To  All Clergy of The United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey

All clergy are required to have a background check supervised by the Board of Ordained Ministry every five years. Every year, one fifth of the clergy will undergo the background check. At the end of five years, all clergy will have completed the background check and the process will continue to comply with this requirement. Every clergy person will be mailed/emailed the authorization form to fill out, sign and return to Joanne Sullivan. The background check is not optional.

The Board of Ordained Ministry supervises the background check of all clergy. Since the background check is a requirement for anyone under appointment, the name of anyone who fails to authorize a background check will be given to their district superintendent.

If you have reason to believe that your background check will reveal results that may be “flagged” as an issue to be addressed, you should contact your district superintendent before the background check is done and discuss the issue. You will still be required to authorize the background check.

Once the authorization form is complete, the background check will be processed. The results of the background check are then held confidentially and unopened in the conference office. Once every three months, a Background Check Review Team of two people from the Board of Ordained Ministry will review the results. They will be the only people who will have access to the reports at that time.

The background check reveals the following types of results: 
driving violations
criminal record

If anything is flagged in the background check, the Review Team will give that information to the District Superintendent of that clergy person. The District Superintendent will review the report and contact the clergyperson. No one else on the Board of Ordained Ministry will have knowledge of the background report results at that time, only the Review Team.

Issues that would be of concern would include but not limited to:
•	driving records, criminal records including non-convictions, arrest reports

If nothing is flagged in the background check report, the confidential reports will be filed by the Review Team as proof that the required background check was completed and nothing else will be done until the five year re-check. It is the responsibility of every clergy person to contact their district superintendent if something happens during the five year period between background checks that would change the status of that clergyperson from a “clean” background check to a “flagged” background check. That discussion is between the district superintendent and the clergyperson. The Board of Ordained Ministry and the Review Team are not a part of that discussion.

If something is reported in a background check or discussions with the district superintendent that affect the pastoral appointment of a clergyperson, that matter will be referred by the district superintendent to the bishop.

The Board of Ordained Ministry
The United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey,  2016

All Clergy Candidates within the UMC are required to have a background check and a consumer report as per the Book of Discipline Paragraph 325.12. This authorization form gives permission to the GNJAC Board of Ordained Ministry to run a complete background check on you. All results are kept confidential and in the care of the Board of Ordained Ministry. To obtain a copy of your report contact Joanne Sullivan.

***Please fill out and email to Joanne Sullivan at boom@gnjumc.org or mail to: 205 Jumping Brook Rd., Neptune NJ 07753

*** Please send check payable to GNJ for $36.50 with application. Applications cannot be processed without payment!

A SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING
ACT CONSUMER RIGHTS NOTICE

•	Para informcaion en espanol, visite https://www.ftc.gov/credit o escribe a la FTC Consumer Response Center, Room 130 – 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20580.

A SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS UNDER the FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. There are many types of consumer reporting agencies, including credit bureaus and specialty agencies (such as agencies that sell information about check writing histories, medical records, and rental history records). Here is a summary of your major rights under the FCRA. For more information, including information about additional rights, go to www.ftc.gov/credit or write to: Consumer Response Center, Room 130- A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

You must be told if information in your file has been used against you. Anyone who uses a credit report or another type of consumer report to deny your application for credit, insurance, or employment – or to take another adverse action against you – must tell you, and must give you the name, address, and phone number of the agency that provided the information.

You have the right to know what is in your file. You may request and obtain all the information about you in the files of a consumer reporting agency (your “file disclosure”). You will be required to provide proper identification, which may include your Social Security number. In many cases, the disclosure will be free. You are entitled to a free file disclosure if:

•	a person has taken adverse action against you because of information in your credit report;
•	you are the victim of identity theft and place a fraud alert in your file;
•	your file contains inaccurate information as a result of fraud;
•	you are unemployed but expect to apply for employment within 60 days.
In addition, by September 2005 all consumers will be entitled to one free disclosure every 12 months upon request from each nationwide credit  bureau  and from nationwide specialty  consumer reporting agencies. See www.ftc.gov/credit for additional information.

You have the right to ask for a credit score. Credit scores are numerical summaries of your credit-worthiness based on information from credit bureaus. You may request a credit score from consumer reporting agencies that create scores or distribute scores used in residential real property loans, but you will have to pay for it. In some mortgage transactions, you will receive credit score information for free from the mortgage lender.

You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. If you identify information in your file that is incomplete or inaccurate, and report it to the consumer reporting agency, the agency must investigate unless your dispute is frivolous. See www.ftc.gov/credit for an explanation of dispute procedures.

Consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information. Inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information must be removed or corrected, usually within 30 days. However, a consumer reporting agency may continue to report information it has verified as accurate.

Consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information. In most cases, a consumer reporting agency may not report negative information that is more than seven years old, or bankruptcies that are more than 10 years old.

Access to your file is limited. A consumer reporting agency may provide information about you only to people with a valid need – usually to consider an application with a creditor, insurer, employer, landlord, or other business. The FCRA specifies those with a valid need for access.

You must give your consent for reports to be provided to employers. A consumer reporting agency may not give out information about you to your employer, or a potential employer, without your written consent given to the employer. Written consent generally is not required in the trucking industry. For more information, go to www.ftc.gov/credit.

You may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report. Unsolicited “prescreened” offers for credit and insurance must include a toll-free phone number you can call if you choose to remove your name and address from the lists on which these offers are based. You may opt- out with the nationwide credit bureaus at 1-800-392-7816.

You may seek damages from violators. If a consumer reporting agency, or, in some cases, a user of consumer reports or a furnisher of information to a consumer reporting agency violates the FCRA, you may be able to sue in state or federal court.

Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have additional rights. For more information, visit www.ftc.gov/credit.
States may enforce the FCRA and many states have their own consumer reporting laws. In some cases, you may have more rights under state law. For more information, contact your state or local consumer protection agency or your state Attorney General. Federal enforcers are:

TYPE OF BUSINESS	CONTACT	
Consumer reporting agencies, creditors and others not listed below.	Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Response Center-FCRA Washington, DC 20580 1-877-382-4357	
National banks, federal branches/agencies of foreign banks (word “National” or initials “N.A.” appear in or after bank’s name)	Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Compliance Management, Mail Stop 6-6 Washington, DC 20219 800-613-6743	
Federal Reserve System member banks (except national banks, and federal branches/agencies of foreign banks)	Federal Reserve Board
Division of Consumer & Community Affairs Washington, DC 20551 202-452-3693	
Savings associations and federally chartered savings banks (word “Federal” or initials “F.S.B.” appear in federal institution’s name)	Office of Thrift Supervision Consumer Complaints
Washington, DC 20552 800-842-6929	
Federal credit unions (words “Federal Credit Union” appear in institution’s name)	National Credit Union Administration 1775 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314	703-519-4600	
State-chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System	Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Consumer Response Center, 2345 Grand Avenue Ste 100 Kansas City, Missouri 64108-2638 1-877-275-3342	
Air, surface, or rail common carriers regulated by former Civil Aeronautics Board or Interstate Commerce Commission	Department of Transportation, Office of Financial Management Washington, DC 20590 202-366-1306	
Activities subject to the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921	Department of Agriculture
Office of Deputy Administrator – GIPSA Washington, DC 20250 202- 720-7051	

ADDENDUM TO CUSTOMER SERVICES AGREEMENT EMPLOYMENT / VOLUNTEER SCREENING

•	Notice to All Users of This Form: As an employer and user of consumer reports, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with all of the relevant federal, state and local laws governing this area. This form is provided solely as a courtesy and should not be construed as legal advice. It is important that prior to using this or any form, you consult with your legal counsel.

DISCOLSURE AND AUTHORIZATION FOR EMPLOYER TO ACCESS BOTH A CONSUMER REPORT
AND AN INVESTIGATIVE CONSUMER REPORT
The United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey 205 Jumping Brook Rd., Neptune NJ 07753 | 732.359.1000
DISCLOSURE
In connection with your application for employment within the GNJAC (including any independent contract for services) or when deciding whether to modify or continue your ongoing employment (if hired), GNJAC may obtain a “consumer report” and/or an “investigative consumer report” on you from TRAK-1 TECHNOLOGY, a consumer reporting agency, or from any third party, in strict compliance with both state and federal law. A consumer report is a communication of information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on your credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used or expected to be used for purposes of serving as a factor in establishing your current and/or continuing eligibility for  employment purposes. An investigative consumer report is a report obtained through personal interviews with individuals who may have knowledge of your  character, general reputation, personal  characteristics, or mode of living. The consumer reports or investigative consumer reports may contain information regarding your credit history, criminal records, driving history records, education records, previous employment history, social security traces, military records, professional licensure records, eviction records, drug testing, government records, and other types of background information. You further understand that these reports may contain information concerning the reasons for termination of past employment. You are hereby notified that you have the right to make a timely request for the nature and scope of any investigative consumer report. You are further notified that, prior to being denied employment based in whole or in part on information obtained in the consumer report, you will be provided a copy of the report, the name, address and telephone number of the consumer reporting agency and a description in writing of your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Inquiries to TRAK-1 TECHNOLOGY should be directed to: Trak-1 Technology; Consumer Disputes; P.O. Box 52028; Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74152. 1 (800) 600 – 8999.

MAINE AND NEW YORK APPLICANTS OR EMPLOYEES ONLY: You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of your investigate consumer report requested by [EMPLOYER NAME] by contacting the consumer reporting agency identified directly above.

AUTHORIZATION
I hereby authorize, without reservation, the obtaining of “consumer reports” or “investigative consumer reports" by GNJAC at any time after receipt of this authorization and throughout my employment, if applicable. I further authorize and request, without reservation, any present or former employer, school, police department, state or federal agency, financial institution, division of motor vehicles, consumer reporting agencies, or other persons or agencies having knowledge about me to furnish Trak-1 Technology or GNJAC with any and all background information in their possession regarding me, so that my employment qualifications may be evaluated and/or reassessed. I also agree that a fax or photocopy of this authorization with my signature should have the same  authority as the original.
By signing below, I certify: (1) that I have read and fully understand this disclosure and authorization; (2) that all of the information I am providing is true, complete, correct and accurate; and (3) that I have received the attached Summary of Your Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.).

NEW YORK APPLICANTS OR EMPLOYEES ONLY: By signing below, you acknowledge receipt of Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law.

MINNESOTA AND OKLAHOMA APPLICANTS OR EMPLOYEES ONLY: Please check this box if you would like to receive a copy of a consumer if one is obtained by the Company.

CALIFORNIA APPLICANTS OR EMPLOYEES ONLY: By signing below, you also acknowledge receipt of the NOTICE REGARDING BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA LAW. Please check this box if you would like to receive a copy of an investigative consumer report or consumer credit report at no charge if one is obtained by the Company whenever you have a right to receive such a copy under California law.

The following is information required in order for The United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey to obtain a complete both a
complete and full consumer report and investigative consumer report: FULL LEGAL NAME (First, Full Middle Name, Last Name)
STREET ADDRESS

CITY	STATE	ZIP

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER	DATE OF BIRTH *

DRIVER’S LICENSE NUMBER	ISSUING STATE

OTHER OR FORMER NAMES (AKA, Maiden Names, Married Names, Surnames, Etc.)

CONSUMER’S SIGNATURE	DATE

* This information will be used for background screening purposes only.

ADDENDUM TO CUSTOMER SERVICES AGREEMENT
EMPLOYMENT SCREENING

NOTICE REGARDING BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA LAW

GNJAC (the “Company”) intends to obtain information about you for employment purposes from an investigative consumer reporting agency or consumer credit reporting agency. Thus, you can expect to be the subject of “investigative consumer reports” and “consumer credit reports” obtained for employment purposes. Such reports may include information about your character, general reputation, personal characteristics and mode of living. With respect to any investigative consumer report from an investigative consumer reporting agency (“ICRA”), the Company may investigate the information contained in your employment application and other background information about you, including but not limited to obtaining a criminal record report, verifying references, work history, your social security number, your educational achievements, licensure, and certifications, your driving record, and other information about you, and interviewing people who are knowledgeable about you. The results of this report may be used as a factor in making employment decisions. The source of any investigative consumer report (as that term is defined under California law) will be Trak-1 Technology; P.O. Box 52028; Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74152; 800-600-8999.. The source of any credit report will be Trak-1 Technology; P.O. Box 52028; Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74152; 800-600-8999. The Company agrees to provide you with a copy of an investigative consumer report when required to do so under California law.

Under California Civil Code section 1786.22, you are entitled to find out from an ICRA what is in the ICRA’s file on you with proper identification, as follows:

1.	In person, by visual inspection of your file during normal business hours and on reasonable notice. You also may request a copy of the information in person. The ICRA may not charge you more than the actual copying costs for providing you with a copy of your file.

2.	A summary of all information contained in the ICRA’s file on you that is required to be provided by the California Civil Code will be provided to you via telephone, if you have made a written request, with proper identification, for telephone disclosure, and the toll charge, if any, for the telephone call is prepaid by or charged directly to you.

3.	By requesting a copy be sent to a specified addressee by certified mail. ICRAs complying with requests for certified mailings shall not be liable for disclosures to third parties caused by mishandling of mail after such mailings leave the ICRAs.

“Proper Identification” includes documents such as a valid driver’s license, social security account number, military identification card, and credit cards. Only if you cannot identify yourself with such information may the ICRA require additional information concerning your employment and personal or family history in order to verify your identity.

The ICRA will provide trained personnel to explain any information furnished to you and will provide a written explanation of any coded information contained in files maintained on you. This written explanation will be provided whenever a file is provided to you for visual inspection.

You may be accompanied by one other person of your choosing, who must furnish reasonable identification. An ICRA may require you to furnish a written statement granting permission to the ICRA to discuss your file in such person’s presence.