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Roles & Permissions

Shepherd uses a role-based access control (RBAC) system to ensure the right people have access to the right information. Each user in your organisation is assigned a role that determines what they can see and do.

Built-in Roles​

Super Admin​

The highest level of access. The Super Admin can:

  • Manage all settings and configuration
  • Add, edit, or remove any user
  • View all member data, including giving records and pastoral notes
  • Assign and change roles for other users
  • Delete records and manage data exports

⚠️ Only assign Super Admin to trusted leadership. There should typically be only 1–2 Super Admins per organisation.

Admin​

Full access to most features, with some restrictions:

  • Can manage members, groups, attendance, and giving
  • Can invite and manage staff and volunteers
  • Cannot change system-level settings or assign the Super Admin role

Finance Officer​

Restricted to financial management:

  • Full access to giving records and financial reports
  • Can record tithes, offerings, and special donations
  • Cannot view pastoral notes or manage roles

Pastor / Shepherd​

Pastoral and membership access:

  • Can view and manage member profiles
  • Can view attendance and group memberships
  • Can add pastoral notes and prayer requests
  • Cannot access financial records

Cell Leader​

Group-level access:

  • Can view members within their assigned group(s)
  • Can record attendance for their cell meetings
  • Cannot access financial data or other groups

Secretary​

Administrative and communications access:

  • Can manage the member directory
  • Can send bulk WhatsApp/SMS messages
  • Can record attendance at services
  • Cannot access giving records or admin settings

Viewer​

Read-only access:

  • Can view member directory and group listings
  • Cannot edit any records

Assigning Roles​

To assign or change a user's role:

  1. Go to Settings → Team Members
  2. Click on the team member's name
  3. Select their role from the dropdown
  4. Click Save

Custom Roles (Coming Soon)​

Future versions of Shepherd will allow you to create custom roles with fine-grained permission controls tailored to your church's specific needs.

Best Practices​

  • Follow the principle of least privilege — give users only the access they need
  • Regularly review your team members list and remove staff who have left
  • Keep Super Admin access to a minimum — ideally 1–2 people maximum
  • Use Cell Leader roles for small group leaders so they only see their own group's data