top of page

Terms of Service

Terms of Service July 2024

​

Welcome to gcfa.org (this “Site”). This Site is operated by The General Council on Finance and Administration of the United Methodist Church (“GCFA”). By visiting or otherwise using this Site, you (“you” or “your”), as a user of this Site, agree to each and every part of these Terms of Service (these “Terms”). If you are using this Site on behalf of an organization or entity, then the organization or entity must also agree to these Terms, and the terms “you” and “your” also apply to such organization or entity. These Terms may be updated by GCFA from time to time. Your continued use of this Site following any change to these Terms means that you accept those changes. If you disagree with any terms or conditions of these Terms, do not use this Site.

 

Your Use of This Site

​

Subject to all restrictions and other terms and conditions set forth in these Terms, GCFA grants to you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, and freely-revocable (by GCFA at any time and for any reason) license to access and use this Site and interact with any content, text, images, products, services, data, information, communications (including user communications and other communications), advertisements, features, posts, bulletin boards, chats, or other materials (collectively and individually, “Content”) on this Site in accordance with the functionality of this Site (the “License”). If Content on this Site is available for download, viewing, printing, sharing (e.g., to social media), or other specific uses, then you can download, view, print, share, and use such Content for your own personal and non-commercial use, for engaging in or furthering a business relationship with GCFA, or in accordance with other permissions expressly granted to you on this Site.

 

Additionally, this Site may now or later allow or require you to create an account to access certain features of this Site. In such case, you may be required to provide and register your personal information, and you may be required to choose (or be provided with) a username and password for your account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your username and password. You are also responsible for all uses of your account, whether actually or expressly authorized by you. You must immediately inform GCFA if you become aware of any unauthorized use of your account. GCFA may modify, throttle, disable access to, or terminate your account or any features or services of this Site at any time and for any reason (including if you provide GCFA with false or misleading registration information, interfere with other users’ use of this Site, interfere with the administration of GCFA’s services, or violate these Terms), without liability to you or to anyone else.

 

In order for GCFA to protect its patrons and respond to patron needs and complaints, as well as to maintain the services available through this Site, GCFA may need to access your account or the personal information associated with your account. You consent to GCFA accessing your account and records at any time and for any reason (including to investigate complaints or other allegations or abuse). GCFA will not disclose the existence or occurrence of such an investigation to third parties unless required by law. You further consent to GCFA accessing and processing your personal information as set forth in GCFA’s Privacy Policy.

​

This Site may enable you to share, upload, post, email, transmit, submit, store, or otherwise make available (“Share”) Content through interactive communications (e.g., email, chat, discussion boards, or other interactive functions) or other means. Even if Content you Share is intended for a private audience, it may be subject to public access and access by GCFA. GCFA reserves the right to delete, disable access to, or otherwise remove (with or without notice) any Content (even if you Share it) for any reason, but GCFA has no obligation to remove any particular Content (including Content that you may find objectionable or offensive).

​

If you Share any Content on this Site (“Contributed Content”), you grant GCFA with a royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable, sublicensable, transferable, and perpetual license to reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform, publicly display, transmit, translate, adapt, arrange, recite, communicate to the public, broadcast, use as a basis for an audiovisual work, and otherwise use (and allow others to use) such Contributed Content in any language, quantity, manner, format, and by any means now known or later developed: (1) as reasonably necessary to provide or improve any of the functionality of this Site; (2) in accordance with GCFA’s Privacy Policy; (3) in an aggregated and deidentified manner for research, study, and discussion purposes; (4) for administrative, ecclesiastical, organizational, financial, and business purposes; and (5) in accordance with any additional permission you grant to us.

​

Information and opinions expressed in Content on this Site (particularly Content originating from this Site’s users) are not necessarily those of GCFA. Users alone are responsible for Content they Share when using this Site and GCFA’s services, as well as for the consequences of any such Content. You represent and warrant that you have all the necessary rights in and to any Contributed Content you Share through this Site, and that all Contributed Content you Share through this Site complies with these Terms.

​

You acknowledge that no right, title, or interest in or to this Site, any linked website, or any Content on this Site or any linked website is transferred to you and all rights not expressly granted are reserved by GCFA.

​

Third-Party Links

 

GCFA (or third parties) may provide links to other websites or resources (“External Sites”) on or through this Site. GCFA is not responsible for the availability of External Sites, and GCFA does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for any Content on or available through any External Sites. GCFA will not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with your use of, or reliance on, any External Sites or their Content.

​

Restrictions

​

Unless you obtain GCFA’s express prior written approval (which GCFA may grant or withhold at its sole discretion), and except as otherwise expressly authorized in these Terms, you will not do any of the following:

  • Copy or otherwise reproduce this Site or any of its Content;

  • Publish, distribute, display, disclose, rent, lease, loan, perform, transmit, or otherwise make available to others this Site or any of its Content;

  • Modify, translate, adapt, or otherwise create derivative works of this Site or any of its Content;

  • Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to discover the source code or other constituent components of this Site;

  • Remove, obliterate, obscure, conceal, or otherwise tamper with any copyright, trademark, confidentiality, or other proprietary notice, mark, or legend appearing on this Site;

  • Assign any of your rights or obligations under these Terms to any third party;

  • Share any Content to this Site that is unlawful; harmful; threatening; abusive; harassing; tortuous; defamatory; vulgar; obscene; pornographic or sexually explicit; libelous; invasive of another’s privacy; hateful; or that is racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable to GCFA;

  • Impersonate any person or entity, including any webmaster, forum leader, guide, or host of this Site;

  • Falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity on or through this Site;

  • Forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers to disguise the origin of any Content you Share through this Site;

  • Share any Content to this Site that you do not have a right to Share under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships (such as inside information or proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements);

  • Share any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, or other intellectual proprietary right or any other right of GCFA or a third party;

  • Share any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, junk mail, spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or any other form of solicitation;

  • Share any Content that contains software viruses or any other computer code, files, or programs designed to interrupt, destroy, or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware;

  • Interfere with or disrupt this Site or any servers or networks connected to this Site, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies, or regulations of this Site or its associated servers or networks;

  • Use this Site to intentionally or unintentionally violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law or regulation, including any laws or regulations designed to protect minors, any laws or regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any rules of any national or other securities exchange, or any regulations having the force of law;

  • Use this Site to stalk or otherwise harass another;

  • Use a robot, spider, crawler, or other automated device, process, or means to access this Site for any purpose, including for scraping data or for monitoring or copying Content on this Site; or

  • Collect or store personal data about other users from this Site.

 

Disclaimer; No Warranty; Indemnity

​

This Site and GCFA’s services are provided AS-IS. GCFA assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, deletion, mis-delivery, or failure to store any Content or personalization settings, or for any other harm or damages to you or others related to your use of or inability to use this Site.

​

YOU UNDERSTAND AND EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THIS SITE AND GCFA’S SERVICES ARE AT YOUR SOLE RISK, THAT ANY CONTENT VIEWED, DOWNLOADED, OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH YOUR USE OF THIS SITE OR GCFA’S SERVICES IS AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK, AND THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR VIEWING, DOWNLOAD, OR USE OF SUCH CONTENT.

​

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH ON THIS SITE, GCFA DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. GCFA MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION REGARDING THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THIS SITE, ITS CONTENT, OR GCFA’S SERVICES REGARDING THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH THIS SITE, ANY CONTENT, OR GCFA’S SERVICES. GCFA MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT USE OF THIS SITE OR GCFA’S SERVICES WILL MEET ANY USER’S REQUIREMENTS, OR BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR FREE.

​

GCFA WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SITE, ANY CONTENT, OR GCFA’S SERVICES (INCLUDING RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED, MESSAGES RECEIVED, OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH THIS SITE OR GCFA’S SERVICES, OR RESULTING FROM LOSS OF, UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO, OR ALTERATION OF A USER’S TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT, OR FOR THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES), INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, USE, DATA, OR OTHER INTANGIBLES, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT GCFA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

​

You will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GCFA and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, consultants, and other agents from any and all third party claims, liability, damages, and costs (including attorneys’ fees) arising from your use of (or inability to use) this Site or GCFA’s services, your violation of these Terms, or your infringement of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity (or for any of the foregoing performed by another person using your account).

​

Intellectual Property

​

GCFA does not condone copyright infringement and will not tolerate such infringement by its users. Accordingly, GCFA may, at its discretion, disable or terminate your account or the accounts of users who may be infringing the intellectual property rights of others. Indeed, GCFA will disable or terminate the accounts of repeat infringers under appropriate circumstances.

​

If you believe that Content you own has been copied and made accessible in a manner that violates your copyright or other intellectual property rights, please notify GCFA immediately. You may submit a notification pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (the “DMCA”) by providing GCFA’s designated agent with the information required in 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3). GCFA’s designated agent is:

​

Leticia Mayberry Wright

1908 Grand Ave, Nashville, TN 37212

legal@gcfa.org

1-833-862-4232

​

GCFA’s name and logo, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, slogans, and other identifiers are trademarks of GCFA or its affiliates or licensors. You may not use such identifiers without GCFA’s prior written permission.

​

As between you and GCFA, this Site and any associated documentation, as well as any Content provided by GCFA, are and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of GCFA.

​

Additional Terms

​

These Terms will inure to the benefit of GCFA’s successors, assigns, and licensees.

​

These Terms will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Tennessee. Any action brought to enforce these Terms or matters related to this Site must be brought in either the state or federal courts of Tennessee (and you consent to such jurisdiction and waive any claim that such forum is not convenient). If for any reason a court of competent jurisdiction finds any portion of these Terms to be unenforceable, the remainder of these Terms will continue in full force and effect.

​

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and GCFA with respect to the subject matter of these Terms and supersede and replace all prior or contemporaneous understandings or agreements (whether written or oral) regarding such subject matter. Any waiver of any provision of these Terms will be effective only if in writing and signed by an authorized representative of GCFA.

​

Tax Exempt Status

​

GCFA is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 170.

​

Updated: July 2024

​

bottom of page