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Updated: January 16, 2025
Website Policies
Updated: January 16, 2025
Website Policies
Privacy & Terms
What You Need to Know
Privacy & Terms
What You Need to Know
The Church of God offers this website and other services to inspire, educate, and connect believers by providing resources, teachings, and community support centered on the principles of faith, hope, and love found in Jesus Christ.
These agreements govern your access and use of this website and our digital assets.
It is the policy of The Church of God to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our website. This Privacy Policy applies to www.thechurchofgod.org , www.laiglesiadedios.org, www.leglisededieu.org, and www.tcog.org (hereinafter, “us”, “we”, or “www.thechurchofgod.org”). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting personally identifiable information you may provide us through the Website. We have adopted this privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) to explain what information may be collected on our Website, how we use this information, and under what circumstances we may disclose the information to third parties. This Privacy Policy applies only to information we collect through the Website and does not apply to our collection of information from other sources.
This Privacy Policy, together with the Terms of Service posted on our Website, set forth the general rules and policies governing your use of our Website. Depending on your activities when visiting our Website, you may be required to agree to additional terms and conditions.
Website Visitors
Like most website operators, The Church of God collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Our purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how our visitors use our website. From time to time, The Church of God may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.
We also collect potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users. We only disclose logged in user and commenter IP addresses under the same circumstances that we use and disclose personally-identifying information as described below.
Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information
Certain visitors to our websites choose to interact with us in ways that require us to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that we gather depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up for an account at www.thechurchofgod.org to provide a username and email address.
Security
The security of your Personal Information is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
Links To External Sites
Our Service may contain links to external sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy and terms and conditions of every site you visit.
We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites, products or services.
Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information
We disclose potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of our employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on our behalf or to provide services available at our website, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using our website, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. We will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, we disclose potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of The Church of God, third parties, or the public at large.
If you are a registered user of www.thechurchofgod.org and have supplied your email address, we may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what’s going on with The Church of God and our products. We primarily use our website to communicate this type of information, so we expect to keep this type of email to a minimum. If you send us a request (for example via a support email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. We take all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.
Aggregated Statistics
The Church of God may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to our website. We may display this information publicly or provide it to others. However, we do not disclose your personally-identifying information.
Cookies
To enrich and perfect your online experience, The Church of God uses “Cookies,” similar technologies and services provided by others to display personalized content, appropriate advertising and store your preferences on your computer.
A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. We use cookies to help us identify and track visitors, their usage of www.thechurchofgod.org, and their website access preferences. Our visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using our websites, with the drawback that certain features of our websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
By continuing to navigate our website without changing your cookie settings, you hereby acknowledge and agree to our use of cookies.
E-commerce
Those who engage in transactions with The Church of God are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, we collect such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with The Church of God. We do not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.
Privacy Policy Changes
Although most changes are likely to be minor, The Church of God may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in our sole discretion. We encourage visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to our Privacy Policy. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.
By accessing or using our website, you agree to abide by the following Terms of Service ("Terms"). Please read these terms carefully before using our site. If you do not agree with these terms, you must refrain from using our website.
1. Use of Website
You agree to use our website only for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe upon the rights of others or restrict their use and enjoyment of the website. You are prohibited from:
- Engaging in any activity that could damage, disable, or overburden the website.
- Using any automated systems (such as robots or spiders) to access the website.
- Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any part of the website or other systems connected to the website.
2. Content
All content on this website, including text, images, videos, logos, and graphics, is owned by or licensed to The Church of God and is protected by intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or modify any content from this site without prior written consent from The Church of God.
3. Donations and Payments
If you choose to make a donation or payment through our website, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information. All transactions are processed securely, and all transactions are final. Refunds are subject to our refund policy (if applicable).
4. Privacy
Your privacy is important to us. Please refer to our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.
5. Links to Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites for your convenience. We do not endorse or control the content of these external websites, and we are not responsible for any materials, products, or services offered by them.
6. User-Generated Content
If you post any content on our website (such as comments, messages, or forum posts), you grant The Church of God a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, and distribute that content for purposes related to the church’s activities. You are solely responsible for the content you submit, and you agree not to post content that is offensive, illegal, or violates the rights of others.
7. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability
Our website is provided "as is," and we make no representations or warranties regarding its availability, reliability, or accuracy. The Church of God is not liable for any damages, losses, or issues arising from your use of the site. This includes, but is not limited to, damages resulting from errors, interruptions, or issues beyond our control.
8. Modifications to Terms
The Church of God reserves the right to update or change these Terms at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. It is your responsibility to review these terms regularly.
9. Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Tennessee in the United States of America. Any disputes related to these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Bradley County, Tennessee.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms of Service, please contact us.
Copyright Information
The design, text, graphics, video, and audio content of this website are copyright © The Church of God, and they are protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. All rights reserved. Many requested uses are permitted by this policy. Content may not be reproduced, uploaded, posted, transmitted, downloaded or distributed, modified, or reused in any manner without permission of The Church of God.
Users are authorized to print copies of materials contained on this site for incidental church and personal use. The content of this site may be stored on a computer for church and/or personal use. The sale of content found on this website is prohibited. No content may be used for commercial purposes. Any printed materials must include copyright information.
The use of materials on this website for any other purposes including, but not limited to, reproduction, modifications, distribution, transmission, display, and/or republication without prior written permission from The Church of God, International Offices is strictly prohibited. For more information, please contact us.
Graphics and Media Content
The Church of God prohibits the use of official graphics and logos in connection with any product or service in any manner that disparages or discredits The Church of God.
A non-exclusive license is granted by The Church of God to official churches and approved ministry outreaches of The Church of God. The flag graphics or ministry logos may be used for promotional purposes only. The use of these graphics for commercial purposes or for use with any other event or purpose is not authorized.
Your right to use the official Church flag is granted on the basis of your adhering to the following Assembly recommendation: "We recommend that The Church of God have a flag that is unique to and for The Church of God. A Church flag that is solely the property of The Church of God and exclusively belongs to The Church of God. A Church flag that may be hoisted in all nations wherever The Church of God is organized. A Church flag that is truly an all nations flag. A Church flag that is honored and revered from God's Holy Word and is displayed because of the truth" (Questions & Subjects Committee Report, 95th and 96th General Assembly).
Your use of the Church flag or other media content indicates your acceptance of this agreement.
Use of these items is forbidden under any circumstances that may possibly disparage, bring into disrepute, or derogate The Church of God. Content must be presented as-is and cannot be altered or modified in any way. Content should stand alone so as to avoid unintended associations. Media content may not be utilized in any manner that implies sponsorship or endorsement of any event beyond the normal practices of The Church of God, product, or service. Your use of media content implies your agreement to indemnify The Church of God for any loss or damage arising from your use of this content. The Church of God reserves the right to review your use of the media content and may at any time require you to discontinue usage. The Church of God reserves the right to revoke and terminate this agreement without notification, in which case, you will immediately thereafter cease any and all usage of the logos, and shall not use any name or media content similar in design or color.
Linking Policy
Links to the official website of The Church of God are encouraged. However, the following guidelines must be followed. Links should never infer or imply that The Church of God sponsors your website. You may not frame, display, or alter any material from our website in any way that obscures our identification, banners, or site navigation. You may not duplicate content (including text and media content) from this website without express written permission.
Links to The Church of God may be found on other websites that are not operated by The Church of God. The Church of God is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these third party websites.