Frequently Asked Questions about CLC

1. I am a minister of another denomination.  Can I use CLC to seek a pastoral position in the Presbyterian Church (USA)?
   No.  There is more detailed information on Orderly Exchange for Formula of Agreement pastors (ELCA, UCC and RCA) available on the CLC web site along with information for ministers of other denominations.  Check out Who Can use CLC?. 
2. How do I get a User Login and Password?
   If you are minister, candidate or lay professional: After you submit Part I of your PIF, the system with automatically assign you a User Login and Password.
   
   If you are the COM Moderator, EP/GP, CPM Moderator, or Stated Clerk: Contact a CLC consultant, telling them who you are, which presbytery you are from and your presbytery role and a consultant will assign your User Login and Password.  CLC consultants can be reached by phone at (888) 728-7228, x8550 or by email.
   
   If you are the PNC Chair, a congregational search committee chair, or Clerk of Session: Contact the Committee on Ministry (COM) Moderator of your presbytery and he/she will assign you a User Login and password.  EXCEPTIONS:  CLC assigns User Logins and Passwords for Designated Pastor, Parish, and New Church Development positions.  CLC consultants can be reached by phone at (888) 728-7228, x8550 or by email.
   
   If you are the chair of a presbytery or synod search committee or other search committee chair:  Contact a CLC consultant, telling them who you are, which presbytery/synod you are from and your search committee role and a consultant will assign your User Login and Password.  CLC consultants can be reached by phone at (888) 728-7228, x8550 or by email.
3. My Password is too complicated to remember.  How can I change it?
   The User Login is eight characters (e.g., P0000000, or 10000123) and the Password is an eight-digit combination of case-sensitive numbers and letters (e.g., LZ4h9ah1).  While your User Login cannot be changed, you can change your Password to one more easily remembered using at least 6 characters one of which is a number. Simply enter the CLC system using your assigned User Login and Password and go to “Admin” at the top of your screen.  Click on “Change Password” and enter and confirm your new Password.
4. I forgot my Password to access CLC.  What should I do?
   If you are a minister, candidate, lay professional, or Presbytery officer:  Contact a CLC consultant at (888) 728-7228, x8550 or email and they will reassign your Password.
   
   If you are the PNC Chair, a congregational search committee chair, or Clerk of Session:  Contact your presbytery Committee on Ministry Moderator and they will reassign your Password.
   
   If you are the chair of a presbytery or synod search committee or other search committee chair:  Contact a CLC consultant at (888) 728-7228, x8550 or email and they will reassign your Password.
5. I’m a COM Moderator and PNCs are asking me for a User Login and Password.  What do I do?
   As a partner in the call process, COM Moderators are responsible for assigning User Logins and Passwords to PNC chairs, congregational search committee chairs and Clerks of Session. Detailed information about how to assign User Logins and passwords can be found in the CLC User Guide for COM Moderators, which can be found on the resources page.
6. There are sections on the PIF that ask me to make multiple selections.  How do I do that?
   To select more than one item on a list, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and then click on each item you wish to select.  When you have selected all the items on your list, release the Ctrl key.  Review the marked items to ensure that all your selections have been accurately listed.
7. What is included in Effective Salary?
   For the purposes of completing a PIF/CIF, CLC uses the definition of the Board of Pensions effective salary.  To more fully understand and calculate the effective salary figure for your PIF or CIF go to the Board of Pensions.
8. I’m considering several different types of positions.  Can I submit more than one PIF?
   Yes, you can have up to three separate PIFs in CLC.  This allows you to tailor a PIF to a particular position you are considering (for example: interim pastor, associate pastor, and governing body staff).  You do not have to re-enter Part I for each PIF, simply create and submit a new Part II and the CLC system will assign a version number at the end of the PIF number (.1, .2 and .3).
9. I’m not receiving emails from CLC, what should I do?
   First, check to be sure that the email address listed on your PIF or CIF is correct or if you are a COM moderator, Stated Clerk or EP/GP, check to be sure that the correct email address is listed in the CLC system, under “Admin”.  Second, be sure that your computer will allow you to receive emails from pifquery@pcusa.org, cifquery@pcusa.org and clcstaff@pcusa.org.  Computer spam blockers have been known to keep CLC emails out of email inboxes by placing them in the spam folder.  If you continue to experience problems receiving emails from CLC, contact your internet service provider.
10. How long does it take my PIF to become active in CLC?
    As soon as the Presbytery Stated Clerk or Committee on Preparation for Ministry Moderator attests to your PIF, a CLC consultant will review your PIF for completion and release it to be active in CLC.  Often the delay in releasing a PIF is related to an incomplete PIF needing corrections or the failure of the Stated Clerk or CPM Moderator to attest to the PIF.  You can speed things along by making sure your PIF is complete, quickly making the changes requested by CLC, and notifying your Stated Clerk or CPM Moderator that your PIF is ready for their attestation.
    
11. How long does it take our CIF to become active in CLC?
    As soon as the Presbytery Committee on Ministry Moderator and your Clerk of Session both approve your CIF, a CLC consultant will review your CIF for completion and release it to be active in CLC.  Often the delay in releasing a CIF is related to an incomplete CIF needing corrections or the failure of the COM Moderator or Clerk of Session to approve to the CIF.  You can speed things along by making sure your CIF is complete, quickly making the changes requested by CLC, and notifying your CPM Moderator or Clerk of Session that your CIF is ready for their approval.
12. When will my PIF be matched with a church?
    Matches through CLC are done for churches.  When a match is done and if your PIF meets the criteria a church is seeking, then your PIF will be sent to the EP/GP, COM, PNC, and/or search committee.  You can see where your PIF has been matched and referred by logging into the CLC system.  On the “Reports” menu, pull down and click on “View Referred CIFs”.  Any matching and referral of your PIF will be listed.  You can view the referred CIF by clicking on the CIF number.
13. What is “PIF Permissions” listed under PIF, Part II functions?
    This function allows you to have your PIF matched with CIFs from within your presbytery.  The automatic default setting for “PIF Permissions” is “no” and some presbyteries have also requested that the setting for all PIFs from your presbytery be set at “no.”  However, if your presbytery does not prohibit matching PIFs from your presbytery with CIFs within your presbytery, you may “Change Permissions” to “yes.”  However, you may wish to give this serious thought since being matched with CIFs within your presbytery may, in fact, increase the possibility of your current ministry setting finding out that you are seeking another call.  This is a small denomination and even smaller presbyteries where it is not uncommon to hear that word has gotten out that a particular pastor is seeking a new call. 
14. My PIF hasn’t been matched with very many CIFs.  What can I do?
    First, review your PIF with a knowledgeable individual such as your EP/GP, Stated Clerk, a COM member or a member of your presbytery who can give you insight into areas that may be hindering your matching.  CLC staff Jewel McRae, Associate for Racial Ethnic Matching and Referrals and Joyce Lieberman, Associate for Call System Support can also assist you in reviewing your PIF.
    
    Second, self refer your PIF to positions that are of interest to you.  The CLC Opportunity Search lists all CIFs entered in CLC.  Review what is available and send your PIF to all the Self-Referral Contacts listed on the CIF.  Instructions on how to self-refer your PIF can be found under Resources on the CLC web site.
    Finally, and when all else fails, request reverse matching from your Executive/General Presbyter who can do a reverse match for you or request that CLC do the reverse match.  Theological institutions placement officers have the capability to perform reverse matching for seminarians who are certified ready to receive a call and who have been given permission to circulate a PIF by their CPM.  Racial ethnic individuals can contact Jewel McRae, Associate for Racial Ethnic Matching and Referrals, at (888) 728-7228, x5748 or email Jewel McRae, who can perform special reverse matches for Racial Ethnic ministers seeking a call.
15. Who performs the matching for our CIF?
    When your CIF is listed on the Opportunity Search and is ready for matching, the chair of your PNC/Search Committee will receive an email from CLC notifying them of the activation of the CIF and who the responsible party is for matching, the presbytery or CLC.  If your presbytery is responsible for matching the CIFs for their congregations, it is usually the Executive/General Presbyter or another presbytery staff member who does the matching. CLC does the matching for the other CIFs and when requested by presbyteries.  If you want to know who, specifically, is doing the matching in your presbytery, contact your presbytery office.
16. How long does it take for our CIF to be matched with PIFs?
    The first matching of a CIF is usually completed within 2 to 3 working days after a CIF has become activated on CLC.  If your presbytery is doing the matching, contact your Executive/General Presbyter for more details.  If CLC is doing the matching and you have not received referred PIFs within this time frame please call CLC at (888) 728-7228, x8550 or email at email.
17. How can I send a copy of my PIF to a church I am interested in?
    To save a copy of your PIF for self referral: Login to CLC, go to “PIF”, scroll down and click on “View PIF Query”, highlight your PIF (start at the top and scroll all the way to the end of your references), go to Edit at the top of the page, click on copy, open up a word document and paste your PIF into the document, then save it.
    
    To send your PIF as a self-referral:  View the CIF for the position you are interested in and find the “Self-referral Contact Information” located at the end of the CIF.  Send your PIF to all the contacts listed either by email with your PIF attached, or through regular mail, with a copy of your PIF enclosed.
18. Our PNC/search committee wants to make sure we have racial ethnic ministers to consider.  Can we request a list of racial ethnic ministers and candidates from CLC?
    Before you can ask for PIFs from racial ethnic individuals, your CIF must be in the CLC system and the initial matching of your CIF with PIFs completed.  Then, contact Jewel McRae, Associate for Racial Ethnic Matching and Referrals, who performs special matches for CIFs from racial ethnic churches and organizations. She can assist you in finding PIFs from racial ethnic individuals and can be reached at (888) 728-7228, x5748 or by email at Jewel McRae.
19. How often can we ask for a rematch for our CIF?
    Once the initial match has been completed and the PNC/Search Committee has reviewed all the PIFs referred, the PNC/Search Committee chair or the EP/GP may request for a rematch of your CIF every 3 to 5 days.   The PNC/Search Committee Chair simply logs in to CLC and selects "Matching” on the Task List and scrolls down to “Request CIF Rematch".  You can also call CLC at (888) 728-7228, x8550 to request a rematch.  A note about rematches: While CLC receives new PIFs every day, a rematch may elicit fewer PIFs than in your initial match or you may receive PIFs that appear to be “less of a match” to your CIF.  Of course, CLC hopes you are open to the movement of God’s Spirit whenever PIFs are sent your way.
20. I’m the PNC/Search Committee Chairperson or COM Moderator.  How do I get a copy of a minister’s PIF?
    Due to confidentiality issues, we are not able to tell you whether an individual’s PIF has been submitted to CLC.  If you want to receive a specific individual’s PIF, you will need to contact that individual directly and request a copy of their PIF.  CLC only makes copies of PIFs available through the matching process or at the request of the Executive/General Presbyter.
21. I have a question I don’t see listed on Frequently Asked Questions.  Now what?
    Ask your question to a CLC consultant at (888) 728-7228, x8550, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, or by email. We’ll do our best to answer your question or direct you to the place where you can get an answer.