Will COVID-19 Finally Be the End of the Church Collection Plate?

In the 1984 film “Mass Appeal,” Father Tim Farley, played by Jack Lemmon, gives a young, aspiring priest a lesson in church finances.

Give a good sermon, and church coffers will fill up. But a bad sermon comes with a cost.

”It is no accident that the collection comes after the sermon,” Farley warns. “It’s like a Nielsen rating.”

These days, preachers may be able to avoid the sting of a bad sermon, at least in the short term — as passing the offering plate, once a staple of worship, has largely halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And given the rise of a cashless society — and the popularity of electronic giving — the days of passing the plate may soon be over. Read More

In the reformed Anglican Church for almost a century a collection box, placed in a convenient location, was used for the people's offerings. Alms basins, or collection plates, were not introduced until the Restoration. In church plants you may find a basket at the back of the room for donations and giving envelopes. Or those taking the collection may pass a shallow basket for the people's offerings. Baskets are cheaper than wooden or metal collection plates and can be purchased locally at discount variety stores like Dollar Tree. Various plastic containers also work.