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George Dawoud edited this page Apr 27, 2026 · 32 revisions

Welcome to the ChurchCRM Wiki

📖 User & admin manuals → use the Docs site

Installation, user guides, administration, and troubleshooting have moved to the official documentation site.

👉 docs.churchcrm.io — use this for all non-developer manuals (installation, first run, user guide, upgrade, backup, troubleshooting, FAQs).

This wiki is kept for developer-focused content only: contributing, code style, APIs, database structure, release process, and plugin development.

You are… Go to
End user or administrator docs.churchcrm.io
Developer (contributing, code, APIs) This wiki (sections below)

Old wiki link?Documentation Links: Wiki → Docs — full table of where each wiki page moved.


What Is ChurchCRM?

ChurchCRM is a free, open-source, web-based church management system that helps churches manage their congregations effectively. It runs on any LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) and is mobile-friendly.

Our Mission

ChurchCRM exists to serve the Church — every congregation, in every country, in every language. We believe that God's people deserve world-class tools without the burden of licensing fees, vendor lock-in, or data ownership concerns. This software is our ministry: open-source, community-built, freely given.

Our goal is to make ChurchCRM the most discoverable, trusted, and beloved free church management software in the world.

Key Features

  • 👥 People & Families — Manage member profiles, families, and classifications
  • 📅 Events & Groups — Track attendance, manage groups, and organize events
  • 💰 Finances — Handle pledges, donations, and generate tax statements
  • 📧 Communications — Send emails and generate reports
  • 🌍 Localization — Available in multiple languages

View all features → (docs)


📚 Quick Navigation by User Type

👤 End Users

Day-to-day usage of ChurchCRM — docs.churchcrm.io

Getting Started Core Features
User Guide Families & Persons
Search Groups & Events
FAQs Finances

🔧 Administrators

Server setup and system maintenance — docs.churchcrm.io

Setup Maintenance Troubleshooting
Installation Upgrade Troubleshooting
System Requirements Backup & Restore 500 Error
First Run Setup Users & Permissions Logging & Diagnostics

💻 Developers

Contributing to ChurchCRM — this wiki

There are two ways to contribute as a developer, and both are equally valuable:

Path 1 — Contribute to the core application

Fix bugs, add features, improve performance, or expand test coverage in the main ChurchCRM codebase.

Getting Started Development Standards
Development Setup Adding v2 MVC Pages Code Style Guide
Docker Environment Event MVC Architecture Tabler UI Components
Contributing Guide Testing Guide Database Structure
AI Agent Workflow Leaflet Maps Integration Release Process

Path 2 — Build a community plugin

Add a feature ChurchCRM doesn't have yet — a third-party integration, a specialized workflow, a custom report — without touching the core code. Plugins survive upgrades and can be shared with other churches.

Plugin Development Reference
Creating Community Plugins AI Agent Workflow → Plugins
Tabler UI Components Leaflet Maps Integration

Not sure which path to take? If the feature would benefit all ChurchCRM users, contribute it to the core. If it's specific to your church's workflow, or integrates a third-party service that not every church uses, a plugin is the right fit.


🚀 Getting Started

New Installation

👉 Official Installation Guide — Recommended starting point

Full installation & setup docs: docs.churchcrm.io

After installation:

  1. First Run Setup — Configure your church details
  2. Features Overview — Learn what ChurchCRM can do
  3. User Guide — Detailed guides for each feature

Need Help?


After You Install

The application is built around people, families, and groups. After you successfully install and log in:

Initial Configuration

  1. Enter your Church Details: Church name, address, phone, and email (Report Settings)
  2. Plan your setup:

Getting Comfortable


🌐 Localization

ChurchCRM supports multiple languages. See:


Test the System Before Importing Real Data


The ChurchCRM Team

Open Source Dependencies

🚀 Getting Started

docs.churchcrm.io for installation & setup


👥 For End Users

docs.churchcrm.io for user manuals


🔧 For Administrators

docs.churchcrm.io for admin manuals


👨‍💻 For Developers

Contributing to ChurchCRM


📚 Help & Reference

Clone this wiki locally