Shelby Systems

What Shelby Systems does

Shelby Systems is a U.S.-based, privately held vertical SaaS company that provides integrated church management software (ChMS), faith-based fund accounting, online giving, and congregant engagement tools to over 3,000 churches, ministries, non-profits, and denominational headquarters. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Cordova, Tennessee, the company operates as a subsidiary of Ministry Brands Holdings, LLC, a diversified faith-sector technology conglomerate. Its core platform spans ShelbyNext/Arena (ChMS for membership, groups, attendance, check-in, and communication), Shelby Financials/HeadQuarters (FASB 117- and GAAP-compliant fund accounting with general ledger, payroll, AP/AR, fixed assets, and multi-entity consolidation for denominational offices), Online Giving (web, text, and mobile donations with dashboard reporting and Google Pay), the MinistryOne white-labeled mobile app, Church Websites, Worship Planning, and Protect My Ministry background checks; these modules share a unified data architecture with batching and syncing between ChMS, Giving, and Financials. The company also sells compatible hardware (barcode scanners, check scanners, label printers, kiosks, time clocks) and provides tiered professional services including onsite consulting ($1,800/day), live online training ($225/hour), and MPower University self-paced e-learning ($50/course).

Name

Shelby Systems

Legal name

Ministry Brands Holdings, LLC

Website

https://shelbysystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shelby Systems provides integrated cloud-based church management software, faith-based fund accounting, online giving, mobile apps, and background checks to over 3,000 churches, ministries, and denominational headquarters in the United States, operating as a subsidiary of Ministry Brands Holdings, LLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Church Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Church management software
• Faith-based accounting
• Online giving platform
• Denominational software
• Ministry mobile app

Headquarters

HQ city

Cordova

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Software (ChMS + Financials): Monthly subscription for cloud-based church management and financial software. Includes unlimited support, training library, and product webinars. Multiple product tiers and bundles (Total Ministry Package) available.
2. Hardware Sales: Sale of complementary hardware including barcode scanners, check scanners, label printers, kiosks, and time clocks through the Shelby Store.
3. Live Online Training: Personalized online training sessions at $225/hour (minimum 1 hour), billed in 15-minute increments. Toll-free call, no long-distance charges.
4. Onsite Training & Consulting: Onsite hands-on training at $1,800/day plus travel expenses. Consultants work with teams on implementation, chart of accounts setup, payroll, groups, and best practices.
5. MPower University (E-Learning): Self-paced online courses (101 and 201 levels) covering ShelbyFinancials and ChMS modules. Courses cost $50 each individually, or bundles/group tokens available.
6. E-commerce (Shelby Store): Online storefront selling hardware, software add-ons (Payroll Module, Move Agents credits), and premium volunteer layout templates ($350).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shelby Systems sells integrated, cloud-based church management software for member and group management, FASB 117/GAAP-compliant fund accounting, online and text giving, custom-branded mobile apps, websites, worship planning, faith-based background checks, and check-in hardware — sold primarily as monthly subscriptions to churches, ministries, non-profits, and denominational headquarters.

Product overview

Shelby Systems provides a comprehensive suite of church management software delivered as an integrated platform with multiple modules. The core offering includes Church Management (Shelby Arena/ChMS) for member and group management, Church Accounting (Shelby Financials) for fund-based financial management compliant with FASB 117 and GAAP, and Online Giving for digital donations. Additional products include MinistryOne mobile app, Church Websites, HeadQuarters for denominational headquarters, Worship Planning, and Background Checks. The Total Ministry Package bundles the core ChMS, Giving, and Financials for cost savings. Hardware accessories and MPower University training services complement the software portfolio. Products are designed to work seamlessly together with shared data and integrated workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MinistryOne: Mobile app that helps connect congregation members with information they need most.
• Shelby Arena
• ShelbyNext
• Shelby Financials
• Shelby HQ (HeadQuarters)
• MPower University
• Shelby Giving

Products and services

• Church Management (Shelby Arena / ShelbyNext ChMS) Cloud-based Church Management Software (ChMS) that lets churches manage members, groups, attendance, check-in, and mass communication (voice, text, email). Designed for pastors, administrators, and finance staff of churches of all sizes.
• Church Accounting (Shelby Financials) Fund accounting software designed for churches, ministries, and non-profits that complies with FASB 117 and GAAP. Includes general ledger, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, fixed assets, purchasing, and mobile financial approvals.
• Online Giving (ShelbyNext Giving) Digital donation platform offering website, text-to-give, and mobile-app giving with real-time reporting, budget forecasting, recurring donations, custom forms, and Google Pay integration.
• MinistryOne Church Mobile App Custom-branded mobile app for iOS and Android that helps churches connect congregation members with information they need most, including calendars, giving, and communication tools.
• Church Websites Website building and management platform that lets churches create custom sites or use easy theme builders to refresh their digital front door.
• HeadQuarters (Shelby HQ) Premium financial solution for denominational headquarters that delivers multi-entity fund accounting, consolidated reporting, and centralized payroll/AP across multiple churches or ministry agencies.
• Worship Planning Planning software that coordinates worship flows, service planning, and volunteer scheduling, integrated with the Church Management Software suite.
• Background Checks (Protect My Ministry) Faith-based background screening service that helps churches screen volunteers and staff for child-safety purposes.
• Total Ministry Package Integrated software bundle combining Church Management, Church Accounting, Online Giving, Mobile App, Websites, and related modules at a discounted combined rate versus individual subscriptions, with unlimited support included.
• Church Hardware Accessory hardware sold through the Shelby Store — barcode scanners, check-in kiosks, check scanners, fingerprint scanners, label printers, and time clocks — compatible with the Shelby software suite.
• MPower University (E-Learning) Online learning management system offering self-paced video courses (101 and 201 levels) covering ShelbyFinancials and ChMS modules, sold individually at $50 per course or via bundles/group tokens.
• Onsite Training and Consulting Hands-on onsite consulting and training engagements delivered at the customer's location for $1,800 per day plus travel, covering implementation, chart-of-accounts setup, payroll, groups, and best practices.
• Live Online Training Personalized live online training sessions delivered via internet and toll-free phone at $225 per hour (1-hour minimum), billed in 15-minute increments thereafter.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 churches using the platform
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Planning Center: Direct ChMS competitor offering church management, giving, and check-in across a unified cloud suite; widely regarded as the UX-leading modern alternative and the most direct head-to-head rival for ShelbyNext/Arena among mid-sized U.S. churches.
• Pushpay: Vertical faith-based SaaS combining ChMS (formerly Church Community Builder) with giving and engagement; competes directly with Shelby across management, giving, and mobile (Resi Media engagement products).
• Tithe.ly: Church-focused giving and management platform that overlaps Shelby's Online Giving and ChMS modules; positioned as a modern, mobile-first challenger targeting the same SMB-to-mid-market church segments.
• Breeze ChMS: Cloud-based ChMS widely adopted by small-to-mid-sized churches; competes head-to-head for the lower end of Shelby's installed base on simplicity and pricing.
• Subsplash: Church engagement and mobile app platform that overlaps Shelby's MinistryOne and gives/messaging features; positions against Shelby for digital-first churches prioritizing member experience over back-office tools.
• Servant Keeper: Long-standing ChMS vendor serving small-to-mid-sized U.S. churches with member, contribution, and basic accounting tracking; competes with ShelbyNext/Arena at the SMB tier.
• IconCMO: Established ChMS/CRM provider competing with Shelby for mid-sized churches, offering member tracking, giving, and communication in a comparable mid-market cloud suite.

Emerging players

• Rock RMS: Open-source ChMS gaining traction in mid-sized and multi-site churches as a customizable, modern alternative; competes with ShelbyNext on flexibility and developer extensibility.
• Aplos: Cloud non-profit accounting and donor management platform overlapping Shelby Financials and Online Giving; targets the broader non-profit segment that Shelby lists as an adjacent customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Blackbaud: Large non-profit software incumbent with church/non-profit fund accounting and CRM products; a broader portfolio competitor overlapping Shelby Financials/HeadQuarters in non-profit financial management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shelbysystems
• YouTubevimeo.com/shelbysystems
• Facebookfacebook.com/shelbysystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/65269

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shelby Systems