# Account Membership

## Definition of a "member"

> A "**member**" in Lightpost, is **any man, woman or child**, under the oversight of the elders at your congregation, that belong in the church directory.

This is not to be confused with being a "member of the Lord's body", which is identified by the baptism status on each individual user.

## Permissions

When someone is a member of your congregation in Lightpost, they have access to login to Lightpost and access your congregations' account; as long as they have an email address on file for their user account.  *(Or have setup* [*alternate login options*](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/users/login-methods)*)*

## How to make someone a member

A member is "marked" as a member by being added to a **Role** that "**indicates membership**".

This flag on a Role can be set under the "General Settings" tab when editing a Role, and selecting the appropriate checkbox.  Here's an example:

<figure><img src="https://585820897-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FG1WcD54zAozfrANJAahi%2Fuploads%2Fplb6A2O5lZatmJ5jg1xu%2FScreenshot%202025-01-08%20at%2012.01.09%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=57ac82b9-a9b6-47dd-a734-7c62a39790bd" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
These default Roles were setup for you when your account was created.
{% endhint %}

> **NOTE:** This method **used** to allow Groups to indicate membership, but it is now **only a Role** that determines membership access.

## Recommendations

It is highly recommended to follow some best practices for this special flag on Roles.

* Only make **one** Role "indicate membership" (usually the "Member" role).
* Only make **one** Group "indicate visitors" (usually the "Visitors" group).
  * There is **no need** to create a "Visitor role".