Privacy Policy

Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church

Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii

WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: April 24, 2026

Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (“we,” “our,” or “the Church”) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of everyone who visits or interacts with our website. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and safeguard your information in connection with our website and digital communications.

By using our website, you acknowledge and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information when you interact with our website:

Personal Information You Provide

Your name, email address, and phone number when you submit a contact or prayer request form
Information provided when registering for Church events, programs, or ministries
Donation-related information submitted through our giving platform
Any other information you voluntarily provide to us

Automatically Collected Information

Browser type and version
Operating system
Pages visited and time spent on our website
General geographic location (city/region level only)
Referring website or source

This automatically collected data is used solely to improve our website’s performance and user experience and is not linked to your personal identity.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect only for the following purposes:

To respond to your inquiries, prayer requests, or correspondence
To communicate Church news, events, and announcements to members and visitors who have opted in
To process charitable donations and issue tax acknowledgment receipts
To register participants for Church programs, sacraments, or educational events
To improve and maintain the functionality of our website
To comply with applicable legal obligations

We will never use your information for purposes beyond those listed above without your prior consent.

3. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell or share mobile or personal data with third parties, affiliates, or partners for marketing or promotional purposes. We only share data with third parties when it is strictly necessary to deliver our service, and only under binding agreements that ensure confidentiality. Under no circumstances will mobile data be shared or sold for advertising or promotional use.

The limited circumstances in which we may share your data with third parties include:

Service providers who operate our website hosting, email delivery, or donation processing platforms — all of whom are contractually bound to protect your data and prohibited from using it for any independent purpose
When required by law, court order, or lawful governmental authority
To protect the rights, safety, or property of the Church, its members, or the public

All third-party service providers are vetted for data security compliance and operate under written agreements that include confidentiality and data protection requirements consistent with this Policy.

4. Mobile Data

If you provide us with your mobile phone number — for example, to receive SMS notifications about Church events or services — we treat your mobile data with the highest standard of care. Specifically:

We will only send messages you have expressly opted into
We will never share, sell, or transfer your mobile number or messaging data to any third party for advertising, promotional, or marketing purposes
Mobile opt-in data and consent records are not shared with any affiliate, partner, or external organization
You may opt out of mobile communications at any time by replying STOP to any message or contacting us directly

These protections are absolute and are not subject to exception.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies or similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us understand how visitors use our site.

You may configure your browser to decline cookies or to notify you when a cookie is being set. Please note that disabling cookies may affect certain features of our website.

We do not use tracking technologies to serve you third-party advertisements or to build advertising profiles.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our website uses industry-standard encryption (SSL/TLS) for all data transmissions.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to promptly addressing any data security incidents should they occur.

7. Retention of Information

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal obligations, or as otherwise permitted by law. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.

8. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed toward children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately so that we may delete it.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

The right to access a copy of the personal information we hold about you
The right to request correction of inaccurate information
The right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to applicable legal obligations
The right to withdraw consent for any communication you have opted into

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 11 below.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, such as diocesan resources, livestreaming platforms, or donation tools. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. When we do, we will revise the Effective Date at the top of this document. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed of how we are protecting your information.

Continued use of our website following any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact us:

Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church

Website: ArchangelMichaelOC.org

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 714-775-1234

Address: 4405 West Edinger Ave., Santa Ana, CA, 92704

Glory be to God Forever. Amen.