Trust
The Christian.com Verified standard
The Christian.com Verified standard: the evidence required of each account type, how licences are checked at the issuing board, the two-person sign-off, twelve-month validity, and what sends a badge back for review.
What verification is not
Verification checks identity, registration, and stated credentials on the date of review. It is not a guarantee of theological correctness, service quality, safety, or moral conduct, and it is not an endorsement.
The evidence bar, by account type
The bar is tiered. A church is never asked for a Secretary of State filing, and a contractor is never asked for a denominational reference. Every item below is a live record reviewers work from — this page and the review queue read the same rows, so they cannot drift apart.
Churches, ministries, and nonprofits
Evidence that the entity exists as a recognised nonprofit body, that the claimant controls its domain, that the claimant is who they say they are, and that a reachable pastoral or denominational reference confirms their authority.
501(c)(3) or incorporation record
IRS determination letter, or state incorporation/registration filing for the entity as named.
Verified domain and organizational email
Control of the organization's domain is demonstrated, and a mailbox at that domain is confirmed.
Claimant government ID
Government-issued photo identification for the person claiming the listing, matching the account holder.
Pastoral or denominational reference
One reachable pastoral or denominational reference who confirms the organization and the claimant's authority.
Businesses, professionals, schools, vendors, and employers
Evidence that the operating entity is registered, that the claimant controls the business domain, that the claimant is who they say they are, and — for every licensed category claimed — that the licence is active and unrestricted at the issuing board.
Entity registration
Secretary of State or equivalent registration for the operating entity as named.
Verified domain and business email
Control of the business domain is demonstrated, and a mailbox at that domain is confirmed.
Claimant government ID
Government-issued photo identification for the person claiming the listing, matching the account holder.
Active state license, checked at the issuing board
For every licensed category claimed — physicians, attorneys, CPAs, counselors, and therapists — the licence number is checked against the issuing board and recorded active and unrestricted on the date of review.
Required only when a licensed category is claimed.
Licensed categories are checked at the issuing board
For the categories below we do not accept a photograph of a certificate. The licence number is looked up at the board that issued it, and the result is recorded with the date, the reviewer, and the URL that was checked, so the lookup can be repeated by someone else. A licence that is expired, restricted, or not found does not pass, and a licence that lapses later sends the badge straight back for review.
Attorneys
Checked at: State bar association
Counselors and therapists
Checked at: State board of behavioral health or professional counseling
CPAs
Checked at: State board of accountancy
Physicians and health practitioners
Checked at: State medical, dental, or nursing board
Two people sign every verification
Step 1
A reviewer proposes
One trained reviewer works the evidence checklist for the account type, checks every claimed licence at its board, and proposes a decision in writing. That proposal is the first of two required signatures.
Step 2
A second reviewer approves
A different reviewer, who also holds approval authority, reviews the same file and signs. Nobody can supply both signatures, and an organization can never decide its own application. These are database rules, not screen rules — they hold however the write arrives.
Step 3
A lead owns every refusal
A denial or a revocation must name the Christian.com verification lead who owns it. That named person, not the reviewer who decided, hears the appeal. A decision with nobody's name on it cannot be recorded.
A badge is valid for 12 months, then re-reviewed
Verification is a statement about a point in time, so it expires. Approval records a renewal date 12 months out; a badge past that date is no longer current and must be re-reviewed before it is reissued. Before then, any of the following requires re-review ahead of the renewal date.
Immediate re-review triggers
Complaint threshold reached
Upheld complaints against the organization reached the threshold that obliges a fresh review.
Threshold: 3 upheld complaints.
Domain loss
Badge suspended pending reviewThe verified domain no longer resolves to the organization or no longer answers at the confirmed mailbox.
Licence lapse or discipline
Badge suspended pending reviewA licence backing a verified category has expired, been restricted, or carries a disciplinary action.
Ownership or claiming-account change
Badge suspended pending reviewThe organization changed hands, or the claiming account was transferred to a different person.
Scheduled re-review
Twelve-month renewal
Every Christian.com Verified badge is valid for twelve months and is re-reviewed at renewal.
What each badge covers
Christian.com Verified is the only badge that carries the full standard above. The others are components of it, each with its own narrower claim.
Profile Claimed
Someone at this organization controls the listing.
Criteria we check
- A working email address at the organization's domain, or a phone callback, was confirmed.
- The claimant states they are authorized to manage the listing.
Evidence retained: Email or phone confirmation on record.
Identity Verified
A named individual behind the listing was identity-checked.
Criteria we check
- Government-issued photo identification was reviewed.
- The name on the identification matches the account holder.
Evidence retained: Identity document reviewed and then deleted from active storage.
Organization Verified
The organization exists as it describes itself.
Criteria we check
- Business registration, incorporation, or IRS determination letter reviewed.
- Public name, legal name, and address reconciled against the filing.
- The claimant's authority to represent the entity was documented.
Evidence retained: Registration or determination documents on file.
Professional Credential Verified
A stated professional license or credential was checked at the source.
Criteria we check
- License or credential number checked against the issuing board or registry.
- Status confirmed active and unrestricted on the date of review.
Evidence retained: Registry lookup recorded with date and reviewer.
Christian.com Verified
The full documented review was completed and remains current.
Criteria we check
- Organization Verified is active.
- Identity Verified or Professional Credential Verified is active.
- The organization accepted the Christian.com participation standards.
- No unresolved moderation case is open against the organization.
Evidence retained: Complete review file with reviewer decision and renewal date.
Badges for people
The badges above describe organizations. A person with a public profile can carry up to three of their own. Each one says exactly one thing, and the second line under each is as important as the first.
Profile claimed
What it means
This person signed in with a working email address and chose to make their profile public.
What it does not mean
It does not mean we know who they are. Anyone with an email address can claim a profile.
Evidence retained: Email confirmation and the date the profile was made public.
Identity verified
What it means
A government-issued photo ID was checked by an identity provider and matched to a live photo of the account holder. The name on the profile matches the document.
What it does not mean
It does not mean the person is trustworthy, qualified, or safe to work with. It means they are who they say they are.
Evidence retained: The provider's verification reference and result, with the date. We keep the outcome, not the document.
Professional credential verified
What it means
A credential the person stated — a licence, ordination, or certification — was looked up at the body that issued it by a Christian.com reviewer, and was active on the date of the check.
What it does not mean
It does not mean every credential they list was checked, only the ones marked verified. It is not a judgement of their skill or character, and a credential can lapse after the check.
Evidence retained: The issuing body, the last four characters of the number, the URL checked, the reviewer, and the date.
Identity checks are run by a provider that compares a government photo ID with a live photo; Christian.com receives the result and a reference, never the document. A person can never review their own credential, and the reviewer who decides is recorded with the decision.
Appeals
Every denial and every revocation names the verification lead who owns it, and that name is given to the organization in writing along with the reason. An organization may file one appeal per decision. The appeal is decided by the named lead — never by the reviewer whose decision is under appeal — and the outcome is written to the permanent record.
Document handling
Verification documents are private. Only the submitting organization's managers, the assigned reviewer, and Christian.com verification staff can access them. Licence numbers are never shown on public profiles. Nothing submitted for verification is sold or shared with other members.
DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — This document was prepared as an operational starting point for Christian.com. It is not legal advice and has not been reviewed by licensed counsel. Bracketed placeholders such as [LEGAL ENTITY NAME] must be completed and the entire document approved by an attorney before public launch.