Despite the growth of online giving within churches, a recent study found that the majority of US churches still rely on in-person giving. The survey was conducted through phone surveys of 1,003 Protestant pastors from Aug. 8 – Sept. 3, 2024. According to Lifeway Research, the most recognizable way of collecting church offering by passing a plate or some sort of object for physical collections, remains the top method for collecting funds. Sixty-four percent of pastors stated they collect tithe by passing around a plate or basket, with the practice being more common in churches with congregations of 50 to 99 (68%) over churches with 250 or more (56%). Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, stated that the preference for passing something around at smaller churches was not a surprise. “If reluctance to pass the plate relates to the time it takes or the volunteers required, it’s not surprising smaller churches don’t see a problem,” he said.

The second most used option was that of collection boxes for parishioners to give their offerings either upon arriving to church or leaving. Forty percent of churches stated they used such a method. The practice is more popular in bigger churches, with about 65% of churches with congregations over 250 offering such a method. The appeal of the method for some lies in its anonymity. “Collection boxes can’t see if you give or not. While some churches use the boxes in addition to other methods to make sure everyone has the chance to give, others use them exclusively to minimize guilt or pressure to give,” stated McConnell.

A 2022 Lifeway study found that while online giving is increasing in churches, it still lags behind physical giving. This may be partly because 53% of churchgoers prefer to pay their offerings in cash and 30% prefer to pay by check, with neither method being easily accessible by online methods. 62% of churchgoers stated they didn’t use any electronic methods for their giving, while 35% stated they used at least one. Another appeal of in-person giving that McConnell noted was that such giving doesn’t charge the church the fee, unlock many online programs that do. And, while many churches offer a variety of giving methods, it is far more likely they will leave out the digital option over the physical option, McConnell noted. “While many churches offer digital giving options, only 1% of churches say they don’t provide an opportunity to give an offering in person at their worship services,” he said. “The variety of methods for taking the collection reflects the wide variety of styles when it comes to practicing any element of worship.”