About : Leadership : Board of Directors : Privacy Policy
Adopted July 2008 by the Board of Directors
1. This privacy policy applies to the data collected by and the activities involving information on individuals by All God's Children Metropolitan Community Church (AGC).
2. The personal information of our congregants and employees (individuals) is important to us. We recognize that individuals providing information to the church have a right to control how that information is collected and used. We take our obligation relating to personal information very seriously. Unless an individual gives us express consent to do otherwise, AGC will only collect and use personal information as set forth in this policy. We are also committed to ensuring that our Internet presence and activities have safeguards in place to ensure the privacy of those who provide information through our website.
3. AGC will not collect or monitor any personal information about individuals without consent. The only personal information we collect is what an individual tells us about themselves (for example, by completing the Red Book attendance sheets, filling out a membership application form, enrolling in one of our programs, enrolling a child in Sunday School, or providing information necessary to engage in any of our ministry teams).
4. Personal information for purposes of this policy includes an individual's name, home and work addresses, phone numbers, e mail addresses, credit card number, banking information, contribution and gift amounts, stewardship pledges, or recovery or partnered status. Listing of individual names on the AGC website will include name only, and church e mail address, and then only as necessary for the normal operation of our ministry teams (for example, the listing of servers, acolytes and ushers for services).
5. When an individual interacts with pastoral staff on matters of personal concern or prayer need, all such information (including the fact of the interaction) is considered private confidential information.
6. No individual is required to supply AGC with personal information. However, without such information, the individual may not be able to take full advantage of AGC services (such as pastoral counseling, or participation in a ministry team).
7. AGC will use your personal information provided willingly for the following purposes only:
a. To provide pastoral care when needed and as required
b. To maintain records of our membership, attendance and enrollment in ministry teams or other special church-sponsored groups
c. To ensure the health and welfare of children under our care
d. To provide contact information in the event of emergency or for official AGC communications
e. To maintain administrative and financial records
f. To aggregate individual private information as statistical data available for such purposes as stewardship and church growth.
8. Personal information will not be shared outside of AGC for any purpose, unless necessary in emergency. Membership lists will not be provided to any non-church entity for purposes of solicitation or for any other purpose, whether the purposes are for profit, for non-profit, or for social reasons. Membership lists and other personal information will not in any event be sold to a third party.
9. Personal information will be maintained securely and will be shared only among AGC pastoral and administrative support staff, and among the Board of Directors, with the exception of information concerning financial gifts to AGC which shall be accessible to the authorized AGC Counting Team, each of whom shall have signed agreements committing to hold such information in strict confidence. Staff and members of the Board will also sign such confidentiality agreements before having access to any personal information. Personal information may also be shared with the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches where required to comply with Fellowship requirements.
10. The AGC website will use a proven secure method for payments for church merchandise. Such method is currently through PayPal.
11. AGC may contact individuals at either the e mail, postal address or telephone number in order to:
a. Provide information regarding services, activities, special events, or ministry team activities which may be of interest to the individual, or in which the individual has freely agreed to participate (such as having placed their name and other specific information on a sign-up sheet).
b. Individuals who make financial contributions to AGC will be contacted so that information about the amounts of those contributions can be provided, including quarterly and annual giving statements, and such statement as are required by law. Individuals on the AGC mailing list may also be contacted by AGC concerning stewardship, annual giving, capital or other fund-raising matters.
c. If an individual wishes to opt out of receiving such solicitations or other information, including the weekly e mail blast, a readily available method to opt out will be provided. All such requests will be processed as quickly as possible.
Individuals may access the information maintained by AGC about them by making a request in writing, addressed to the AGC church office. All information will be made available in response to the written request within 14 days to the extent practicable.
12. Individuals will be given the opportunity (and are encouraged) to correct or update any information maintained about them by AGC. Also, individuals may make a written request that information about them be deleted and AGC will make every effort to delete such information, except to the extent that its retention is required for legal or contractual reasons.
13. Information on individuals will be stored with care, and those entrusted with such information will take every reasonable step to keep such information secure. When such information is stored electronically, it must be stored on a secure local area network which is password protected. Unnecessary copies of personal information will not be made or distributed. Where practical, personal information will be kept in a physically secure area or cabinet.
14. Despite its best intentions, AGC is not responsible for events arising from unauthorized or illegal access to individual personal data.