Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church Privacy Policy
Effective Date: August 1, 2019
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (“BELC”) is committed to protect the privacy and security of individuals who visit our official website (www.bethlehem-wels.com).
This policy seeks to comply with articles 19 and 20 of the Data Protection Act and Recommendation 2/2001 of the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, adopted on 17 May 2001 on certain minimum requirements for collecting personal data on-line. It also recognized the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) directives enacted in the European Union on May 25, 2018.
This online privacy statement explains 1) the ways Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church collects information about you while you use its website, 2) the uses of that information, and 3) the ways in which we protect information you provide us. BELC is committed to protecting your privacy and does not sell or share the information you provide to outside sources without your consent. By using BELC’s website you are accepting the terms of this privacy statement. This policy can be easily accessed via a link at the bottom of each webpage.
1. Information Collected
- BELC automatically collects and stores certain non-personal information when users visit our site. This information is primarily used to monitor the site and make improvements. Individual names or usernames are not collected. Host names and/or IP addresses are collected and only associated with individual users where required to do so by law, to protect and defend our rights or property, or in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of any individual. This information may include browser type, domain names, IP address, unique device identifier, search criteria used, content viewed, and the emails and phone numbers that user’s contact through the Website, the pages viewed, access times and referring website addresses. This information is used to analyze and track user behavior, personalize user experience, and provide statistics of website usage. BELC may use “cookies” or similar technology. Users can accept or decline cookies by modifying their browser setting to decline cookies. Users who choose to decline cookies may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the website. In some cases, third-party service providers may also use cookies and other technologies on our site.
- BELC may use commercial services to collect anonymous data about site usage. School staff may use Google Analytics to collect site usage data and to analyze overall usage of the site. Google Analytics uses cookies in Web browsing software to track user sessions and collect data about how users view and navigate the site. The data collected does not includes names, usernames or email addresses. Individual IP addresses are collected, but they are not associated with individual users other than as noted above. Users may prevent Google Analytics from collecting data by turning off cookies in the preferences settings in their browser. For more information on Google Analytics, visit Google’s website.
- BELC also collects personal information that users voluntarily submit such as name, email address, postal address, phone number, and other information necessary to process requests. BELC never sells or shares the information to third parties. Personal information is only used for the purposes for which it was requested and any additional uses specifically stated on the website. Be aware that information may be subject to the church and/or school’s obligation to respond to subpoenas, court orders, discovery requests, and requests for public records under the Wisconsin Public Records law. Further, the disclosure of information collected through this site is subject to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
2. Links to Other Websites
The Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church website contains links to other independently run websites. To provide better service, site links connect users with links to other local, national, and international organizations/agencies. When connecting to such other websites, users are governed by the privacy policy of the new site. For their own protection, users should read the privacy statements of each site they visit.
3. Security
The Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church website utilizes industry standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) software to ensure secure transmission of user’s personal data. Users should see the padlock symbol in the status bar on the bottom right hand corner of the browser window. The URL address will also start with https:// denoting a secure webpage. SSL applies encryption between the user’s PC and the connecting server. Any data transmitted during the session will be encrypted or scrambled and then decrypted or unscrambled at the receiving end.
BELC also protects users’ information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform specific jobs (such as billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. BELC’s computers and servers that store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment and password protected.
If the user has reason to believe their information is no longer secure, users should immediately notify the church and/or school as per point #8 below. No data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be perfectly secure. BELC cannot ensure the security of any information transmitted to our website. Users do so at their own risk.
4. Retention of Data
BELC will retain your personal information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy unless a longer retention period required or permitted by law.
5. Data Integrity - Access & Control Rights
BELC takes reasonable steps to ensure that users’ personal information is accurate, complete, and current. Users may request 1) to see what data BELC has collected from them, 2) to change/correct any data collected, 3) delete data BELC holds, and 4) express their concerns/conditions about BELC’s use of the collected data. Consistent with applicable law, BELC will respond promptly to such requests and in any event within thirty (30) days. For your protection, BELC may only implement requests with respect to the Personal Information associated with the particular email address used to send the request and may need to verify the user identity before making any changes. We may decline to process requests that jeopardize the privacy of others, are extremely impractical, or would cause the school to violate applicable laws. Note that BELC may need to retain certain information for record keeping purposes and that there may be residual information that will remain in databases or other records which will not be removed. Such requests should be sent via email to www.bethlehem-wels.com or in writing as per point #8 below.
6. Children's Privacy
Personal information about children who are under 13 years of age is not knowingly or intentionally collected.
7. Changes to the Privacy Policy
Any changes or updates to BELC’s Website Privacy Policy will be posted on this page. Users are encouraged to access this webpage to make themselves aware of the current policy. This policy can be easily accessed via a link at the bottom of each webpage.
8. Contact Information
If you have questions concerning this privacy policy, the practices of this site, or your experiences with this site, please contact BELC at the following address:
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church
ATT: Website Privacy Statement
P.O. Box 250
Hortonville, WI 54944 USA
E-mail: office@bethlehem-wels.com
