The Right Access for the Right People
In a church, different people have different responsibilities. Your senior pastor needs to see the big picture across the entire organization. Your campus pastor needs to know what is happening at their location. Your group leaders need to manage their own groups. And your members need a simple, focused experience.
Flock's staff role system matches these real-world responsibilities with the right level of access. Each role sees exactly what they need — no more, no less.
The Four Staff Roles
Organization Admin
Typical person: Senior pastor, executive pastor, church administrator
What they can do:
- See data across the entire organization — every campus, ministry, and group
- Create and manage the organizational structure (campuses, ministries)
- Invite staff at any level
- Manage subscription and billing
- Access the full Admin Dashboard
- View the Intercessory Prayer Wall and AI-powered prayer insights
- Manage organization-wide settings
Scope: Everything. The org admin has no restrictions.
Campus Pastor
Typical person: Campus pastor, site director, location leader
What they can do:
- See all data within their assigned campus
- View attendance trends, at-risk members, and group health for their campus
- Access the Prayer Portal for their campus
- Support ministry directors and group leaders within their scope
Scope: Their campus only. They cannot see data from other campuses.
Ministry Director
Typical person: Small groups director, youth ministry coordinator, women's ministry leader
What they can do:
- See all data within their assigned ministry
- View attendance trends, at-risk members, and group health for their ministry
- Support the group leaders under their care
Scope: Their ministry only. They cannot see other ministries or campus-wide data.
Group Leader
Typical person: Small group facilitator, Bible study teacher, life group host
What they can do:
- Manage their group's roster, events, and settings
- Take attendance (photo and manual)
- View private prayer requests from group members
- Access insights and at-risk alerts for their group
- Moderate group chat
Scope: Their group only.
How to Invite Staff
Step 1: Open the Admin Dashboard
Navigate to the staff management section of the Admin Dashboard.
Step 2: Tap Invite Staff
You will see an option to invite a new staff member.
Step 3: Enter Their Email
Type in the email address of the person you want to invite. Use the email address they will sign up with — if they use Gmail, enter their Gmail address.
Step 4: Select Their Role
Choose the appropriate role:
- Organization Admin
- Campus Pastor
- Ministry Director
- Group Leader
Step 5: Assign Their Scope
For campus pastors, select which campus they oversee. For ministry directors, select which ministry they manage. For group leaders, assign them to a specific group.
Step 6: Send the Invitation
Flock sends an email invitation with a link to create their account (or sign in if they already have one). Once they accept, they automatically receive the permissions associated with their role.
Managing Existing Staff
Changing a Role
If someone's responsibilities change — a ministry director becomes a campus pastor, for example — you can update their role from the Admin Dashboard. The change takes effect immediately, adjusting their access to match the new role.
Removing Staff Access
If a staff member steps down or leaves the church, you can remove their elevated access. They can still be a regular group member if they choose, but they will no longer have staff-level visibility.
How Permissions Work in Practice
Here is a practical example of how the permission system protects data while enabling leadership:
Scenario: Citywide Church has two campuses (Downtown and North) with multiple ministries and groups.
- Pastor James (Org Admin) can see everything across both campuses. He notices that the North Campus youth ministry has declining attendance.
- Pastor Maria (Campus Pastor — North) can see all ministries on the North Campus but cannot see Downtown data. She sees the same youth ministry decline and schedules a check-in with the youth director.
- Director Tom (Ministry Director — North Youth) can see all youth groups but not adult or women's ministry data. He identifies that one specific group has three at-risk members.
- Leader Kim (Group Leader — North Youth Group A) can see only her group. She sees the at-risk members and reaches out to each one personally.
Everyone is informed at the level that matters to them, and nobody sees more than they need to.
Common Questions
Can someone have multiple roles? A person can lead a group while also being a member of another group. Organization-level roles (admin, campus pastor, ministry director) are assigned separately from group-level leadership.
Can I have more than one org admin? Yes. You can have multiple organization admins if your church leadership structure calls for it.
What if I need a role that does not exist? Flock's role system covers the most common church structures. If your situation is unique, the org admin role provides complete flexibility, and you can use the organizational hierarchy to scope access as needed.
Related Help Articles
- Understanding Member Roles and Permissions — Complete role reference
- Admin Dashboard: Your Church at a Glance — What the dashboard shows
- Managing Your Church Organization — Setting up campuses and ministries