Privacy Policy

Global Harvest Church London

Last updated 22 October 2026

1. Introduction

At Global Harvest Church London, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information when you visit our website, contact us, attend church activities, or engage with our ministries.

We aim to handle personal information fairly, responsibly, and in accordance with applicable UK data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Who We Are

Global Harvest Church London is a Christian church based in Dartford, United Kingdom.

For the purposes of this policy, Global Harvest Church London refers to the organisation responsible for the personal information collected through this website.

Data controller

[Insert full registered legal entity name]

Contact details

Location – Dartford, United Kingdom

Registered address – [Insert full address]

Email – [Insert official church email]

Website – [Insert website URL]

If you have questions about how we handle your personal information, please contact us using the details above.

3. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following information.

Personal and contact information

Full name
Email address
Telephone number
Postal address, where needed
Preferred method of communication

Church participation information

First-time visitor enquiries
Interest in joining a Connect Group
Interest in serving or volunteering
Ministry participation
Event registrations
Prayer requests
Requests for pastoral support

Children and family information

Where necessary for children's ministry or church activities, we may collect a child's name, age, parent or guardian contact details, and relevant care or safety information.

Donation information

Where you give online, we may receive information such as your name, donation amount, transaction reference, and payment confirmation.

Payment card information is generally handled by the relevant payment provider rather than stored directly by the church.

Website usage information

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected, including your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and cookie preferences.

4. How We Use Your Information

We collect and use personal information where necessary to support our church activities and respond to your requests.

This may include

Responding to enquiries and prayer requests.
Welcoming and following up with first-time visitors.
Helping individuals connect with ministries and Connect Groups.
Managing serving and volunteering opportunities.
Organising church events and registrations.
Processing donations and maintaining financial records.
Providing requested pastoral care and support.
Sending church updates where permitted by law.
Improving our website and communications.
Meeting legal, safeguarding, and regulatory obligations.

We will not use personal information for purposes that are incompatible with those explained when the information was collected, unless permitted by law.

5. Our Legal Basis for Processing Information

Under UK data protection law, we must have a valid legal basis for using personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on the following legal bases.

Consent

Where you have freely agreed to a specific use of your information, such as receiving optional email updates.

Legitimate interests

Where processing is reasonably necessary for running church activities, responding to enquiries, managing relationships, or supporting the church community, provided your rights and interests are appropriately protected.

Legal obligation

Where we need to retain or disclose information to comply with applicable laws, accounting requirements, or safeguarding obligations.

Contract

Where information is needed to provide a service or fulfil an agreement with you, such as certain paid event bookings.

Vital interests

In exceptional circumstances, where information must be processed to protect someone's life.

We will identify and document the appropriate lawful basis for each activity.

6. Prayer Requests and Sensitive Information

We recognise that information shared with a church may be personal and sensitive.

Prayer requests and pastoral conversations may reveal information about religious beliefs, health, family circumstances, or other private matters.

Certain information, including religious beliefs and health information, receives additional protection under UK data protection law.

Where we process this information, we will ensure that an appropriate legal basis and additional legal condition apply.

We will limit access to authorised individuals who need the information for the relevant purpose.

Prayer requests will not be published or shared with the wider church community without appropriate permission or another lawful reason.

Please avoid including unnecessary sensitive information about other people when submitting prayer requests.

7. First-Time Visitors and Follow-Up

When you complete a Plan Your Visit form or provide your contact information during a church visit, we may use it to

Respond to your visit enquiry.
Provide information about services and visiting the church.
Welcome you and answer your questions.
Offer appropriate next steps for connecting with the church.

Any optional newsletters, promotional messages, or ongoing church updates will be sent only where we have the necessary permission or another lawful basis and meet applicable electronic marketing rules.

You may ask us to stop optional communications at any time.

8. Connect Groups, Ministries, and Volunteering

If you express interest in joining a Connect Group, ministry, or serving team, we may collect information necessary to process your request.

Relevant details may be shared with authorised ministry leaders or coordinators so they can respond.

Additional information may be required for roles involving children, vulnerable individuals, or safeguarding responsibilities.

Where appropriate, separate privacy information will be provided for volunteer screening and safeguarding checks.

9. Children's Privacy and Safeguarding

We take the privacy and safety of children seriously.

Where information about children is required for church activities, we will collect only what is reasonably necessary.

We will apply appropriate safeguards and obtain parental or guardian permission where required.

Access to children's personal information will be restricted to authorised individuals.

Photographs or videos of identifiable children will only be used where an appropriate legal basis and any necessary permissions are in place.

We will not knowingly use children's personal information for unrelated promotional purposes.

10. Donations and Financial Information

Where you make a donation through our website, your payment may be processed by an independent payment service provider.

We may retain relevant donation and transaction information for accounting, financial reporting, Gift Aid administration where applicable, and legal compliance.

We do not sell donor information.

Payment providers may process information under their own privacy policies.

11. Email, SMS, and Church Communications

We may communicate with you by email, telephone, or SMS where appropriate.

Communications may include responses to your enquiries, information about activities you have registered for, pastoral contact, and updates you have agreed or are otherwise lawfully permitted to receive.

Where consent is required, we will ask for it separately.

You can withdraw your consent or opt out of optional marketing communications at any time.

We will provide a suitable way to unsubscribe or request removal from relevant communication lists.

Opting out of optional updates will not prevent us from sending essential communications related to an activity you have requested or registered for.

12. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, remember preferences, and understand how visitors use our website.

Some cookies are necessary for the website to operate.

Other cookies, including certain analytics or advertising cookies, may require your consent before they are used.

Where consent is required, we will provide an appropriate choice and a way to change your preferences.

Further information about the cookies we use, their purposes, and their duration will be provided in our Cookie Policy or cookie preferences tool.

13. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal information with trusted service providers where necessary to operate the website and support church activities.

These may include

Website hosting providers
Church administration and contact management platforms
Email and SMS communication providers
Event registration services
Payment processors
IT support and security providers

We may also share limited information with authorised church leaders and ministry volunteers where necessary.

We will not sell your personal information.

Where required, information may be disclosed to public authorities, regulators, or safeguarding organisations in accordance with applicable law.

Service providers handling personal information on our behalf must be subject to appropriate contractual and security safeguards.

14. International Data Transfers

Some technology providers used by the church may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where international transfers occur, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, as required by UK data protection law.

These may include UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.

Information about applicable transfer arrangements can be requested using the contact details in this policy.

15. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

These measures may include restricted system access, secure accounts, appropriate staff and volunteer permissions, and secure third-party services.

No internet-based system can guarantee complete security.

If a personal data breach occurs, we will assess it and take any notification or corrective action required by law.

16. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purposes for which it was collected.

Different retention periods may apply to different types of records.

For example

Visitor enquiries and follow-up records are reviewed and removed when no longer needed.
Ministry and Connect Group records are reviewed as participation changes.
Prayer requests and pastoral information are retained only for an appropriate period, subject to applicable legal and safeguarding needs.
Donation and financial records are retained for the periods required by applicable law.
Safeguarding information may need to be retained for longer periods under relevant legal and safeguarding requirements.

Our internal retention procedures determine the applicable periods or review criteria for each record type.

Information will be securely deleted or anonymised when it is no longer required, unless continued retention is legally justified.

17. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to

Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Ask us to correct inaccurate information.
Request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Ask us to restrict how your information is used.
Object to certain types of processing.
Request the transfer of certain personal information.
Withdraw consent where our processing relies on consent.
Challenge certain solely automated decisions, where applicable.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions.

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details provided in this policy.

We will respond in accordance with applicable data protection law.

18. Third-Party Websites and Platforms

Our website may contain links to external services, including social media platforms, video hosting services, event tools, and online giving platforms.

These third-party services have their own privacy practices.

We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of independently operated external websites.

19. Automated Processing

We may use automated tools to manage enquiries, send requested confirmations, or organise visitor and ministry follow-up.

Where these tools process personal information, we will apply relevant privacy safeguards.

We will provide additional information if we introduce automated decision-making that has legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

20. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our church activities, website services, technology, or legal obligations.

The latest version will be available on our website with an updated revision date.

Where changes materially affect how personal information is used, we will provide additional notice where required.

21. Complaints and Concerns

If you are concerned about how we collect or use personal information, please contact us first so we can investigate your concern.

You also have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.

ICO website – https://ico.org.uk

Telephone – 0303 123 1113

22. Contact Us

For privacy questions, requests, or concerns, please contact

Global Harvest Church London

Dartford, United Kingdom

Email – [Insert official church email address]

Website – [Insert official church website]

Registered address – [Insert full registered address]