THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ACT
CONGREGATION PRIVACY NOTICE
Trinity Presbyterian Church Edenvale
This Notice explains how we obtain, use and disclose your personal information, in accordance with the requirements of the Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPIA”).
At Trinity Presbyterian Church Edenvale we are committed to protecting your privacy and to ensuring that your personal information is collected and used properly, lawfully and transparently.
1 About the Church
Trinity Presbyterian Church Edenvale is part of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa and is a registered Public Benefit Organisation.
2 Definition of personal information
According to the Act ‘‘personal information’’ means information relating to an identifiable, living, natural person, and where it is applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic person.
3 The information we collect
We collect and process your personal information to further the call to worship, to offer pastoral care, to support and maintain church operational structures, to facilitate special events, to celebrate special days, to teach and communicate upcoming events and to enter into community building and development programmes. For this purpose, we will collect contact details including your name, birthday, anniversary, address, email, contact numbers, gender, occupation and relational details (incl. next of kin). We also collect, if brought to our attention, health concerns to disseminate for prayer requests and support.
We will collect information directly from you. You may provide us with the details of your minor children. Where possible, we will inform you what information you are required to provide to us and what information is optional.
4 How we use your information
We will use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected and agreed with you.
For example, we will use your information in the following ways:
- To communicate events of the church with you;
- To celebrate birthdays and anniversaries in the face of the congregation and through our intimations;
- For participation in serving opportunities and special events
- For teaching, learning and instruction
- For the offering of pastoral care and assistance from the minister and leadership team;
- To compile and manage duty rosters and duty delivery along with adhoc fundraising events;
- For reporting and management decision making;
- For prayer requests via SMS and WhatsApp
5 Disclosure of information
We disclose your personal information to our service provider ‘My Presbyterian Church Management System’, a secure database and communication portal, which provides a recordkeeping system for our members and affiliates and, through its communication portal, facilitates communication to you. The organisation is compliant with the privacy requirements as required by the Protection of Personal Information Act.
We may also disclose your information:
- Where we have a duty or a right to disclose in terms of law or industry codes;
- Where we believe it is necessary to protect our rights.
- To facilitate the life and activities of the Church
6 Information Security
We are legally obliged to provide adequate protection for the personal information we hold and to stop unauthorized access to and use of personal information. We will, on an on-going basis, continue to review our security controls and related processes to ensure that your personal information remains secure.
Our security policies and procedures cover:
- Physical security;
- Computer and network security;
- Access to personal information;
- Secure communications;
- Security in contracting out activities or functions;
- Retention and disposal of information;
- Acceptable usage of personal information;
- Governance and regulatory issues;
- Monitoring access and usage of private information;
- Investigating and reacting to security incidents.
We will ensure that anyone to whom we pass your personal information agrees to treat your information with the same level of protection as we are obliged to.
7 Your Rights: Access to information
You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. To do this, simply contact us at the numbers/addresses as provided in our PAIA and POPIA Manual. Address all enquiries to the Information Officer on the prescribed forms included in the manual (which can be found on our website) and specify what information you require. We will need a copy of your ID document to confirm your identity before providing details of your personal information.
Please note that any such access request may be subject to a payment of a legally allowable fee
8 Correction of your information
You have the right to ask us to update, correct or delete your personal information. We would appreciate it if you would assist us to keep your personal information accurate. All enquiries are to be addressed to the Information Officer and requests are to be made on the forms provided in the PAIA and POPIA Manual included on our website.
9 How to contact us
If you have any queries about this notice; if you need further information about our privacy practices; if you wish to withdraw consent, exercise preferences or access or correct your personal information, please contact the Information Officer as detailed in our PAIA and POPIA Manual.
10 Consent
By signing this notice and/ or returning a favourable email, you hereby give consent for the collection, processing and dissemination of your personal information as detailed in this notice and the PAIA and POPIA Manual available from the leadership team. Failure to grant consent may limit both the extent of your participation in the life of this congregation, as well as the support we aim to offer to you here.