Privacy Policy

A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries (美國麥種傳道會) Effective Date: May 14, 2026

At A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries, we are committed to being transparent about how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains our practices for visitors to our website at akow.org, including those who purchase books, make donations, create accounts, or simply reach out to us. We handle your information with care and respect, consistent with our values as a Christian ministry.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information in the following ways:

When you place an order or make a donation:

Full name
Billing and shipping address
Email address
Phone number
Payment information (credit/debit card details processed via Stripe, or PayPal account details). Note: We do not store your full payment card number — this is handled securely by our payment processors.

When you create an account:

Username
Order history and saved addresses, stored in your WooCommerce “My Account” profile

When you contact us:

Name, email address, and the content of your message submitted through our contact form

Automatically collected information:

Basic technical data such as browser type, device type, and pages visited, which may be collected through cookies or analytics tools (see Section 6 on Cookies)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Process and fulfill your book orders, including shipping via USPS
Process donations made to support our ministry
Manage your account and order history
Respond to your inquiries submitted through our contact form
Send order confirmations and shipping updates to your email address
Comply with applicable legal and financial recordkeeping requirements

We do not use your personal information for advertising, and we do not send marketing emails without your consent.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share your information only as necessary to operate our website and fulfill your orders or donations:

Stripe — processes credit and debit card payments securely. Stripe’s privacy policy is available at stripe.com/privacy.
PayPal — processes PayPal payments. PayPal’s privacy policy is available at paypal.com/privacy.
USPS — receives your name and shipping address to deliver your order.
WooCommerce / Automattic — our e-commerce platform, which stores order and account data on our behalf. Their privacy policy is available at automattic.com/privacy.

We do not share your information with any other third parties except as required by law.

4. Data Retention

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

Order and donation records are retained for a minimum of seven (7) years to comply with nonprofit financial recordkeeping requirements and applicable tax law.
Account information is retained for as long as your account remains active. You may request deletion of your account at any time (see Section 5).
Contact form submissions are retained only as long as needed to respond to your inquiry, typically no longer than one (1) year.

5. Your Rights Under California Law (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to Know: You may request a copy of the personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which it was collected, and how it has been used or shared.
Right to Delete: You may request that we delete the personal information we hold about you, subject to certain legal exceptions (such as our obligation to retain financial records).
Right to Opt Out of Sale: We do not sell your personal information to any third party — now or ever. There is nothing to opt out of in this regard.
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at ak****@***il.com. We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days as required by law.

6. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to support basic functionality. These include:

WooCommerce session cookies — used to maintain your shopping cart and login session. These are essential to the functioning of the store and cannot be disabled without affecting your ability to shop.
Analytics cookies — we may use tools such as Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. This data is aggregated and not linked to individual identities. You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking by using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

We do not use cookies for advertising or tracking across other websites.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or loss. Our website uses HTTPS encryption, and payment data is handled by PCI-compliant processors (Stripe and PayPal) — we never store your full payment card details on our servers.

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have concerns about your account, please contact us promptly.

8. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

9. International Visitors

Our ministry serves Chinese-speaking Christian communities in the United States and internationally. If you are accessing our website from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact us:

A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries 1423 Maple St. South Pasadena, CA 91030, USA 📞 626-441-5543 ✉ ak****@***il.com

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

This policy was last updated on May 14, 2026.

Terms of Service

A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries (美國麥種傳道會) Effective Date: May 14, 2026

Welcome to A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries. By accessing or using our website at akow.org — whether to browse, purchase books, make a donation, or contact us — you agree to the following Terms of Service. Please read them carefully. If you do not agree with these terms, please do not use our website.

1. About Us

A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries (美國麥種傳道會) is a nonprofit Christian ministry based in South Pasadena, California. Our mission is to spread the Gospel and support the Chinese-speaking Christian community through the publication and distribution of theological resources. Our website facilitates the sale of Christian books and the receipt of charitable donations in support of that mission.

2. Use of This Website

You agree to use this website only for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with these terms. You may not:

Use the site in any way that violates applicable local, state, federal, or international laws or regulations
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the site or its related systems
Transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, spam, or promotional material
Engage in any conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone else’s use or enjoyment of the site
Use the site to impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access for anyone who violates these terms.

3. Products and Orders

3.1 Product Descriptions We make every effort to accurately describe our books, including titles, authors, language (primarily Traditional Chinese), and format. If you receive an item that is materially different from its description, please contact us at ak****@***il.com.

3.2 Pricing All prices are listed in U.S. dollars. We reserve the right to correct pricing errors and to update prices at any time. Your order will be charged at the price displayed at the time of purchase.

3.3 Order Acceptance Placing an order constitutes an offer to purchase. We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order at our discretion, including in cases of pricing errors, suspected fraud, or items no longer available. If your order is cancelled after payment, you will receive a full refund.

3.4 Shipping We ship via USPS Media Mail within the United States. Shipping times are estimates and not guaranteed. We are not responsible for delays caused by USPS or factors outside our control. International shipping may be available on a case-by-case basis — please contact us to inquire.

3.5 Returns and Refunds If you receive a damaged or defective item, please contact us and we will be happy to replace your item. All sales are final.

4. Donations

Donations made through our website support the ministry and publication work of A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries. We are a nonprofit organization and donations may be tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. You will receive an email confirmation of your donation for your records.

Donations are voluntary and non-refundable except in cases of processing error. If you believe a donation was processed in error, please contact us promptly at ak****@***il.com.

5. User Accounts

If you create an account on our website, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Please notify us immediately at ak****@***il.com if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account.

We reserve the right to terminate accounts that violate these terms or that have been inactive for an extended period, with reasonable notice where possible.

6. Payment Processing

Payments are processed by Stripe and PayPal. By completing a purchase or donation, you agree to their respective terms of service. We do not store your full payment card details on our servers. All transactions are encrypted and handled in accordance with applicable security standards.

7. Intellectual Property

All content on this website — including text, book descriptions, images, logos, and ministry materials — is the property of A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries or its content suppliers and is protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from any content on this site without our prior written permission.

Books sold through this site are for personal use only. Reproduction or distribution of purchased content beyond personal use may constitute copyright infringement.

8. Third-Party Links

Our website may include links to external websites, including social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WeChat, LINE, and Telegram). These links are provided for convenience and do not imply endorsement. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of any third-party websites.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

Our website and its content are provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components. We make no warranty regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content on the site.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, A Kernel of Wheat Christian Ministries shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of your use of — or inability to use — this website or its content, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of this site shall not exceed the amount you paid for the transaction giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these terms limits our liability for fraud, gross negligence, or any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

11. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising under these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Los Angeles County, California.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us: