1. Introduction
Welcome to www.fwc.to, the website of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga – Siasi Uesiliana Tauʻatāina ʻo Tonga (“the Church”, “we”, “our” or “us”).
This website exists to support the worship, witness, ministry, education, communication, and service of the Church, and to provide information about its life and mission to members, communities, and the wider public.
These Terms of Service and Website Use (“Terms”) explain the conditions that apply when you access or use www.fwc.to.
By accessing, browsing or using this website, you agree to use it in accordance with these Terms. If you do not agree with these Terms, you should discontinue use of the website.
2. Purpose of the website
www.fwc.to may provide information and resources concerning: the Christian faith, worship and ministry; the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga; Church leadership and governance; congregations, circuits, districts and ministries; Church history and heritage; sermons, devotionals, Bible studies and theological resources; Christian education and training; conferences, services, meetings and other Church events; youth, family and community ministries; news, announcements and notices; photographs, videos and other media; policies, constitutions and Church documents; pastoral and community services; donations and giving, where available; and other activities associated with the mission and ministry of the Church.
The content and services available through the website may change from time to time.
3. Acceptable use of the website
You agree to use www.fwc.to lawfully, respectfully and in a way that does not interfere with the rights of others or the operation of the website.
You must not use the website: for any unlawful, fraudulent or malicious purpose; to harass, threaten, abuse or harm another person; to publish or transmit defamatory, obscene, hateful or unlawful material; to impersonate another person or organisation; to submit deliberately false or misleading information; to gain unauthorised access to the website, its servers, databases or administration systems; to introduce viruses, malicious code, malware or other harmful technology; to interfere with or disrupt the security or proper functioning of the website; to collect personal information about other users without lawful authority; to send unsolicited advertising, spam or commercial communications; to reproduce or exploit website content unlawfully; or in any manner that may damage the reputation, ministry or lawful interests of the Church or infringe the rights of another person.
We reserve the right to restrict or block access to the website where we reasonably believe that these Terms have been breached or that such action is necessary to protect the website, the Church or other users.
4. Christian and Church content
The website contains material relating to Christian faith, theology, worship, Church teaching, history and ministry.
Some content may express theological interpretations, reflections, sermons or perspectives associated with particular authors, ministers, Church bodies or historical periods. Such material should be understood within its appropriate context.
Where official Church constitutions, regulations, resolutions, policies or doctrinal statements are published on the website, reasonable efforts will be made to present them accurately.
However, the online version of a Church document may not always constitute the authoritative or most recently approved version. Where there is a difference between material displayed on the website and an officially adopted document held by the Church, the officially authorised version will prevail.
Users requiring an authoritative Church ruling, constitutional interpretation or official document should confirm the matter through the appropriate Church authority.
5. Accuracy of information
We endeavour to ensure that information published on www.fwc.to is accurate, appropriate and current.
However, Church programmes, office holders, meeting dates, contact information, events, policies and other details may change.
We do not guarantee that all information on the website will always be complete, accurate, current, error-free, or suitable for any particular purpose.
If you identify information that appears incorrect or out of date, we welcome you to contact us so that it can be reviewed.
6. No professional advice
Information provided through www.fwc.to is primarily for Church, ministry, educational and general informational purposes.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, information on the website should not be regarded as professional: legal advice; financial advice; medical advice; psychological or mental health advice; immigration advice; or other regulated professional advice.
Pastoral and spiritual resources provided through the website are not intended to replace appropriate professional care where professional assistance is required.
People should seek suitably qualified professional advice for matters requiring specialised assistance.
7. Pastoral enquiries and emergencies
The Church may provide facilities through the website for pastoral enquiries, prayer requests or ministry-related communication.
Submitting a message through the website does not guarantee an immediate response or constitute emergency support.
www.fwc.to is not an emergency service.
If you or another person faces immediate danger, serious harm, a medical emergency or another urgent situation, you should contact the appropriate emergency services or relevant professional service in your country.
8. Children and young people
The Church is committed to treating children and young people with dignity, respect and care.
Children and young people should exercise appropriate care when communicating or sharing personal information online. Where appropriate, younger users should use the website with the knowledge or guidance of a parent, guardian or trusted adult.
Users must not use the website to: exploit or harm a child or young person; seek inappropriate contact with a child or young person; obtain personal information about children for an improper purpose; or upload, transmit or distribute material that compromises the dignity, safety or well-being of a child or young person.
Any suspected misuse involving the safety of children or young people may be referred to the appropriate Church or public authorities, where necessary.
9. Intellectual property
Unless otherwise indicated, content created for www.fwc.to is owned by, licensed to, or used with the permission of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga or the respective copyright holder.
This may include: written material; Church publications; photographs; artwork; graphics; logos; videos; audio recordings; sermons; teaching resources; website design; historical material; and downloadable documents.
You may ordinarily view, download or print reasonable portions of publicly available material for personal, educational, worship or non-commercial Church use, provided that: the material is not misleadingly altered; appropriate acknowledgement is given where applicable; copyright notices are retained; and the material is not represented as your own work.
You must obtain permission before using Church-owned content for commercial publication, substantial reproduction, redistribution or other purposes outside reasonable personal, educational or Church use.
10. The Church name, logo and identity
The names Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga and Siasi Uesiliana Tauʻatāina ʻo Tonga, together with the Church's logos, crests, symbols, and other identifying marks displayed on the website, represent the Church's identity.
Their presence on the website does not grant permission for another person or organisation to use them in a way that: suggests official Church endorsement; misrepresents an affiliation with the Church; creates confusion about the source of material; is commercial or promotional without permission; or otherwise misuses the identity or reputation of the Church.
Permission should be obtained from the appropriate Church authority for formal or commercial use of Church branding.
11. User-submitted material
Where the website allows you to submit content such as comments, testimonies, photographs, videos, stories, event information, ministry reports, announcements, or other materials, you remain responsible for the material you provide.
By submitting material for publication, you confirm that: you have the right or appropriate permission to provide it; its publication will not unlawfully infringe another person's rights; it is not knowingly false, defamatory or unlawful; and where identifiable individuals appear in material, any permission reasonably necessary for publication has been obtained.
Where you knowingly submit material for publication on the Church website, you give the Church permission to reproduce, display, format and publish that material for the purpose for which it was provided.
The Church may edit submitted material for reasonable purposes such as formatting, spelling, length, clarity, accessibility and website presentation, while endeavouring to preserve its intended meaning.
We are not obliged to publish material that is submitted to us.
12. Photographs and video
Photographs and videos published on www.fwc.to may document worship, conferences, celebrations, educational activities, historical events, community programmes and other aspects of Church life.
Reasonable care will be taken concerning the publication of identifiable individuals, particularly children and young people.
If you believe that an image or video involving you or a person for whom you have responsibility has been published inappropriately, please contact the Church. We will consider reasonable requests for review or removal, taking into account the circumstances, historical significance, legal requirements and legitimate interests involved.
13. External links
The website may contain links to external websites and services operated by other organisations.
These may include: social media platforms; educational institutions; government agencies; other churches and Christian organisations; news organisations; charitable organisations; video and media platforms; payment providers; and other third-party services.
A link from www.fwc.to does not necessarily mean that the Church endorses every view, statement, product, service or item of content appearing on the external website.
We do not control external websites and are not responsible for their content, availability, privacy practices or security.
You access external websites at your own discretion and subject to their respective terms and policies.
14. Social media
The Church may link to or embed content from platforms such as Facebook, YouTube or other social media services.
Your interaction with these platforms is also subject to the terms, privacy policies and community standards of the relevant provider.
Comments or opinions posted by members of the public on external social media platforms do not necessarily represent the views or official position of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.
15. Donations and giving
Where the website provides facilities for online giving or donations, donations are made voluntarily for the stated Church, charitable, ministry or community purpose.
Payment processing may be handled by an external payment provider. Additional terms imposed by that provider may therefore apply.
If you believe that a payment has been made incorrectly, duplicated or without proper authorisation, please contact the Church as soon as reasonably possible.
Requests concerning the cancellation or refund of a donation will be considered according to the circumstances, applicable law, relevant Church policies and any conditions associated with the particular appeal or payment service.
Nothing in these Terms limits any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.
16. Events, conferences and registrations
The website may permit registration for Church conferences, meetings, educational programmes, camps, services or other events.
Specific events may be subject to additional conditions relating to matters such as registration, attendance, payment, accommodation, transport, photography, safeguarding, cancellations, or refunds.
Where event-specific terms are provided, those terms apply in addition to these general Terms.
The Church may alter, postpone, relocate, or cancel an event when reasonably necessary due to safety concerns, severe weather, emergencies, government requirements, insufficient registrations, or circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
17. Privacy
Personal information collected through www.fwc.to is handled in accordance with the Church's Privacy Policy and applicable privacy requirements.
By using forms or other services on the website, you acknowledge that the information you provide may need to be processed to respond to your request or provide the relevant service.
Please refer to the Privacy Policy published on www.fwc.to for further information.
18. Cookies
www.fwc.to may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the website, maintain security, support functionality and understand how the website is used.
More information about cookies and the handling of information collected through them is provided in our Privacy Policy and, where applicable, our cookie notice.
19. Website availability and security
We aim to maintain a reliable and secure website, but we cannot guarantee that www.fwc.to will always operate without interruption or error.
The website may occasionally be unavailable because of: maintenance, upgrades, technical faults, hosting interruptions, security incidents, internet outages, or circumstances outside our reasonable control.
We may modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the website when reasonably necessary.
Although reasonable security precautions are taken, no internet-based service can be guaranteed to be entirely free of viruses, malicious software or security vulnerabilities. Users remain responsible for maintaining appropriate security measures on their own devices.
20. Disclaimer and limitation of liability
To the extent permitted by law, the Church does not accept responsibility for loss or damage arising solely from: reliance upon information that is clearly general or informational in nature; temporary inability to access the website; technical failures outside the Church's reasonable control; third-party websites or services; unauthorised interference with the website; or misuse of information or materials obtained from the website.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude, restrict or modify any right, remedy or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.
21. Indemnity for misuse
To the extent permitted by law, a person who deliberately uses the website unlawfully or in material breach of these Terms may be responsible for reasonably foreseeable loss or expense caused directly by that conduct.
This provision does not affect rights or protections available under applicable law.
22. Suspension or termination of access
We may restrict, suspend or terminate access to all or part of the website where reasonably necessary to: protect website security; respond to unlawful activity; address a serious or repeated breach of these Terms; protect other users; comply with legal requirements; or protect the Church's systems and services.
Where appropriate and practicable, we may provide notice before taking such action, but we are not required to do so where immediate action is reasonably necessary.
23. Changes to these Terms
The Church may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in: the website and its services; Church activities; technology; applicable legal requirements; or administrative practices.
The revised Terms will be published on www.fwc.to with an updated effective or revision date.
Your continued use of the website after the updated Terms are published will be subject to the revised Terms.
24. Governing law
These Terms and the operation of www.fwc.to are governed by the laws applicable in the Kingdom of Tonga, unless applicable law requires otherwise.
Any dispute concerning these Terms should, where appropriate, first be raised directly with the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga so that a reasonable resolution may be sought.
Nothing in this section prevents a person from exercising rights or remedies available to them under applicable law.
25. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found by a competent authority to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be interpreted or limited to the extent reasonably necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue to apply.
26. No waiver
If the Church does not immediately exercise a right available under these Terms, this does not mean that the Church has permanently waived that right.
27. Contact us
Questions, concerns or notices regarding these Terms or the use of www.fwc.to may be directed to:
Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga
Dr Moulton Centre
Vahaʻakolo Road, Kolomotuʻa
Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
Telephone: +676 23 522
You may also contact the Church through the Contact Us.