Why Churches Should Use Organizational Accounts for Digital Platforms: Part 1

December 4th, 2024

We were recently contacted by a church struggling to access essential accounts due to an individual’s health issues. The member that set up the church’s PayPal account was diagnosed with a memory-robbing disease and declined in a relatively short amount of time, leaving the church without access to the PayPal account. But this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this and similar stories.

A member leaves and with it goes all the user names and passwords.
A staff person that has set up YouTube and Google Workplace accounts in their name and only their name, passes.
A staff person leaves under less than amicable circumstances and changes the passcodes to prevent access to accounts.

In many churches, well-meaning individuals—staff members, volunteers, or pastors—often take the initiative to set up digital accounts for services like email, social media, PayPal, or domain registrars. While this approach may seem efficient in the short term, it can create significant roadblocks for the church’s continuity and operations in the long run.

Loss of Access

When accounts are tied to a single person’s email or credentials, the church becomes reliant on that individual to access critical services. If the individual moves away, becomes incapacitated, or passes away, the church may lose access entirely. For example:

A volunteer who set up the church’s PayPal account develops Alzheimer’s, leaving the church unable to retrieve donations.
A pastor retires, but their personal Gmail account controls the church’s YouTube channel.

Recovery Challenges

Many platforms require the account holder to verify their identity to recover access. When an account is linked to a personal email address, proving ownership can become a nightmare:

Platforms often require access to the original email used for setup, which the church may not have.
Recovery processes might demand personal information that only the original account holder knows.

This can lead to delays or even permanent loss of access to critical platforms.

Domain Ownership Disputes

Church websites often hinge on the ownership of a domain name. If the domain is registered under an individual’s account:

Proving that the church owns the domain can be a tedious, bureaucratic process.
Renewals might be missed if the individual forgets or doesn’t have access to the billing account, leading to the domain expiring. Domain expiration would cause your website to go down and potential loss of the domain.

Operational Inefficiency

When accounts are siloed under one person’s control:

Tasks that require collaboration, like updating the church’s website or managing social media, are delayed if the account holder is unavailable.
Passwords or credentials might be lost or forgotten, forcing the church to go through time-consuming recovery steps.

Creating and managing accounts under a centralized, organizational identity is crucial for churches for continuity, security, and collaboration. This approach eliminates reliance on individual staff or volunteers, reducing the risk of lost access during leadership transitions or unforeseen circumstances.

Centralized accounts streamline operations by allowing multiple authorized users to access platforms efficiently while maintaining clear ownership under the church.

Benefits of a Centralized “Church” Account

Continuity and Consistency

When digital accounts are managed through a centralized church email or system, transitions during staff or volunteer turnover are seamless. A new team member can be granted access without disrupting operations.

By eliminating dependency on an individual’s personal email or password, the church guarantees that access to critical platforms is not tied to someone’s memory or availability.

Ease of Collaboration

Centralized accounts allow multiple authorized users to log in when needed, streamlining workflows. This can be managed securely with password management tools like 1Password or LastPass.

Whether updating a website, managing donations, or posting to social media, teams can act without delays caused by waiting for a single individual to provide access.

Streamlined Ownership and Accountability

By tying accounts and domains to a church-controlled email address, it is immediately clear that the church—not an individual—owns the asset.

Should disputes or technical issues arise, it is much easier to demonstrate that the church owns the account or domain. This avoids complicated recovery processes that might require personal verification from someone who is unavailable or no longer involved.

Centralized management fosters long-term stability, enhances collaboration, and makes sure the church can continue its mission without unnecessary interruptions.

Stay tuned! Next week, we will look at practical steps for setting up church-owned accounts and best practices.