Most churches still pass the plate to collect offerings, Lifeway survey finds

July 14, 2025

A new survey of pastors by Lifeway Research shows that most Protestant churches in the U.S. still pass a plate or basket during worship services in order to collect offerings.

The Christian Post reports that the survey of 1,003 Protestant pastors found that 64% collect physical offerings rather than using digital giving or collection boxes.

That number jumps to 68% among pastors leading churches with 50 to 99 attendees.

Scott McConnell is the executive director of Lifeway Research and says that the range of donation methods reflects the diversity of worship practices.

In a statement, McConnell said, “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.”

According to the Christian Post, there were noticeable differences between denominations when it comes to collecting offerings.

For instance, Lutheran and Methodist pastors tied for the highest rate of passing the plate during a worship service at 77%.

That compares to 65% of Presbyterian or Reformed pastors, 64% of Baptist pastors, 61% of Pentecostal pastors, 43% of Restorationist movement pastors and 36% of non-denominational pastors.

Lifeway also found that mainline pastors (74%) were more likely than Evangelical pastors (60%) to collect offerings by passing the plate.

Among racial groups, researchers found that 76% of African-American pastors prefer to pass the plate, compared to just 63% of white pastors.

The study also found that some pastors prefer methods that don’t interrupt the worship service with younger pastors tending to favor collection boxes and end-of-service giving.

McConnell noted that while online giving is a significant source of donations, most congregants still want to give physically when they are attending a worship service in person.

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