Legal

Privacy Policy

We are committed to protecting the privacy of your congregation and handling all personal data with the utmost care and transparency.

Last updated: January 1, 2025  |  Effective: January 1, 2025

Overview

Churchman ("we", "us", or "our") operates the Churchman church management platform at web.churchmann.org. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information when you use our services.

By registering for and using Churchman, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Your data belongs to you. Churchman acts as a data processor on behalf of your church. We process your congregation's data only according to your instructions and this policy.

We are based in Accra, Ghana and our services are subject to Ghanaian data protection laws, including the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).

Information We Collect

a) Information You Provide Directly

When your church adds members to the platform, the following may be collected:

  • Full name, email address, phone number, and postal address
  • Date of birth, gender, and marital status (optional)
  • Profile photo (optional), membership date and status
  • Family group relationships and attendance history
  • Giving and pledge records
  • Prayer requests, pastoral notes
  • Job listings (Church JobHub) and voting participation

b) Account and Billing Information

  • Church name, registered address, and contact details
  • Payment information (processed securely — we do not store full card numbers)
  • Subscription plan history and invoices

c) Automatically Collected Data

  • IP address and approximate location (country/region)
  • Browser type, version, and operating system
  • Pages visited, features used, and session duration
  • Device identifiers and session tokens
Data CategoryExamplesSource
Identity DataName, date of birth, genderProvided by church / member
Contact DataEmail, phone, addressProvided by church / member
Financial DataGiving records, payment infoProvided by church / payment processor
Attendance DataCheck-in records per serviceGenerated via platform
Technical DataIP address, browser, deviceAutomatically collected
Spiritual DataPrayer requests, pastoral notesProvided by member / pastor

How We Use Your Data

  • Service Delivery: To operate the platform, manage church accounts, process payments, and enable all core features.
  • Communication: To send transactional emails, service updates, and — where consented — product news.
  • Support: To respond to enquiries, troubleshoot issues, and provide customer support.
  • Security: To detect fraud, monitor for abuse, and protect the platform.
  • Analytics: To understand usage patterns and improve the platform using aggregated, anonymised data.
  • Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws and lawful requests from authorities.

We do not sell your personal data or your congregation's data to third parties. We do not use member data for targeted advertising outside the Churchman platform.

Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent personal data. We may share information only in limited circumstances:

Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party providers bound by confidentiality agreements, including cloud hosting, payment processors, SMS/email delivery, and analytics tools.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose data if required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger or acquisition, we will notify affected churches and ensure continued protection of personal data under terms no less protective than this policy.

Data Storage & Security

  • Encryption in transit: All data is transmitted using TLS 1.2+ encryption.
  • Encryption at rest: Sensitive data is encrypted using AES-256.
  • Access controls: Role-based access with logged, approved access to production data.
  • Regular backups: Automated daily backups with point-in-time recovery.
  • Incident response: Churches are notified within 72 hours of any breach affecting their data.

No method of internet transmission is 100% secure. We encourage church admins to use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication.

Data Retention

  • Active account data is retained for the duration of your subscription.
  • Upon cancellation, all church data is permanently deleted within 30 days of your deletion request.
  • Financial transaction records may be retained for up to 7 years for legal compliance.
  • Anonymised, aggregated analytics data may be retained indefinitely.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

  • Essential cookies: Required for platform operation, including session authentication.
  • Functional cookies: Remember your preferences such as language settings.
  • Analytics cookies: Aggregated, anonymised usage data to help improve the platform.

The Free plan includes Google Ads, which may use Google's advertising cookies. Users on paid plans (Starter, Growth, Enterprise) do not see Google Ads.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding personal data held on Churchman:

Right of Access

Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you or your church's members.

Right to Rectification

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data at any time via your dashboard.

Right to Erasure

Request deletion of personal data. Closing an account triggers full deletion within 30 days.

Right to Data Portability

Export your church's data at any time in standard formats (CSV, PDF) from the Settings menu.

Right to Object

Object to processing for direct marketing. Opt-out links are included in all marketing emails.

Right to Restrict Processing

Request restriction of processing while a dispute or review is in progress.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

Where children's data (individuals under 18) is entered into the platform, it is the church's responsibility as data controller to ensure appropriate parental or guardian consent has been obtained. Churchman provides role-based access controls to restrict children's records to authorised staff only.

Children under 13 may not create personal accounts directly. If you become aware that a child under 13 has registered independently, please contact us at [email protected] immediately.

Third-Party Links

The Churchman platform may contain links to third-party websites. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content or practices of third-party services.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date, send notification emails to all church administrators, and display a prominent notice in the dashboard for 30 days.

Continued use of the platform after the effective date of changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or the handling of personal data, please contact us.

Data Privacy Contact

We are committed to resolving privacy concerns promptly and transparently.

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Phone: +233 57 554 0404  |  +233 54 678 5064
  • Address: Greater Accra, Accra, Ghana
  • Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM GMT
  • Response time: We aim to respond to all privacy enquiries within 5 business days.