do I get a copy of a minister’s PIF?

We instruct ministers to attach copies of their PIFs to emails or letters when they self-refer. If they did not attach a copy of their PIF, email (or call or write) the individual to request a copy. CLC only makes copies of PIFs available through the matching process or at the request of the Executive Presbyter.

6. I forgot my password to access CLC, what should I do?

If you are a minister, candidate, lay professional, Presbytery officer please contact a CLC consultant at 1-888-728-7228 ext. 8550 and they will assign a new one to you. If you are a Pastor Nominating Committee/Search Committee chair or moderator, or a clerk of session, please contact your presbytery Committee on Ministry Moderator or the Executive Presbyter and they will assign one to you.

7. How do I update and make changes to my PIF?

You are encouraged to update Part I (General Information) as many times as necessary in order to keep the contact information current. However, you can only make three changes per year on Part II (Detailed Information). A CLC consultant will make all other modifications at your request.

Here’s how to update the PIF:

• Click on "user ID" and fill in your professional Log-in ID and Password and click "submit."
• Click on "Update My General Information" (Part I.) Be sure to keep your address and phone numbers current at all times.
• To update Part II, click on "View/Print PIF:/Update PIF Part II. "
• Under the "action" column click on "Update."
• Use your tab key or mouse pointer to go from field to field.
• Click "update form." A message is shown that your PIF is updated. If your PIF is not complete, another message is shown. Use the browser’s back button to return to the previous screen, complete and click "submit" again.

8. How do I get a Log-in ID and Password?

If you are minister, candidate or lay professional – After you submit Part I of your PIF along with the email address, the system with automatically assign you a Log-in ID and initial Password.

If you are the COM, EP, CPM Moderator, Stated Clerk– Contact a CLC consultant at 1-888-728-7228 ext. 8550 and someone will assign a Log-in ID and Password .

Note: Your role will also be to assign Log-in ID and passwords to PNC chairs and the Clerk of Session in order for them to download and fill-in the CIF.

If you are the PNC Chair or Clerk of Session – Contact the COM Moderator and they will assign the Log-in ID and password

Note: The Log-in ID is an eight-digit number (e.g., P0000000, or 100000001) and the password is an eight-digit combination of numbers and letters (e.g., LZ4h9ah1). You can change the password to something that you will remember, using up to 8 characters, but no less than 4 (can be all letters or numbers).

9. How do I access "Opportunity Search"?

You can access the "Opportunity Search" at the CLC Web site then click on "Opportunity Search". This allows you to peruse all job opportunities listed in CLC. (General, Diversified and Racial Ethnic)

10. How long do the PIF and CIF remain in CLC?

The Personal Information Form must be updated yearly, but can remain in CLC as long as necessary. Once the church professional has been called to a position , the PIF is removed. The Church Information Form remains in CLC until the position is filled or the search is abandoned and the CIF is removed.

11. Who performs matching?

Currently there are about 100 presbyteries performing their own matching for congregations in their area. CLC staff (Sylvia Barger/Carol Hawkins) perform matches for CIFs and PIFs in presbyteries not doing their own matching. The Associate for Racial Ethnic Matching and Referrals (Jewel McRae) performs special matches for CIFs from racial ethnic churches and organizations. In theological institutions, placement officers also have the capability to perform matches for seminarians who are certified ready to receive a call and who have been given permission to circulate a PIF by their Committee on Preparation for Ministry. Note: Please contact your presbytery office to find out who is doing the matching for your congregation.

12. When do I request a rematch?

Once you have received the initial match and reviewed all the PIFs referred, you can request a rematch once every two weeks via email by selecting "Request New CLC Matching" on your Task List, or call a CLC consultant at 1-888-728-7228 ext. 8550. If your presbytery is doing its own matching, contact your presbytery office for information on how often rematches may be requested.

13. Where can I request a list of Racial Ethnic ministers or Interim Pastors?

You can contact the Associate for Racial Ethnic Matching and Referrals Jewel McRae or call 1-888-728-7228 ext. 5748 to request matches for Racial Ethnic ministers and congregations. Lists of available interim pastors are not available from CLC. A CIF must be completed and matching PIFs referred to the CIF.

14. Is there a shorter version of the CIF for interim positions?

No. All positions in CLC use the same CIF form. However, CIFs for interim positions do not require that all the narrative sections be completed. All other data must be included.

15. How do I send self-referrals of my PIF?

To send a "self-referral", login to the CLC system, click on View/Print PIF, then click on the PIF ID number. This brings up the View version of your PIF. On your browser, click on "File", then "save as." Assign a name for your PIF and save it. Now you are ready to send your PIF as an email attachment to the person(s) indicated on the CIF on Opportunity Search.

16. How do I update and make changes to the CIF?

After you have entered your log-in ID and Password, click on View/update existing CIF Part II and then enter the CIF ID# (example, 00000.AA0). Click on "Modify," make the changes, then click on submit.

Note: When updating the CIF, changes to items with a red asterisk (*) will result in the CIF being removed from Opportunity Search and requiring re-approval by the COM and Clerk of Session.

17. Our housing allowance is included in the salary figure, but the CIF asks for cash salary only, which is separate from housing. How do we complete this section of the form?

If a separate amount for salary cannot be identified, a CLC consultant will calculate the standard 30% of the cash salary for housing allowance, based on the Board of Pensions standard.

Note: Housing and other allowances should not be included in the cash salary figure.

18. Once the CIF has been approved, how long will it take before we receive PIF’s?

CLC staff will perform an initial match within three working days after the CIF is approved. However, if the presbytery is matching you will need to contact them directly. If you are not sure who is doing the matching, call 1-888-728-7228 ext. 8550 and staff will assist you.

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