ST GEORGE INDIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, MELBOURNE INCORPORATED (“the Church”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to providing quality religious and community services and this policy outlines our ongoing obligations in respect of how we manage your Personal Information.

 

We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). The APPs govern the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose of your Personal Information.

 

A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles may be obtained from the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au.

 

 

What is Personal Information and why do we collect it?

 

Personal Information is information or an opinion that identifies an individual. The types of Personal Information we may collect include names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, family details, sacramental records such as baptism and marriage details, donation and giving records, volunteer information, Working With Children Check details, and photographs maintained for internal church purposes.

 

This Personal Information is obtained in many ways including interviews, membership and registration forms, Sunday School enrolments, event registrations, telephone and email communications, through our website at www.stgeorgeioc.org.au, through social media interactions, through online donations, and from parents or guardians in the case of minors.

 

We collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of maintaining church membership records, administering sacraments, coordinating Sunday School and youth programs, managing volunteers, processing donations, communicating church services and events, and meeting legal and child safety obligations. We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes that are closely related to the primary purpose where you would reasonably expect such use. You may unsubscribe from church communications at any time by contacting us in writing.

 

When we collect Personal Information, we will, where appropriate and possible, explain why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it.

 

 

 

Sensitive Information

 

Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act to include information about an individual’s religious beliefs, racial or ethnic origin, health information, or criminal record. As a church, we may collect sensitive information such as religious affiliation and sacramental participation, as well as Working With Children Check details for volunteers.

 

Sensitive information will be used only for the primary purpose for which it was obtained, for a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose, with your consent, or where required or authorised by law.

 

 

Third Parties

 

Where reasonable and practicable, we collect your Personal Information directly from you. In some circumstances, we may receive Personal Information from third parties such as parents or guardians, ministry leaders, or service providers assisting the Church. In such cases, we take reasonable steps to ensure that you are aware of the information provided to us.

 

We may use third-party service providers, including cloud-based systems and online payment platforms, to assist in church administration. This may involve disclosing Personal Information to overseas recipients, including in the United States (for example, church management software such as ChMeetings). Before we disclose Personal Information to an overseas recipient, we will take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to ensure the overseas recipient does not breach the Australian Privacy Principles in relation to that information, including by assessing privacy and security safeguards and implementing appropriate contractual protections (such as a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) or equivalent terms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites or social media platforms that are linked from our website or used to communicate with us.

 

 

Disclosure of Personal Information

 

Your Personal Information may be disclosed to clergy and authorised church office bearers where necessary for church administration, to ministry leaders for legitimate church purposes, to service providers assisting with church operations, or where required or authorised by law. We do not sell or trade Personal Information.

 

 

Security of Personal Information

 

Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Security measures include password-protected systems, restricted access to authorised personnel, and secure storage of both digital and physical records.

 

When your Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify it. Financial and accounting records are retained for a minimum of 7 years in accordance with legal obligations.

 

 

 

Access to your Personal Information

 

You may request access to the Personal Information we hold about you and request correction if necessary, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your Personal Information, please contact us in writing. We may require identification before releasing the requested information in order to protect your privacy.

 

 

Maintaining the Quality of your Personal Information

 

It is important to us that your Personal Information is accurate, complete and up to date. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that your Personal Information is accurate and current. If you find that the information we hold is inaccurate or out of date, please advise us so we can update our records.

 

 

Policy Updates

 

This Policy may change from time to time and the current version is available on our website.

 

 

Privacy Policy Enquiries

 

If you have any enquiries about this Privacy Policy, please contact:

 

ST GEORGE INDIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, MELBOURNE INCORPORATED
Email: secretary@stgeorgeioc.org.au
Phone: 0411 169 234
Website: www.stgeorgeioc.org.au