End User & Pastoral Governance Standard

Acceptable Use Policy & End User Agreement

Code of conduct and operational standards for church administrators, ministers, fellowship leaders, and members.

Standard: Church Operational Governance

Effective Date: January 1, 2026

Version: 2026.1-AUP

GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF CHRISTIAN EXCELLENCE:

ChurchMate was created to empower the Church to carry out its divine mission with order, dignity, and integrity (1 Corinthians 14:40). Every administrator, pastor, fellowship leader, usher, and congregation member accessing this platform must use its communication, financial, and directory capabilities responsibly and in accordance with biblical stewardship and civil law.

1. Prohibited Activities & Misuse

Users of the ChurchMate platform (including Web, Desktop Apps, and Mobile Apps) shall strictly refrain from:

• Spam & Unsolicited Marketing: Transmitting unauthorized mass commercial advertisements, multi-level marketing campaigns, political campaign messages, or unsolicited broadcasts via SMS or email to congregation members.

• Commercial Exploitation of Congregation Lists: Extracting, scraping, exporting, or sharing church member directories, phone numbers, or donor records for personal commercial gain, third-party sales, or private business solicitations.

• Account Sharing & Credential Compromise: Sharing administrative or treasury credentials among multiple staff members. Every individual must possess their own distinct user account with two-factor authentication where enabled.

• Breaching Pastoral Confidentiality: Entering unauthorized or publicly visible records of sensitive private pastoral counseling sessions, disciplinary hearings, or unconsented medical/prayer needs.

• Security Interference & Reverse Engineering: Probing, scanning, or testing the vulnerability of the system, attempting to bypass access controls, decompiling binaries, or launching denial-of-service attempts.

2. Electronic Communication Standards (SMS, Email, Broadcasts)

2.1. All automated or broadcast SMS and emails sent through the ChurchMate system must comply with the Kenya Information and Communications Act (KICA), the US CAN-SPAM Act, and applicable electronic communications regulations:

Messages must clearly identify the sending church or ministry name in the Sender ID or message body;
Transactional messages (tithe receipts, service reminders) must be strictly relevant to the member's registered church relationship;
Any broadcast must honor opt-out requests immediately and without penalty.

3. Financial Stewardship & Treasury Rules

3.1. Church treasurers and administrators utilizing ChurchMate's financial modules must:

Record offerings, tithes, and building fund collections accurately and promptly following worship services;
Ensure that M-Pesa transaction reference codes match verified bank/paybill statements;
Maintain dual-control verification for significant cash disbursements and expense approvals.

4. Enforcement, Violations & Account Suspension

4.1. ChurchMate reserves the right, upon reasonable suspicion of a material violation of this Policy, to:

Issue a formal compliance warning to the church's governing council or senior pastor;
Temporarily suspend outbound SMS or broadcast capabilities in the event of reported spam;
Terminate or suspend user logins found to be actively attempting unauthorized system compromise.

5. Reporting Abuse & Inquiries

To report suspected abuse, spam, or security concerns relating to any ChurchMate tenant, please contact our Trust & Safety desk at:

ChurchMate Trust & Safety Desk

Email: abuse@churchmate.net | Telephone: +254 718 317 877