Privacy Policy

Last Updated: December 2, 2025

St. James United Methodist Church (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. It applies to our website at https://www.stjamesni.org, as well as our online forms, email communications, SMS/text messaging services, and related platforms.

Who we are

Our website address is: https://www.stjamesni.org. St. James United Methodist Church operates this site to support our ministries, provide information to our congregation and community, and facilitate church communication, events, and giving.

Information we collect

We may collect the following types of personal information that you voluntarily provide to us or that is collected automatically when you use our website and services:

Contact details: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address.
Account and profile information: Usernames, profile details if you register for an account.
Form submissions: Prayer requests, contact form messages, volunteer sign-ups, event registrations, and any information you include in those submissions.
Newsletter subscriptions: Email address and preferences for announcements, devotionals, and updates.
Donation information: Information necessary to process your donation (handled by third-party processors; we do not store your full payment details).
Technical data: IP address, browser type, operating system, and other data provided by your browser to help us keep the site secure and improve performance.
Cookies and similar technologies: Data stored in cookies related to comments, login, and display preferences (see “Cookies” section).
SMS data: Your mobile phone number and your consent preference if you opt in to receive SMS/text messages.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect only for ministry-related and administrative purposes, including to:

Provide, maintain, and improve our website and online services.
Send church announcements, newsletters, devotionals, and event information.
Send SMS/text messages and alerts if you have opted in (see “SMS/Text Messaging” below).
Respond to prayer requests, contact requests, and questions you submit.
Facilitate event registrations, volunteer coordination, and ministry activities.
Process online donations through secure third-party payment processors.
Maintain internal records, security, and website analytics.
Detect, prevent, and address spam, fraud, or security issues.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, the visitor’s IP address, and browser user agent to help detect spam.

An anonymized hash of your email address may be sent to the Gravatar service. Their privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/. After your comment is approved, your profile picture becomes public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the site, avoid uploading images containing embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors may download and extract location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment, you may choose to save your name, email, and website in cookies for convenience. These cookies last one year.

A temporary cookie is set on the login page to check browser cookie support. It contains no personal data and is deleted when you close your browser.

When you log in, we set cookies to store your login information and display preferences. Login cookies last two days. Screen option cookies last one year. “Remember Me” extends login persistence to two weeks. Logging out removes the login cookies.

If you edit or publish an article, a cookie storing the post ID is saved in your browser. It expires after one day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles may include embedded content such as videos, images, or articles. Embedded content behaves exactly as if you visited the external site.

These external sites may collect data, use cookies, embed third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with their embedded content, including tracking your activity if you are logged in to their platform. Their data collection practices are governed by their own privacy policies.

Who we share your data with

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only when necessary to provide our services, comply with the law, or protect our ministries. For example:

If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
We use MailPoet as our newsletter and email service provider to store subscriber data securely and send email communications.
We use third-party payment processors to handle online donations securely.

Aside from these service providers and as required by law, we do not share your personal information with third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

Newsletter & Email Communications (MailPoet)

When you subscribe to announcements or newsletters, your email address and any submitted information are stored securely through our email service provider (MailPoet). We use this data solely to send church updates, announcements, devotionals, and event information.

You may unsubscribe at any time using the link included in every email. Your subscription data is retained until you unsubscribe, after which it is permanently deleted from our mailing list.

SMS/Text Messaging Privacy

We use an SMS/text messaging platform to send ministry-related messages to individuals who have opted in. When you provide your mobile number and consent to receive SMS messages, we may use it to send:

Church announcements and important updates.
Event reminders and schedule changes.
Volunteer and ministry-related notifications.
Prayer chain or pastoral care alerts (if you choose to participate).

What personal information is collected for SMS: Your mobile phone number, optional name, and your consent preference.

How SMS information is used: Your mobile number is used solely to send church-related SMS messages you have requested or agreed to receive.

Who SMS information is shared with: Your SMS information may be processed by our SMS service provider solely to deliver messages on our behalf. It is not used by them for their own marketing.

SMS consent is not shared with third parties or affiliates. We do not sell, rent, or transfer your SMS consent or phone number to any third parties for their own purposes.

SMS Terms & Conditions

By opting into SMS from a web form or other medium, you are agreeing to receive SMS messages from St. James United Methodist Church. This includes SMS messages for church announcements, event updates, reminders, and ministry alerts.

Messaging frequency may vary.

Message and data rates may apply.

To opt out at any time, text STOP. You will receive a final confirmation message and then no further SMS messages will be sent, unless you opt in again.

For assistance, text HELP or visit our website at https://www.stjamesni.org.

Visit https://www.stjamesni.org/privacy-policy for our Privacy Policy. If we publish separate Terms of Service for SMS or our website, they will be available at https://www.stjamesni.org/terms.

Prayer Requests, Contact Forms, and Event Registrations

Information submitted through prayer request forms, contact forms, volunteer forms, or event registrations may include your name, email, phone number, and message content. This information is used only for the purpose stated in each form and is accessible only to authorized church staff or ministry leaders.

Prayer requests submitted as “private” are kept confidential and are not shared publicly on our website or in worship services.

Donations

If you make an online donation, your payment information is processed securely by third-party payment processors. We do not store or have access to your full payment details such as full credit card numbers or bank account information.

Photography & Media Policy

Photos or videos taken during church services or events may be used for ministry purposes, including our website and social media. If you wish to opt out of photos or request removal of an image in which you appear, please contact the church office.

Child & Minor Protection

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without parental consent. If a parent or guardian believes that a child has provided personal information on our site, they may contact us to request its removal, and we will promptly delete it.

How long we retain your data

Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely so we can automatically recognize and approve follow-up comments instead of holding them for moderation.

For registered users, we store the personal information they provide in their user profile. Users may view, edit, or delete their personal information at any time, except for usernames. Website administrators may also access and modify profile information.

Newsletter and SMS subscription data is retained until you unsubscribe or opt out. Event and form submissions may be retained as long as necessary to support the related ministry, or as required for legal, security, or administrative purposes.

Your rights under GDPR (where applicable)

If you are located within the European Union, you have the right to request:

An exported file of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction of inaccurate information.
Deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”).
Restriction of processing.
Objection to processing.
Withdrawal of consent at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.

To make a GDPR request, contact the church office using the contact details below.

Data removal & export requests

If you have an account on this site or have left comments, you may request an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, or request its deletion. Data that we are required to retain for legal, security, or administrative purposes cannot be removed.

Where your data is sent

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service. Email and SMS data may be processed by trusted third-party providers solely to send messages on our behalf. Donation information is processed by secure payment processors.

Data security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to help protect your personal information, including secure hosting and encrypted connections (HTTPS). However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or would like to make a request regarding your personal data, please contact:

St. James United Methodist Church
549 E. St. Peter St, New Iberia, LA
Email: info@stjamesni.org
Phone: (337) 364-5780