Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 17, 2026

1. Introduction

Columbia First SDA Church ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access the website or use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

  • Register for an account
  • Submit prayer requests
  • Register as a visitor
  • Sign up for Bible study or other programs
  • Contact us through forms or email
  • Participate in attendance tracking
  • Join ministries or request to join ministries

This information may include:

  • Name and contact information (email, phone number, address)
  • Date of birth
  • Profile pictures
  • Prayer requests and other content you submit
  • Attendance records
  • Ministry participation information
  • Bible study progress and records

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you access our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device information
  • Pages visited and time spent on pages
  • Referring website addresses
  • Date and time of access

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide, maintain, and improve our services
  • Process and manage your account registration
  • Send you administrative information and updates
  • Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
  • Manage prayer requests and share them with authorized church members
  • Track attendance and manage church programs
  • Facilitate ministry participation and communication
  • Send you newsletters, updates, and church-related communications (with your consent)
  • Detect, prevent, and address technical issues and security threats
  • Comply with legal obligations

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

4.1 Within the Church

Authorized church leaders, pastors, elders, and ministry heads may have access to certain information necessary to perform their duties, such as:

  • Contact information for ministry communication
  • Attendance records for pastoral care
  • Prayer requests (as specified in your privacy settings)
  • Ministry participation information

4.2 Service Providers

We may share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as hosting, data analysis, email delivery, and customer service. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or a government agency).

4.4 Protection of Rights

We may disclose information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others' rights, property, or safety.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

We use industry-standard security measures, including:

  • Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS)
  • Secure authentication and authorization
  • Regular security assessments
  • Access controls and role-based permissions

6. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

  • Access: Request access to your personal information
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
  • Objection: Object to processing of your personal information
  • Data Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service
  • Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where applicable

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below.

7. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our website and store certain information. For more detailed information about our use of cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us at:

Columbia First SDA Church

243 Riverchase Way, Lexington, SC

Phone: 803-791-1135

Email: info@columbiafirst.org