1. Introduction

School of Ministries is a theological training institution committed to equipping students for Christian ministry and leadership. In the course of our operations, we collect personal information from applicants, students, tutors, and visitors. This policy describes our practices in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the Ghana Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).

By using our website or submitting an application, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Personal Details: Name, date of birth, gender, marital status, nationality, country of residence
• Contact Information: Email address, phone numbers, residential and postal addresses
• Church & Ministry Background: Church name, pastor’s name, ministry role, years in ministry, ordination status
• Education Background: Highest level of education, institution name, year completed, field of study
• Program Preferences: Program choice, specialization, study mode, preferred intake
• Personal Statement: Why you want to study, ministry calling and testimony
• References: Names and contact details of references
• Documents: Passport photograph, certificates, transcripts, national ID, ordination certificate, recommendation letters
• Payment Information: Transaction references (we do not store card details)
• Account Credentials: Email and hashed password (never stored in plain text)

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent
• Referring website
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Admission Processing: Reviewing applications, verifying documents, making admission decisions
• Enrollment & Academics: Enrolling you in programs, assigning courses, tracking progress, issuing grades and certificates
• Communication: Sending application updates, approval notifications, password setup links, and academic announcements
• Payment Processing: Processing application fees and tuition via secure third-party providers
• Student Support: Responding to inquiries, providing technical and academic support
• Security: Protecting against fraud, unauthorized access, and abuse
• Legal Compliance: Meeting legal and regulatory obligations
• Improvement: Analyzing usage to improve our website and services

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it only in the following circumstances:

4.1 With Service Providers

• Paystack — for secure payment processing
• Email service providers — for sending transactional emails
• Hosting providers — for website and database hosting
• LMS platform — for delivering course content

All service providers are contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the services they provide to us.

4.2 With Tutors

Tutors can only see information about students enrolled in the courses they are assigned to teach. They cannot access information about other students.

4.3 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of School of Ministries, our students, or the public.

5. How We Protect Your Information

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption: All data transmitted over HTTPS (SSL/TLS)
• Password Hashing: Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms (bcrypt/argon2) and are never stored in plain text
• Access Control: Role-based access ensures students, tutors, and admins only see data they are authorized to view
• Secure Tokens: Password setup and reset links use cryptographically secure, single-use tokens that expire
• Regular Backups: Data is backed up regularly to prevent loss
• Security Monitoring: We monitor for unauthorized access attempts and suspicious activity

While we take security seriously, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights

Under the Ghana Data Protection Act, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
• Right to Object: Object to certain processing of your information
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (this may affect your ability to use our services)
• Right to Complain: Lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission of Ghana

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at admission@schoolofministries.com.

7. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in to your account
• Remember your preferences
• Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
• Improve site performance and security

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain features of the website. For more details, see our Cookie Policy.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy:

• Application Data: Retained for 2 years after application decision
• Student Records: Retained permanently for academic transcript purposes
• Payment Records: Retained for 7 years for financial and legal compliance
• Account Credentials: Retained until account deletion is requested
• Security Logs: Retained for 1 year

9. Children’s Privacy

Our services are intended for individuals aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will delete it promptly.

10. International Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside Ghana where our service providers operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this policy.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page
• Notify registered users via email
• Post a notice on our website

Your continued use of our services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on:

• Consent: You have given clear consent for us to process your information
• Contract: Processing is necessary to fulfill our agreement with you (e.g., enrollment)
• Legal Obligation: Processing is required to comply with the law
• Legitimate Interest: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g., security, improvement)

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

By using our website, submitting an application, or enrolling in our programs, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy.