Last updated 26 September 2026
We ask for as little information as possible, use it only to serve you and run the church, and never sell it. This page explains the details in plain language.
01Who we are
Soteria City Church (“we”, “us”) is a local church in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. We run this website, soteriacity.org, and the church’s admin tools. We are responsible for the personal information described in this policy, and we handle it in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
02What we collect
We collect as little as we can, and only what we need:
| When | What |
|---|---|
| You browse the site | Nothing that identifies you. We don’t use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies. Our hosting providers keep standard technical logs (such as IP address, browser and time of visit) for a short time to keep the site secure and working. |
| You contact us | The contact form opens your own email app, so we receive whatever you choose to send: usually your name, email address, phone number and message. The same applies when you email, call or message us. |
| You have a church account | Your name, email address, phone number (if given), your role, whether your account is active, and when you last signed in. If you set a password, we store it only in a scrambled (hashed) form that no one, including us, can read. |
| You sign in with Google | Your name, email address and Google account ID, which Google shares with us when you choose to sign in. We never see your Google password and we don’t get access to your Gmail, contacts or other Google data. |
| You give | We don’t take payments on this site. When you give by bank transfer, your bank processes it and we receive the details on the transfer (such as your name and the reference), which we keep for the church’s financial records. |
Prayer requests may include sensitive personal information, such as about your health, family or faith. Share only what you’re comfortable with. We treat everything you share in confidence (see below).
03How we use it
- To reply to you, pray with you, and arrange visits, copies of books and anything else you ask for.
- To create and run church accounts, including checking new sign-ups before they’re approved.
- To keep the site, accounts and admin tools secure, and to prevent misuse.
- To keep proper records of giving, as a church is required to.
04Our reasons for using it
We use your information because you asked us to (for example, when you send a prayer request or create an account), with your consent (which you can withdraw at any time), because we have a legitimate interest in running and protecting the church’s services, or because the law requires it (for example, financial records). We don’t use your information for advertising and we never sell it.
05Who can see it
Within the church, only the people who need it: our pastors and a small team of admins, and for prayer requests, the prayer team. They keep what you share confidential.
We also use a few trusted services to run the site, which handle data on our behalf:
- Railway, which hosts our server and database (including account details).
- Sanity, where we write and store the posts and books you read on the site.
- Google, only if you choose “Sign in with Google”.
- Email and phone providers, when you contact us that way.
We only share information outside the church if you ask us to, or if the law requires it (for example, a valid request from the authorities, or to protect someone from serious harm).
06Where it’s stored
Some of the services above store data on servers outside Nigeria. When that happens we rely on providers that protect personal information to a standard at least as high as Nigerian law requires.
07How long we keep it
- Church accounts: while the account exists. Ask us and we’ll delete it.
- Sign-ups that are never approved: we remove them after a reasonable time.
- Messages and prayer requests: only as long as they’re needed to help you.
- Giving records: as long as the law requires for financial records.
- Technical logs: a short time, usually a few weeks.
08Keeping it safe
The site and our tools use encrypted connections (HTTPS). Passwords are stored only in hashed form, admin access is limited to approved people, and sign-ins expire and renew automatically. No system is perfectly secure, but if something ever went wrong in a way that put your information at risk, we would tell you and the regulator as the law requires.
09Cookies and similar technology
The public site doesn’t set tracking or advertising cookies. The admin area stores your sign-in in your browser’s local storage so you stay signed in; signing out removes it. If you use “Sign in with Google”, Google may set its own cookies, covered by Google’s privacy policy.
10Your rights
Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 you can ask us to:
- tell you what information we hold about you, and give you a copy;
- correct anything that’s wrong or out of date;
- delete your information or your account;
- stop or limit how we use it, or withdraw consent you’ve given;
- send your information to you or someone else in a usable format.
Email Soteriasoldiers@gmail.com and we’ll respond within 30 days. If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right; you can also complain to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (ndpc.gov.ng).
11Children
Our website and accounts are meant for adults. We don’t knowingly create accounts for children under 13. Information about children in our children’s ministry is handled separately, with a parent or guardian’s involvement. If you think a child has given us information, contact us and we’ll delete it.
12Changes to this policy
We’ll update this page if the way we handle information changes, and change the date at the top. If a change is significant, we’ll tell account holders directly. See also our terms of service.
13Contact us
Soteria City Church, 8 Fatex Close, by Amadi Roundabout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Email: Soteriasoldiers@gmail.com · Phone: +234 904 066 2335