Privacy Policy

Divineyard Church of His Presence — DCOHP

Effective Date: 6 June 2026

Website: https://divineyardchurch.org

Church Name: Divineyard Church of His Presence

Abbreviation: DCOHP

1. Introduction

Divineyard Church of His Presence, also known as DCOHP, respects and values your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, protect, and share personal information when you visit our website, register as a member, subscribe to our communications, make enquiries, participate in church activities, access sermons, watch live services, or interact with any of our online platforms.

We are committed to handling personal information responsibly, lawfully, fairly, and transparently. This policy is intended to help website users, members, visitors, partners, volunteers, and ministry participants understand how their information may be processed by DCOHP.

This policy is prepared with consideration of Zimbabwe’s data protection framework, including the Cyber and Data Protection Act, which promotes lawful, fair, transparent, and secure processing of personal information.

2. Information We May Collect

DCOHP may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide through our website, mobile app, forms, online registrations, contact pages, event registrations, prayer request forms, donation forms, newsletter subscriptions, and other church-related platforms.

The information we may collect includes:

2.1 Personal Identification Information

This may include:

  • Full name
  • Surname
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Province
  • City
  • Location or residential area
  • Gender, where necessary for ministry or administrative purposes
  • Age group, where relevant for ministry grouping
  • Membership status
  • Area coordinator details, where applicable

2.2 Church Participation Information

We may collect information relating to your participation in church activities, including:

  • Membership registration details
  • Ministry or department interests
  • Event registration details
  • Volunteer participation
  • Partnership or support interests
  • Prayer requests
  • Testimonies submitted to the church
  • Counselling or pastoral care requests voluntarily submitted by you

2.3 Communication Information

When you contact us, we may collect:

  • Your name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Message content
  • Enquiry type
  • Communication preferences
  • Email subscription consent

2.4 Online Usage Information

When you use our website, we may automatically collect limited technical information such as:

  • IP address
  • Browser type
  • Device type
  • Pages visited
  • Date and time of visit
  • Referring website
  • General usage activity
  • Cookies and analytics data

This helps us improve website performance, security, user experience, and content delivery.

2.5 Donation and Payment Information

If DCOHP provides online giving, partnership, donation, or payment options, we may collect information necessary to process your contribution, such as:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Donation amount
  • Donation reference
  • Payment status
  • Transaction confirmation details

DCOHP does not intentionally store full bank card details on its website. Where online payments are used, payment processing may be handled by secure third-party payment providers.

3. How We Use Your Information

DCOHP may use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • To register and manage church membership records
  • To communicate church updates, announcements, and notices
  • To send newsletters, devotional content, sermons, event updates, and ministry information
  • To respond to enquiries, prayer requests, testimonies, and pastoral care requests
  • To manage event registrations and church activities
  • To provide access to live services, text sermons, videos, books, music, and other ministry content
  • To process donations, partnerships, and giving records
  • To improve the website, mobile app, and digital platforms
  • To maintain security and prevent misuse of our website
  • To manage volunteer, ministry, and area coordinator communication
  • To comply with applicable legal, administrative, or regulatory requirements

We will only use your personal information for legitimate church, ministry, communication, administrative, and legal purposes.

4. Email Subscriptions and Communications

When you subscribe to DCOHP email updates, newsletters, devotionals, or church announcements, we will use your email address to send relevant church communication.

You may unsubscribe from email communications at any time by:

  • Clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails, where available
  • Contacting DCOHP directly using the contact details provided on the website
  • Requesting removal from our mailing list

We will not intentionally send you marketing or subscription emails without your consent where consent is required.

5. Prayer Requests, Testimonies, and Pastoral Care Information

DCOHP may allow users to submit prayer requests, testimonies, counselling requests, or other spiritual support messages through the website.

Such information may be sensitive and will be handled with care. We may use this information to:

  • Pray with you or for you
  • Provide pastoral support
  • Contact you regarding your request
  • Share testimonies only where permission has been granted

We will not publicly publish your prayer request, testimony, name, phone number, or personal details without your permission, unless required by law or necessary to protect life, safety, or wellbeing.

6. Children’s Information

DCOHP may provide content for children’s ministry, youth ministry, and family-related church activities. We are committed to protecting the privacy of children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate parental or guardian involvement. Where information about a child is required for a church activity, registration, or ministry programme, such information should be provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult.

Parents and guardians may contact DCOHP to request access, correction, or deletion of a child’s personal information where appropriate.

7. Media, Photos, Videos, and Live Services

DCOHP may record, livestream, photograph, or publish church services, events, conferences, worship sessions, sermons, and ministry activities.

By attending public church events, services, or gatherings, you understand that you may appear in general crowd photography, livestreams, or recordings. However, where close-up images, personal testimonies, interviews, or identifiable personal stories are used, DCOHP will seek consent where appropriate.

Media may be used for:

  • Church website content
  • Social media platforms
  • Sermon videos
  • Live service broadcasts
  • Event highlights
  • Ministry promotions
  • Church archives

If you have concerns about your image or video appearing on DCOHP platforms, please contact us.

8. Cookies and Website Tracking

The DCOHP website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve user experience, remember preferences, analyse website traffic, enhance security, and improve website functionality.

Cookies may help us understand:

  • Which pages are visited most
  • How users interact with our website
  • Whether the website is functioning correctly
  • How to improve our content and services

You can disable cookies through your browser settings. However, some website features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

9. Sharing of Personal Information

DCOHP does not sell, rent, or trade personal information.

We may share limited personal information only where necessary, including with:

  • Authorised church leaders, administrators, pastors, ministry workers, or area coordinators
  • Website hosting providers
  • Email and communication service providers
  • Payment processing providers
  • Technical support providers
  • Legal or regulatory authorities where required by law

Where third-party service providers are used, we expect them to protect personal information and use it only for the purpose for which it was provided.

10. Third-Party Platforms and Links

The DCOHP website may contain links to third-party websites or platforms such as:

  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Payment gateways
  • Online giving platforms
  • External sermon or media platforms
  • Social media pages

DCOHP is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of third-party websites. When you leave our website, you should review the privacy policy of the external platform you are using.

11. Data Security

DCOHP takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

These measures may include:

  • Secure website hosting
  • Password-protected administration access
  • Access control for authorised personnel
  • Secure payment processing through third-party providers
  • Regular website maintenance
  • Monitoring for suspicious activity
  • Limiting access to personal information based on role and necessity

Zimbabwe’s data protection framework also places responsibility on data controllers to process personal information securely and take appropriate measures against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, alteration, or processing.

However, no online platform is completely risk-free. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted over the internet.

12. Retention of Personal Information

DCOHP will keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law, church administration, financial record keeping, dispute resolution, or legitimate ministry purposes.

For example:

  • Membership records may be kept while you remain connected to DCOHP
  • Donation and payment records may be retained for accounting and audit purposes
  • Email subscription records may be kept until you unsubscribe
  • Contact form messages may be retained for administrative follow-up
  • Prayer requests may be kept only as long as necessary for ministry response

When information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete, anonymise, or securely store it.

13. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

  • Request access to personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
  • Request deletion of your personal information, where appropriate
  • Withdraw consent for certain communications
  • Object to certain uses of your personal information
  • Request that we stop sending email updates or newsletters

Zimbabwe’s Cyber and Data Protection Act supports the protection of privacy and lawful processing of personal information.

To exercise your rights, please contact DCOHP using the contact details provided in this policy, or use our account deletion page to permanently remove your member account after email verification.

14. International Data Transfers

Some of the digital services used by DCOHP may be hosted or processed outside Zimbabwe. These may include email platforms, website hosting, cloud storage, analytics services, video platforms, or payment processing providers.

Where personal information is transferred or processed outside Zimbabwe, DCOHP will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. Zimbabwe’s data protection rules include requirements around transferring personal information outside the country, including consideration of adequate protection and safeguards.

15. Donations, Giving, and Partnership Records

If you make a donation, give an offering, support a church project, or register as a partner through the website, DCOHP may use your information to:

  • Confirm receipt of your giving
  • Maintain financial records
  • Send acknowledgement messages
  • Manage partnership communication
  • Comply with accounting or legal obligations
  • Contact you regarding your pledge, donation, or partnership interest

DCOHP will handle giving-related records respectfully and confidentially.

16. User Accounts and Member Profiles

Where the DCOHP website or mobile app allows members to create profiles or accounts, users are responsible for keeping their login details confidential.

You should not share your password with anyone. If you believe your account has been accessed without permission, you should contact DCOHP immediately.

DCOHP may suspend or restrict access to accounts where there is suspected misuse, false information, abuse, security risk, or violation of church platform guidelines.

17. Updates to This Privacy Policy

DCOHP may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our website, ministry operations, legal requirements, or data protection practices.

When updates are made, we may revise the “Effective Date” at the top of this policy. Continued use of the website after updates means you accept the revised policy.

19. Closing Statement

DCOHP is committed to protecting your personal information and using it in a way that honours your trust, supports the work of the ministry, and respects your privacy. We believe that all communication, membership, giving, and ministry records should be handled with integrity, confidentiality, and care.