Privacy Policy

COGTB Temple App
Last updated: June 22, 2026

Church of God The Bibleway, Inc. ("we," "us," or "the Church") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through the COGTB Temple mobile app, how we use it, and the choices you have about that information. The app is operated by Template Craft LLC on behalf of Church of God The Bibleway, Inc.

1. Information You Provide

When you create an account or use the app, we collect:

Your name, email address, and username
A password, which is stored only as a securely hashed value (we never see or store your actual password)
Optional profile information you choose to share: profile photo, banner image, biography, and the church you attend
Content you post in the community feed, chat rooms, and direct messages, including text, photos, and GIFs
Reactions and replies to other members' posts
Role-upgrade requests, including the church location you indicate
Messages you send to us through the contact form

2. Information Collected Automatically

When you use the app, we automatically collect:

A session token used to keep you signed in (stored securely on your device and in our database)
Basic technical information needed to deliver the app: device type, operating system version, and app version
A push-notification token if you grant notification permission, used solely to deliver alerts you've requested
Timestamps of your activity (when you posted, replied, signed in, etc.)

We do not use third-party analytics, advertising trackers, or behavioral tracking tools.

3. How We Use Your Information

Authenticate you and keep your account secure
Display your profile and posts to other members in accordance with your privacy settings
Send you the email and push notifications you've enabled in Settings
Verify your email address during sign-up
Process role-upgrade requests so Administrators can grant Church Member access
Moderate the community and enforce our Terms of Service
Improve the app and respond to your support inquiries

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share information only in these limited cases:

With other app users: your name, role, profile photo, banner, bio, and posts are visible to other signed-in members based on your privacy settings
With service providers we depend on to operate the app: Neon (database hosting), Render (backend and file hosting), our email delivery provider (for verification and notification emails), and push notification services (Expo Push and Firebase Cloud Messaging). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only on our behalf
When required by law: in response to a valid legal request, court order, or to protect the safety of users or the public
In a business transition: if the ministry's app operations are ever transferred, your information may be transferred as part of that transition, subject to this Privacy Policy

5. Third-Party Features

The app integrates with GIPHY for GIF search. When you search for or send a GIF, your search query is transmitted to GIPHY's servers under their privacy policy. We do not share your account information with GIPHY.

6. Your Privacy Controls

From the Settings screen you can:

Choose who can see your bio (Everyone, Members Only, or Only Me)
Choose who can reply to your community posts
Turn push notifications on or off, by category
Turn email notifications on or off, by category
Update your profile information at any time
Change your password
Delete your account

7. Account Deletion

When you delete your account, we permanently remove your name, email, username, profile photo, banner image, bio, and password hash. To preserve the continuity of community conversations, your prior posts, replies, and chat messages are anonymized and re-attributed to a generic "Deleted User" placeholder. Reactions, role requests, sessions, push tokens, and email verification records are removed entirely. Account deletion cannot be reversed. You can delete your account in the app under Settings, or request deletion as described on our Account Deletion page.

8. Data Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), hashed passwords (bcrypt), secure session tokens, and access controls on our backend. No system is perfectly secure, however, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we ever discover a breach affecting your account, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

9. Children's Privacy

The app is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has registered, please contact us and we will promptly delete the account.

10. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete the personal information we hold about you. To exercise these rights, email us at the address below. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

11. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active, plus a reasonable period after to handle support requests, fraud prevention, and legal obligations. Deleted account data is purged within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

12. International Users

Our servers are located in the United States. By using the app, you understand that your information will be processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above and, for material changes, notify you in the app or by email. Continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact Us

For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact us at:

Church of God The Bibleway
3707 Ave M NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881
Email: cogtb3707@gmail.com

"The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand." — Psalm 121:5