Privacy Policy

01

Scope of this policy

This policy explains how Wilson's Mills Church of God collects, uses, shares, and protects information through wmcog.com and the website features operated by the church.

It does not govern websites or services operated independently by other organizations, including Heritage Youth Camp, even when we link to them or work with them in ministry.

02

Information we collect

Information you choose to provide

Depending on the feature you use, you may provide information such as your name, email address, phone number, mailing information, church affiliation, communication preferences, event registration details, volunteer interests, household information, prayer requests, pastoral-care needs, next-step requests, donation or sponsor details, and messages you send to the church.

Staff members may also provide account information used to authenticate access to private administrative features, including an approved email address, sign-in activity, passkey information, and security records.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the site, our systems and service providers may receive technical information such as your IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring page, pages viewed, approximate geographic area, interaction events, timestamps, and diagnostic or security information.

When you submit certain forms, we may record an IP address and browser information to prevent spam, enforce rate limits, investigate abuse, and protect the website.

03

How we use information

We use information to:

• Respond to questions, prayer requests, care needs, and requests for follow-up.
• Administer worship, outreach, events, registrations, volunteer teams, and community programs.
• Send requested church news, service information, reminders, and ministry communications.
• Process and reconcile donations, pledges, sponsorships, and in-kind support.
• Operate and secure the staff portal, investigate misuse, and maintain reliable services.
• Understand website use, improve pages and features, and evaluate outreach efforts.
• Meet legal, accounting, safety, recordkeeping, and ministry-governance responsibilities.

04

Google Analytics, cookies, and similar technology

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors find and use the website. Google Analytics may use cookies or similar technologies and may collect information about page views, scrolling, outbound-link clicks, referrals, browser and device characteristics, approximate location, and interactions with supported content.

We use this information in aggregated reports to improve the website and measure whether our digital outreach is useful. We do not use Google Analytics to identify individual visitors, and we do not sell analytics information.

The website also uses essential cookies or browser storage when needed for security, form protection, staff sessions, and passkey authentication. Blocking essential cookies may prevent some features from working correctly.

05

Service providers and information sharing

We may share information with trusted service providers when necessary to operate the website and ministry systems. These providers may include:

• Amazon Web Services for website hosting, databases, file storage, logging, monitoring, email delivery, text messaging, and voice communications.
• Google for Analytics, Calendar, Maps, YouTube content, and other services we activate.
• PayPal when you choose to make an online donation. Payment credentials are entered on PayPal's service rather than on our website.
• Email, communications, security, and technology providers used to deliver requested services.

Third-party pages, embedded content, and payment services are governed by their own terms and privacy practices. We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect safety or rights, to investigate fraud or abuse, or as part of an authorized organizational transition.

06

Children and family information

Our ministries serve children and families, but this website is not intended for children under 13 to submit personal information independently. A parent, legal guardian, or authorized adult should complete registrations and requests involving a child.

If we learn that information was submitted directly by a child without appropriate adult involvement, contact us so we can review and, when appropriate, delete it.

07

Security and retention

We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information, including access controls, encrypted connections, authentication controls, monitoring, private cloud storage, backups, and security logging. No website, transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.

We retain information for as long as reasonably needed to provide ministry services, maintain operational and financial records, protect the website, resolve disputes, and meet legal or governance obligations. Retention periods vary by the type of record. Information may be deleted, anonymized, or archived when it is no longer needed.

08

Your choices

You may:

• Change or unsubscribe from optional email, text-message, and voice-call communications by updating your preferences or contacting us.
• Reply STOP to an optional WMCOG text message to stop future text messages to that number.
• Ask us to remove voice-call permission at any time; voice consent is stored separately from email and text-message consent.
• Adjust browser settings to limit cookies and use available analytics opt-out tools.
• Ask us to correct information you previously submitted.
• Request access to or deletion of personal information we maintain, subject to legal, safety, security, financial, and recordkeeping requirements.

09

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the website, ministry programs, service providers, or legal requirements change. The effective date at the top of this page will be revised when material changes are published.