Texas Baptists Privacy Notice

Last Updated on October 30, 2024

The Baptist General Convention of Texas (“Texas Baptists”) is committed to respecting the privacy rights of our supporters and users of our websites, mobile apps and other online services. This notice describes the types of information that Texas Baptists may collect from you or that you may provide when you send payment information to Texas Baptists or visit txb.org or other websites owned by Texas Baptists and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting and disclosing that information. You are advised to consult the “Privacy” link on our websites each time you use our online services. Your continued use of our online services constitutes your agreement to this notice, as it may be amended from time to time.

Information Collection Practices

When you interact with Texas Baptists sites and services, you are directly providing us with personal data. Personal Data means any information, including sensitive data, that is linked or reasonably linkable to an identified or identifiable individual. Any and all information collected by us is limited to what is adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary in relation to the services being provided by us.

1. Cookies and Tracking Technology

Texas Baptists uses cookies to track visitor activity on our websites. Tracking may occur through first or third-party cookies, such as Google Analytics. We use this information to enhance the effectiveness of our websites and other electronic communications and the relationship of Texas Baptists with its constituents.

If you do not want this site to place a cookie on your browser and track your activity, you may leave the site, disable cookies from our site in your browser, or browse the site using privacy mode in your web browser.

2. Mobile Use

When you access mobile applications, companies don’t have access to traditional browser cookies to track you over time. Instead, third party advertising and analytics companies use device identifiers — such as Apple iOS’s Identifiers for Advertisers (“IDFA”) and Google Android’s Advertising ID — to monitor the different applications used on a particular device.

3. Device Fingerprinting 

Device fingerprinting can track devices over time, based on your browser’s configurations and settings. Because each browser is unique, device fingerprinting can identify your device, without using cookies. Since device fingerprinting uses the characteristics of your browser configuration to track you, deleting cookies won’t help. Device fingerprinting technologies are evolving and can be used to track you on all kinds of internet-connected devices that have browsers, such as smart phones, tablets, laptop and desktop computers.

4. Forms and Links 

If you fill out a form on a Texas Baptists online service, your activity and personal information might be stored in our customer relationship management (CRM) system, and some amount of your past browsing on this site may be available to our staff. This helps us to determine your interests so we can engage with you more effectively and improve our sites.

However, if you use private browsing as described above, you may provide us your information on web forms without making your past browsing activity on our sites available to us. If you do not wish for us to have your personal information, please do not fill out any of the web forms on this or any other Texas Baptists online service. If you do not wish for this tracking to occur, you can unsubscribe from our email newsletters or use private browsing mode to avoid tracking.

5. Newsletters and Surveys 

Texas Baptists offers several email newsletters and opt-in lists that enable us to send you email newsletters that you have requested. From time to time, Texas Baptists may ask you to participate in surveys designed to help improve our services. Any information provided in connection with a survey, including any personal information, will be used for that survey and may also be used to update our CRM system with the most current and accurate information. Additionally, churches, state conventions, associations and church leaders whose contact information is submitted through the Annual Church Profile may receive occasional emails that may be of interest to them in accordance with terms of the Southern Baptist Directory Services Data Protection Agreement.

6. Unsubscribe

You can unsubscribe from any email communication you receive from us that is not directly related to an active relationship with us requiring such communications (e.g., communications to missionaries and chaplains). These unsubscribe options include individual newsletters and mailing lists, as well as an option to stop receiving all emails from Texas Baptists. 

Payment Information

When making a payment, gift, or donation, you will be required to provide personal information about yourself. When you pay or donate via our online services, your payment or donation is processed by a third-party service provider. Texas Baptists does not have access to your credit card data. Other information (e.g., your name, address, donation amount) is transmitted to Texas Baptists via a secure connection.

Using and Sharing Collected Information

Texas Baptists does not sell any personal information. Texas Baptists may disclose certain personal information to third parties, (i) to manage our online services and databases with the help of service providers (who are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of any provided personal information), (ii) as part of our normal business operations, including, with other Texas Baptists affiliated entities (iii) to send you communications about your interactions with us or that may be of interest to you, or (iv) as required by law or requested by governmental or law enforcement authorities, subpoena, court order or discovery request, or when we otherwise believe in good faith that such disclosure is appropriate in connection with any activity that may violate the law or the rights of others, expose us to liability, or threaten the safety or security of any person or property.

Third-Party Websites

This notice does not apply to any third parties. If you visit any website linked to or from our online services (for example, Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites), you are subject to that entity’s own privacy policies, which we do not control or monitor. You should review the privacy policies of all third-party websites before you visit them. Texas Baptists has not reviewed all the sites linked to or from our online services and it makes no representations or warranties as to the privacy practices, functioning or content of any sites linked to our websites. Third-party websites provide information they have collected to Texas Baptists. If you wish to limit the information available to us, you should visit the privacy settings of your third-party accounts to learn more about your options.

Security of Personal Information

Texas Baptists has implemented and maintains reasonable security procedures and practices to protect against the unauthorized access, use, modification, destruction or disclosure of personal information. You must promptly notify Texas Baptists at IMT[at]TexasBaptists.org if your username or password is lost, stolen, or used without permission. In such an event, we will remove that username or password and update our records accordingly.

International Use

This notice is intended to meet the laws and regulations of the United States, and despite the global nature of the Internet, Texas Baptists makes no claims that our online services are appropriate or may be viewed or used outside the United States. Furthermore, our databases are located in the United States. By sending us your data, you consent to its transfer to and storage within the United States. Irrespective of the country in which you reside or from which you access our websites, you authorize Texas Baptists to use your personal information in the United States and any other country where it operates. Those who access Texas Baptists websites from outside the United States do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, rules and regulations.

However, should an international user wish to access, correct, update, or request deletion of personal information, you may make that request by contacting Texas Baptists at IMT[at]TexasBaptists.org.

Children’s Privacy

Texas Baptists only collects the information of children under the age of 13 that is necessary to provide specific services to children and families with children. We collect this information for the safety of the children in the context of a gathering or event or related activity. Children under the age of 13 are prohibited from giving us information directly. If you learn that a child has provided us with personal data in violation of this Privacy Notice, you can alert us at https://texasbaptists.tfaforms.net/4963902.

Governing Law

You agree that this notice and your use of our online services shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Texas.

Updates and Changes to This Notice

Texas Baptists reserves the right, at any time, to add to, update, change or modify this notice, simply by posting such update, change or modification on this page. Any addition, update, change, or modification will be effective immediately upon posting. Each time you use our online services, the current version of this notice will apply.

How to Contact Texas Baptists

We take privacy seriously and we value yours. For additional information, or if you have any questions regarding this notice or the privacy practices at Texas Baptists, please submit your questions or comments directly to IMT[at]TexasBaptists.org via email. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to receive all legally required notices regarding this document or any privacy or security breaches relating to our websites at the email address you use to contact Texas Baptists. You can also send a letter with questions or comments to:

IMT
Texas Baptists
7557 Rambler Road, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75231