The decline in offerings from members has long been a challenge for organized religious organizations. This complicated situation stems from the understanding that an offering is a voluntary gift to God, unlike the mandatory tithe. However, offerings play a crucial role in supporting the financial livelihood of the organizations that receive these contributions.
According to a 2023 report from Philanthropy.com, contributions to congregations and religious organizations in the U.S. dropped from 58% of all donations in the 1980s to 29% in the five years ending in 2022. This significant decline reflects growing concerns among denominations about financial sustainability as fewer people contribute. (link)
Studies estimate that up to 30% of U.S. churches may close in the next 20 years due to declining membership and financial resources, according to the 2023 Philanthropy.com article. This highlights widespread anxiety among denominations about insufficient offerings to maintain facilities and programs. (link)
A 2018 survey by Tithe.ly of over 1,000 church leaders worldwide found that many are concerned about optimizing offerings, as they represent a critical act of worship and a primary revenue source. While specific statistics on “worry” were not quantified, the survey emphasized the importance of offerings and the need to improve collection strategies to address financial concerns. (link)
Under these conditions, in a religious organization, the area with the most stress is the Stewarship department. As the reports come in and the funding evaporates, all eyes turn to the Stewarship Director, who is slowly beginning to look like a tax collector. The internet is full of places offering support and ideas on how to revitalize members’ contributions and change strategies to reach the new internet generation.
However, this is not a new problem. The low offering contributions issue is as old as the Bible, and this includes Jesus’ times. Even though there was no defined Stewardship department at that time, the Priests, Levites, Scribes, Pharisees, and Synagogue Leaders had the responsibility not only to collect offerings but also to promote stewardship in their congregations. This was a challenge for which they had to come up with different strategies to increase contributions.
One of these strategies was called Corban (Hebrew: קָרְבָּן, qorbān), which translates to “an offering” or “something brought near” to God, typically for sacred use in the temple. Originally, Corban offerings were intended as acts of devotion, such as thank offerings or fulfillment of vows, as outlined in Leviticus 27 and Numbers 30. So, initially, Corban was following God’s instructions on how to treat offerings.
But apparently, Corban according to God’s stipulations was not enough, so the “stewardship creativity” came with a new strategy. These religious leaders were financially clever! I would have liked to be in the room when they were strategizing this plan.
“Good morning, everyone,” the committee leader began, his tone heavy. “I’m sorry to start this meeting with bad news. Our offering collection continues to decline. If this trend persists, we may have to close another synagogue. We need to find a solution to this issue. The High Priest has been giving me disapproving looks lately, and if I go down, I’m not going alone.” He paused, scanning the room. “Any ideas?”
A long silence hung over the group. Finally, someone spoke up. “Sir, we’ve tried everything. I don’t know what else we can do…”
Before the speaker could finish, a voice from the back of the room cut in. “We can own their foreseeable production forever.”
The leader’s head snapped up, his eyes searching the crowd. “That’s a new and interesting concept. Please, my friend in the back, come forward and share your idea. What’s your name? Philemon, right?”
Philemon stepped forward, confidence in his stride, and began presenting his plan to the group. As he spoke, the committee members’ faces brightened, smiles returning. “Do you remember Corban?” he said. “Well, here’s what we can do…”
By the end of the presentation, the room buzzed with renewed energy. The committee leader, now beaming, stood up. “Philemon, that’s a fantastic idea. You have a real talent, my friend.”
And Philemon’s plan was a very clever one.
- Promote Corban as a symbol of social status and identity politics, celebrating it publicly to inspire others to join. It should be so appealing that individuals feel compelled to dedicate as much as they can as Corban to the Lord, fostering a sense of spiritual pride.
- Teach that something can become “Corban” even if it remains in their possession and use. People will give to the Lord what they still use and become hosts of God’s possession, enhancing their social status.
- It is important to understand that any production from a Corban element is also considered a Corban and is returned to God, or in a sense, to us. For example, if someone dedicates their apple tree as Corban and it bears fruit, that fruit is regarded as an offering and cannot be consumed by the family. However, they may provide an offering equivalent to the monetary value of the apples produced in order to be able to use the fruit.
What a fantastic plan indeed! This sketchy stewardship plan was implemented to the detriment of the people, but it benefited the pockets of the religious leaders—nothing works as well as selling spiritual pride.
With time, people started to engage in this stewardship plan to the point that they were not able to use their resources for their own needs because these were Corban. Of course, having these made them look good. That spiritual image had to be preserved by sacrificing something else in their lives.
This plan did not have Jesus’s favor, the final recipient of any offering. He could see the trickery and spiritual conflict in it. And these corrupt leaders got ruthlessly unmasked, as they deserved. In the confrontation found in Mark 7, Jesus told them:
“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites.” (Mark 9:6 NIrV) “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 9:9-13 NIrV)
Jesus’s words are a powerful warning, not only for the religious leaders of Jesus’s time, but also for the Stewardship Director of our time. The priority of a stewardship ministry is to uplift the person’s spirituality and connection with God, guiding them on how to manage resources to have a closer relationship with Him. Offering comes as a fruit of these relationships; it cannot be produced externally.
From this Jesus encounter, it is clear that the religious leaders of Jesus’s time, and maybe today too, were confusing offering with “fundraising,” which has a predictable objective. Offering, on the other hand, is the result of personal gratitude and cannot be predicted or measured. Trying to predict “offering income” can lead to hazardous assumptions, a situation that stresses treasurers and budget planners.
Based on this Bible story, any Stewardship leader should take into consideration these items:
- Offering should not include uplifting personal image with awards or special treatments. Giving should come naturally as a response to our relationship with God. Jesus praised the widow who gave quietly.
- Allow each person to freely decide their model of offering, giving, or promise to the Lord. And this does not have to be recorded by any other human, it is between God and us. There is no such position as “Spiritual Accountant” or “Spiritual Auditor” because: “When you give to needy people, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matthew 6:3 NIrV)
- Do not lock a giver into a financial obligation they can find difficult to escape. It is “offering”, not a “mortgage”.
However, this story is also a call for the giver not to fall for sketchy stewardship plans just because they sound spiritually good. A “promise to God” should not create a conflict with our spiritual life, where God and His commandments are a priority. I wonder how many people listening to Jesus’s rebuke to the church leaders opened their eyes and finally saw how they were being misled spiritually and financially.
As givers, we should remember that stewardship starts by using the resources we have to grow in our relationship with God. In other words, stewardship begins with taking care of our home’s spiritual needs, such as keeping the commandments. With this understanding, honoring our parents — taking care of them — is above giving an extensive offering.
The giver should also remember that an offering is not an “investment deposit in God.” It is the fruit of gratitude for the many blessings God gives to us, and we may want to be an instrument to bless others. The apostle Paul makes it very clear on how to approach offering: “You shouldn’t give if you don’t want to. You shouldn’t give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIrV)
If your stewardship promise to God is becoming a burden in your life, or is affecting your ability to bless others close to you, remember that God does not expect that at all. Your relationship with God is above everything because you are an offering to God after all.
Copyright: Italo Osorio 2025
Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash
