Wired Church

User Roles and Permissions

Last updated Sun Mar 15 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

User Roles and Permissions

Wired Church uses a two-level access control system: organization roles determine broad access, and module permissions control what a user can do within each area of the application. This guide explains how both levels work, how to configure them, and provides common role templates for typical church staff positions.

Two Levels of Access Control

Level 1: Organization Role

Every user has one of three organization roles:

Role Access
Admin Full access to all admin modules. Can manage users, settings, and permissions. Can view and edit all data.
Staff Access to admin modules based on their module permissions. Cannot manage users or system settings unless explicitly granted.
Member Access to the member portal only. No admin access.

The organization role is set on the user's profile and determines whether they can access the admin area at all.

Level 2: Module Permissions

For users with the Staff role, module permissions provide granular control. Each module has three permission flags:

Permission Description
can_read View data in this module (lists, detail pages, reports)
can_write Create and edit records in this module
can_delete Delete records in this module
Important

Admin users bypass module permission checks entirely. They have full read, write, and delete access to every module. Module permissions only apply to Staff users.

The Module List

Wired Church organizes functionality into the following modules, each with independent permission settings:

Module Description
members Member directory, profiles, family groups
attendance Service attendance recording and reports
contributions Giving records, batches, count sheets, statements
ministry Ministry groups, scheduling, assignments
visitors Visitor tracking and follow-up workflow
groups Small groups, Bible studies, group management
community Community feed and social features
events Church events, registration management
announcements Announcement creation and scheduling
broadcasts Email and SMS bulk communications
reports Reports dashboard and export tools
admin System administration features
admin-dashboard Admin dashboard overview
absentee Absentee tracking and livestream access
signage Digital signage playlists and displays
website Public website content management
lawncare Lawn care team scheduling
cleanup Church cleanup team scheduling
Note

New modules may be added as Wired Church grows. Module permissions are automatically available for any new module added to the system.

Viewing and Editing Permissions

Accessing the Permission Editor

  1. Navigate to Admin > Settings > Users.
  2. Find the user in the list and click their name.
  3. Click the Permissions tab on the user detail page.
The user permissions editor showing a matrix of modules as rows with can_read, can_write, and can_delete toggle switches for each

The Permission Matrix

The permission editor displays a matrix with:

  • Rows — Each module in the system.
  • Columns — The three permission levels: Read, Write, Delete.
  • Toggle switches — Click to enable or disable each permission.

Changing Permissions

  1. On the user's Permissions tab, locate the module you want to change.
  2. Toggle the appropriate permission switch:
    • Read (eye icon) — Allow viewing data.
    • Write (pencil icon) — Allow creating and editing data.
    • Delete (trash icon) — Allow deleting records.
  3. Changes save automatically as you toggle each switch.
Tip

You can use the Select All toggle at the top of each column to quickly grant or revoke a permission type across all modules at once.

Permission Hierarchy

Permissions follow a logical hierarchy:

  • Delete requires Write (you cannot delete what you cannot edit).
  • Write requires Read (you cannot edit what you cannot see).
  • Enabling Delete automatically enables Write and Read.
  • Enabling Write automatically enables Read.
  • Disabling Read automatically disables Write and Delete.

Common Role Templates

While Wired Church does not enforce named roles beyond Admin/Staff/Member, here are recommended permission configurations for common church staff positions:

Pastor / Senior Leadership

Set the org role to Admin. Admins have full access to everything. No module permission configuration needed.

Church Secretary / Administrative Assistant

Module Read Write Delete
members Yes Yes No
attendance Yes Yes No
visitors Yes Yes No
events Yes Yes No
announcements Yes Yes No
broadcasts Yes Yes No
reports Yes No No
admin-dashboard Yes No No
Tip

Secretaries typically need read-write access to people-facing modules but should not have delete permissions to prevent accidental data loss.

Treasurer / Bookkeeper

Module Read Write Delete
contributions Yes Yes Yes
reports Yes Yes No
admin-dashboard Yes No No
members Yes No No
Note

The treasurer needs delete access on contributions to correct data entry errors within open batches. Once a batch is closed and locked, even delete permission cannot remove its records.

Media Director

Module Read Write Delete
website Yes Yes Yes
signage Yes Yes Yes
announcements Yes Yes No
events Yes Yes No

Ministry Leader / Scheduler

Module Read Write Delete
ministry Yes Yes No
members Yes No No
events Yes Yes No
attendance Yes No No

Volunteer with Limited Access

Module Read Write Delete
attendance Yes Yes No

This is appropriate for someone who only needs to help with attendance check-in on Sunday mornings.

Platform Super Admin vs. Organization Admin

There is an important distinction between two types of admin access:

Organization Admin

  • Set via the org role field on the user profile.
  • Has full access to all modules within their organization.
  • Can manage users, permissions, settings, campuses, and billing.
  • Cannot access other organizations' data.

Platform Super Admin

  • Set via the is_admin flag on the core user record.
  • This is reserved for Wired Church platform staff (the development team).
  • Can access any organization for support and troubleshooting.
  • Can manage platform-wide settings, API keys, and infrastructure.
  • Will never modify your data without explicit permission.
Warning

The platform super admin flag should never be enabled for church staff. It grants access beyond your organization. If you see this flag on a user account and are unsure why, contact Wired Church support.

Creating a New Staff User

To add a new staff member with specific permissions:

  1. Navigate to Admin > Settings > Users.
  2. Click Add User.
  3. Fill in the required fields:
    • Username — Their login name.
    • Display Name — How their name appears in the system.
    • Password — A temporary password (they should change it on first login).
    • Organization Role — Select Staff.
    • Link to Member — Optionally link to their member record.
  4. Click Create User.
  5. On the new user's page, click the Permissions tab.
  6. Configure module permissions using the matrix.
The Add User form with fields for username, display name, password, org role dropdown, and member link selector
Important

New staff users have no module permissions by default. You must explicitly grant access to each module they need. This is a security-first approach.

Auditing Permissions

To review who has access to what:

  1. Navigate to Admin > Settings > Users.
  2. The user list shows each user's org role and a summary badge of their module access count.
  3. Click any user to see their full permission matrix.
  4. Use the Role filter at the top of the user list to see all Admins, all Staff, or all Members.
Tip

Periodically review permissions, especially after staff changes. When someone leaves a position, update or revoke their access promptly.

Troubleshooting

A staff user says they cannot see a module. Check their module permissions under Admin > Settings > Users > [User] > Permissions. The can_read flag must be enabled for the module to appear in their sidebar.

A staff user can see a module but cannot create records. They have can_read but not can_write. Enable the write permission for that module.

I changed permissions but the user still has old access. Ask the user to refresh their browser or log out and back in. Permission changes take effect on the next page load.

Can I create custom named roles (like "Treasurer" or "Secretary")? Wired Church does not currently support named role templates. Permissions are set per user. Use this guide's templates as a reference when setting up new staff accounts.

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Church Profile and Branding

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