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To make administration easier for our missionaries worldwide, Reliant accepts legally binding approval from missionaries via electronic means such as email or being logged in to web applications.
Such "signatures" need to meet two conditions: 1. the identity of the missionary or party is verified and 2. the missionary or party is clearly communicating their approval. The most common example would be an email from a verified Reliant.org email account and a missionary saying something equivilent equivelent "I approve this change."
These kind of approvals are in lieu of a traditional "pen and ink" signature.
Background and What's New
On June 30, 2000, Congress enacted the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act ("ESIGN"). The result of this Act made it possible for an electronic signature to be used as a valid replacement of a traditional pen and ink signature
a signature, contract, or other record relating to such transaction may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form
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Reliant first adopted an electronic signature policy in 2012 that required an email with the sender typing out a signature block that included Full Name, Home phone number (or mobile phone), Ministry fund number, E-Mail address, and current date.
The 2015 updated policy supersedes previous policies and is updated to acknowledge:
- Identity is now primarily validated via a Reliant issued account with a password, which means
- Manually typing a list of information is no longer required, because we know who the missionary is if they are logged in
- Logging in or sending via a valid reliant.org account / email addresses is required and non-reliant accounts (e.g. a personal gmail account) can't be accepted
- Electronic approval is now also common outside of email, for instance, within web applications, CRM recorded records, when logged in via ReliantID on our websites, or via a Google for Non-Profts account when submitting spreadsheet, form or online comment that includes identity and timestamp.
Benefits
- Make thing easier for our worldwide missionary staff and staff supervisors when submitting Reliant documents and forms to the Headquarters office.
For Reliant forms and documents, the most typical application and use of an electronic signature (but not limited to) would be using an email to serve as an electronic signature.
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- Increase efficiency of our office staff
Definitions
ELECTRONIC RECORD. The term means a record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means.
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Other general examples of electronic signature technologies include PINs, user identifications and passwords, digital signatures, digitized signatures, and hardware and biometric token
"ELECTRONIC APPROVAL" "E-SIGN" — Equivalent terms for Electronic Signature.
MISSIONARY — Collective for all employed or associate missionaries, project fundraisers or others who are issued a Reliant.org account.
PARTY — Any other non-missionary external party who is communicating with Reliant staff for the purposes of approval, such as a local church partner, supervisor, vendor, etc.
Traditional Forms of Approval Still Accepted
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Policy StatementReliant will allow an electronic approval "signature" to be accepted as a valid replacement of a traditional pen and ink signature for forms and documents used and processed by the Reliant office. Reliant will accept an email from the signer of the form or document to serve as a valid signature. Reliant will also accept a form or document that is electronically attached to an email. The email and/ or the attached form or document must: • Identify and authenticate the particular person as the source of the message (see below), and • Clearly indicates the person’s approval of the information, form or document they are intending to electronically “sign”. NOTE: If the form or document attached to the email includes the e-signer's authenticating and identifying information (see below) on the actual document, then email itself does not need to duplicate the identifying info. The email from the sender needs to be kept as additional supporting proof of authentication of the e-signed form or document. Authentication and IdentificationFor Reliant field employees and associate staff, authentication and identification must be supported by the sender with including all the following in their email: For any Non-Reliant employees and associate staff, authentication and identification must be supported by the sender with including all the following in their email: This required information above can also be entered directly by the provider onto the actual form or document. The form or document can then be attached to an email. This method will also serve as a valid electronic signature (as mentioned in the Policy Statement above).
Authentication and Identification - OFFICE STAFF ONLYFor Reliant office staff only: If the sender of the e-sign email is an office staff, and they are sending their e-sign approval action or e-sign approval of an attached form or document, then authentication and identification is automatically supported by the sender solely by virtue of the email being sent from the sender's reliant.org email address. Their email still needs to include the following: |
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Reliant will accept an approval from a non-Reliant account when the party is not an employed or associate Reliant missionary or office staff member. It should be kept in mind that we generally should be able to
Reasonably know the identity of the party.
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Reliant can accept your approval ("signature") electronically. Please reply to this email.
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This required information above can also be entered directly by the provider onto the actual form or document. The form or document can then be attached to an email. This method will also serve as a valid electronic signature (as mentioned in the Policy Statement above).
Prior Application of Policy
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