Baptism Book System

Manages the baptism register with extensive search capabilities that accommodate area-specific spelling variations. Includes name indexing and PDF export of entire baptism books, selected years, or index pages.

Family File System

Produces family cards and files (parents and their children and dependents) that represent past and present households and marital situations. The system also handles polygamous situations and the broader range of family structures found in Africa.

Double-Entry Finance

The easy to use double-entry accountancy system maintains two ledgers: one for individual contributions spanning the entire lifespan of the parish database, and a second refreshed at the close of each accounting period (e.g. annually). Supports full customisation of reporting on different accountancy levels.

Non-Monetary Accounts

Supports contributions given in kind — bags of maize, hours worked on a parish farm, and similar — reflecting the reality of giving in many African communities.

Multi-Level Accounting

Accounts operate at the parish level, hierarchical area levels (zones, prayer centres or outstations, Small Christian Communities, etc.), and the individual level.

Customisable Parish Structure

Supports 3-tiered, customisable structures — for example sub-parishes, outstations, Small Christian Communities — to match the exact organisation of your parish.

Lay Groups & Instruction Groups

Any number of lay groups and catechumenate or instruction groups can be configured. Membership lists, including the contributions and obligations of each member, are compiled automatically.

Document Attachments

Photos, certificates, and other supplementary files can be attached directly to any record in the system.

Offline Syncing

Parish Record Keeper includes its own offline syncing mechanism, allowing multiple users on multiple computers to work on the same database — without relying on Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or any outside server. Your parish retains full control of its data at all times.

Optional Encryption & PIN Protection

The user database can be fully encrypted with a single click, so that it cannot be opened even if transferred via USB to another machine. The application itself can also be PIN-protected to restrict access on shared office computers.

Excel Integration

Queries for any account and year are transferred automatically to Excel, integrating seamlessly into existing spreadsheets and keeping them current with every change. Balance sheets and area reports can be pushed to Excel with a single click.

Export & Conversion

Export capabilities support data transfer to other systems (Excel, JSON, MySQL). Feel free to discuss with the developer how to make your already existing data compatible with the Parish Record Keeper format. (contact us to discuss conversion.)

A shared Master File

The flexible offline sync procedures described above allow several people to work on the same datafile from different computers. The Workspace gives additional features that allow a shared masterfile and archive possibilities: Members are notified when a new version of the master is available, and they in turn hand their version in with one click for the workspace administrator to merge and republish. Memory sticks are no longer needed for syncing.

Accounts for the Pastoral Team | Online Search

Up to 10 accounts for members of the pastoral team. Administrative previleges can be given to any of them.

Baptism records, church records, contributions and the parish accounts become readable in a browser by workspace members.

Offline Phone App

Workspace members can install a free phone app (no app store needed) that carries an offline copy of the parish database: baptism book, church records and contributions remain searchable also outside network coverage. Changes recorded in the field are integrated into the desktop app with a single click. Internet is only needed for refreshing the latest parish data to the phone. Record searches and the production of area based contribution listings can be conducted offline on the phone.

Shared Report Logins

A treasurer or a section leader who has no account of their own can be given a shared username and password that allows them to view the contributions of their outstations on a phone, making sure that each contribution is recorded.

Parish Transport Register

Catechists organise bus bookings across several outstations using one shared login.

Data Removed on Request

The parish can delete its data from the server at any time. The offline desktop app is not affected by this and remains fully functional.

Copies for the Diocese

A diocese can subscribe to keep a copy of the records of each of its parishes. The parish administrator sends the datafile, together with the accounts archives of the closed years, at the press of a button — and once sent, the diocese can archive it. If a parish computer is stolen or breaks down, nothing is lost.

The diocese works in the same desktop program: it asks its parishes for copies with the push of a button, endorses each collection, keeps the recent ones and the year-end collections it pins, and opens any parish copy like an ordinary datafile.

Specific Diocesan functions for statistics and budgets are being developed and will roll out in future updates.

Diocesan Flat Rates

Each parish needs its own Workspace, but a diocese can pay centrally and buy a bracket of places at one flat price for a term.

A diocese may also ask the developer for a free trial for its parishes first (see the FAQ) — how it works.