Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

ChurchBell is a church management platform operated from India and offered to parishes of the Church of South India and similar congregations. References to “ChurchBell”, “we”, “our” or “us” mean the operators of churchbell.in and the ChurchBell mobile and web applications.

For privacy-related questions, write to support@churchbell.in.

2. The roles of church and member

When a parish subscribes to ChurchBell, the parish is the data fiduciaryfor its members' records. We act as the data processor, holding and processing that information on the parish's instructions. Members interacting with the ChurchBell mobile app do so on the basis of their own parish's policies, with ChurchBell providing the secure infrastructure beneath.

3. Information we collect

3.1 Information the church provides

• Member directory details — name, family unit, address, phone, email, date of birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage, communicant status and similar parish records.
• Financial records — receipts, subscriptions, donations, auction bids, expenses and reports the parish chooses to maintain.
• Operational records — meetings, attendance, sacraments, pastoral notes and other entries created by parish administrators.

3.2 Information members provide

• Account credentials and contact details used to sign in to the member app.
• Profile updates, family additions and corrections submitted through the app.
• Optional content — prayer requests, RSVPs and similar entries the member chooses to share with their parish.

3.3 Information collected automatically

• Device and log data — IP address, device type, operating system, app version and crash reports — used to keep the service stable and secure.
• Minimal cookies and local storage required to keep you signed in and to remember preferences. We do not run third-party advertising trackers.

4. Why we use this information

• To run the parish's instance of ChurchBell reliably.
• To deliver receipts, statements and notifications over WhatsApp, email and the mobile app on the parish's behalf.
• To improve performance, prevent abuse and resolve support requests.
• To meet legal, audit and accounting obligations applicable to the parish or to ChurchBell.

We do not sell personal information. We do not use church or member data to train external AI models.

5. How we share information

Information is shared only where it is necessary to operate the service, and only with parties that are contractually bound to protect it:

• Within the parish — administrators and treasurers authorised by the parish itself.
• Infrastructure providers — cloud hosting, database, email, SMS and WhatsApp delivery partners that power the service.
• Payment processors — for subscription, donation or fee collection where the parish has enabled it.
• Legal and safety — when we are required to respond to a lawful request, protect rights, or prevent fraud or harm.

6. Where data is stored

ChurchBell data is stored on managed cloud infrastructure with encryption in transit and at rest. Where infrastructure providers operate from regions outside India, we ensure that contractual safeguards are in place consistent with applicable Indian data protection law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

7. How long we keep it

We retain church and member records for as long as the parish maintains an active subscription, and for a reasonable period after cancellation so that the parish can request a final export. After that, records are deleted or irreversibly anonymised, except where we are required by law to retain them.

8. Security

We follow industry-standard practices — encrypted transport, scoped access controls, regular backups and audit logs — to keep parish data safe. No system is perfectly secure; if we ever become aware of a breach affecting your data, we will notify the affected parish promptly and cooperate fully with any inquiry.

9. Your choices and rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request to access, correct, export or delete personal information that ChurchBell holds about you. Members should first reach out to their parish administrator, since the parish controls its own directory. For questions ChurchBell can answer directly, write to support@churchbell.in.

10. Children

ChurchBell is used by parishes to maintain household records that may include minors (for example, baptism and confirmation records). Such records are handled by the parish under its pastoral care and are not used by ChurchBell for any purpose other than serving the parish.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the product evolves or as the law requires. Material changes will be communicated through the app or by email to parish administrators. The “last updated” date at the top of this page always reflects the current version.

12. Contact

For any privacy concern, write to support@churchbell.in or message us on WhatsApp at +91 87227 87228.