The FellowshipOne Blog

A Short History Lesson for Folks on the Fence About Online Giving

The number of churches not offering online giving is shrinking, but within the churches who do offer it, many individuals remain unsure about the safety of online giving–or if it’s even biblical. If it’s not biblical, no amount of trumpeting its benefits will convince a church leader to bend on this issue–and it shouldn’t!


We believe one of the most compelling biblical arguments for online giving continues to be the principle of giving in secret instructed in Matthew 6:3-4. We also believe that a common stumbling block is tradition. After all, for the entire lifetime of just about everyone living today, passing the plate has been the most used method of collecting offerings.

That’s why we thought it would be interesting to look at the history of “church” funding, starting with the Old Testament Temple.