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How PewSearch collects, uses, and protects your information.
Last updated: March 31, 2026
PewSearch is a church directory operated by ChurchWiseAI LTD, a company incorporated in Ontario, Canada. We help people find Christian churches across the United States and Canada, and we help churches manage their online presence through optional paid subscriptions including Premium Pages and Pro Website hosting. Our website is pewsearch.com.
Church listings are sourced from public databases and from churches that claim their own listings. This information includes church names, addresses, phone numbers, websites, denominations, and service times — all of which are publicly available.
We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We also store a consent preference in localStorage. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though some features of the site may not work properly.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not send marketing emails without your explicit consent.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share data only with the following service providers necessary to operate PewSearch:
Stripe
Payment processing for Premium Page and Pro Website subscriptions
Supabase
Database hosting and authentication (SOC 2 compliant)
Vercel
Website hosting and content delivery
Resend
Transactional email delivery (claim confirmations, notifications)
PostHog
Privacy-friendly product analytics
OpenAI
AI chatbot responses — when you use a church chatbot on PewSearch, your messages are processed by OpenAI to generate responses. We do not include your name or email in chatbot requests. OpenAI does not use this data to train their models (per our Data Processing Agreement).
Each provider is contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only to provide their services to us. We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users.
PewSearch offers optional AI chatbot features on certain church pages (/chat/[church]). This section explains how AI is used and what data is involved.
How the chatbot works
When you interact with a church chatbot on PewSearch, your messages are sent to OpenAI's API to generate responses. The chatbot is powered by OpenAI's gpt-4o-mini model and draws on information provided by that specific church.
What data is sent to OpenAI
Only your message content is sent. We do not include your name, email address, IP address, or any church admin data in chatbot requests.
No AI training on your data
OpenAI does not use chatbot interactions to train their models. This is covered by our Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with OpenAI.
Chatbot conversation logs
Chatbot conversation logs are retained for 90 days for service improvement and to help churches follow up with visitors who provide contact information during a conversation.
AI accuracy disclaimer
Responses are AI-generated and may not be perfectly accurate. Chatbot responses do not constitute pastoral advice, counseling, legal guidance, or professional advice of any kind. For sensitive personal matters, please contact the church directly.
Crisis safety protocols
The chatbot includes safety protocols to detect crisis situations (such as expressions of distress, self-harm, or urgent need) and provide appropriate crisis helpline numbers. If you are in crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) or emergency services (911).
Human escalation
You can always request to speak with a real person. The chatbot is designed to connect you with church staff when needed. Church contact information is displayed on every church page.
The AI chatbot feature is provided by individual churches as a convenience. Use of the chatbot is optional — you can always contact the church directly by phone, email, or in person.
Church listings
Retained indefinitely as public directory data. Churches may request removal at any time.
Admin account data
Retained while your subscription (Premium Page or Pro Website) is active, plus 90 days after cancellation.
Billing records
Retained for 7 years as required by tax and financial regulations.
Usage analytics
Individual session data is retained for 90 days. Aggregated and anonymized data is retained indefinitely.
We take the security of your data seriously. All data is encrypted in transit using TLS 1.3 and at rest using industry-standard encryption. Our infrastructure is hosted on SOC 2-compliant providers. We use token-based authentication for admin access and never store payment card details on our servers.
You have the right to:
To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@churchwiseai.com. We will respond within 30 days.
As a Canadian company, we comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). You may file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at privacy@churchwiseai.com.
Your data may be processed by service providers located in the United States, including Stripe, Supabase, Vercel, and Resend. We ensure adequate data protection through each provider's Data Processing Agreement and their compliance with applicable privacy frameworks. By using PewSearch, you consent to the transfer and processing of your data in the United States where necessary to provide the service.
PewSearch is a church directory intended for general audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@churchwiseai.com and we will promptly delete it.
We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify paid subscribers by email at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of PewSearch after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
ChurchWiseAI LTD
125 Concession Street
Ingersoll, ON, Canada N5C 1G2