IN THEORY: Handy banking on site

A church in Augusta, Ga., has reportedly begun using ATMs as a way for its parishioners to tithe. The effort, says Pastor Marty Baker of Stevens Creek Community Church, is simply a way to adapt to a credit-card-happy society in which plastic is overtaking paper as a form of payment. Proponents of the "Giving Kiosks" say such a use of technology is a way to boost donations using modern tools while adjusting to an age when churchgoers are more likely to have credit and debit cards in their pockets than cash.

Those who aren't thrilled about the idea worry that it promotes debt, even as faiths urge against spending beyond means. And the idea of using such technology at a place of worship strikes some as insensitive and out of context.

What do you think? Think you'd ever purchase one for your congregation?

As the much-beloved hymn says, "the times they are a-changin.'" OK, I'm kidding. Those words are not a hymn, but a song by Bob Dylan. But the point is on target: the times are always changing. Some of us of a certain age have trouble with computers; we are "cyber-challenged," the phrase goes.

After we learned to type and use typewriters, we were forced to learn computers if we wanted to have a weekly column in a newspaper. Biblically, the Hebrews in Exile wondered how they would worship God in a foreign land, away from the Temple. The synagogue came into being. Jesus said one time that one does not put new wine into old wineskins.

The point, I think, is to adapt. At one time people gave alms at their house of worship by bringing gold or whatever they could. Now churches regularly accept personal checks — but that has not always been the case. As we move toward a cashless society or paperless society, I see nothing wrong with an ATM on church property — although I wouldn't have it right next to the altar or the baptismal font. Some churches already have the ability to accept credit cards, so I don't understand the hullabaloo about the possibility of having a kiosk of cash on the premises.

Is there a downside? Yes, because too much debt is a problem in our society, and a credit card ability or an ATM on church grounds could cause problems for those believers who are "fiscally challenged." But the convenience and ease that those money-transfer systems provide outweigh the downside, in my opinion. Besides, the Lord loveth a cheerful giver, regardless of where he gets his geldt.

THE REV. C.L. "SKIP" LINDEMAN

Congregational Church of the Lighted Window
United Church of Christ
La Cañada Flintridge

A huge percentage of monetary transactions are now performed using plastic.

We swipe our credit cards countless times each day at gas stations, grocery checkouts and retail shops of every kind. And with the advent of the Internet, we can manage our children's tuition bills online, file our taxes electronically (with refunds direct- deposited to our bank accounts), and pay debts without ever writing a check or licking a stamp. When it comes to charitable giving, I don't feel that there's anything sacred about writing a check or placing cash in an envelope.

If one feels more comfortable using traditional methods, that's fine, but since many people are now accustomed to the convenience of credit and debit cards, why not harness the technology for charity? Religious institutions depend on charitable contributions to survive, and are always searching for new, creative ways for supporters to fund their community projects, faith-based initiatives, and programs for the needy.

Using an ATM to encourage charitable giving will not, in and of itself, cause people to give beyond their means. Usually, it is negative actions such as unrestrained spending or gambling that force people into debt; if there is a real concern that some community members might go overboard in charitable giving, ATMs can be programmed to only accept debit cards, and reminders can be given about sensible money management. Ultimately, the use of the ATM machine marks another positive milestone in innovative charitable giving. It opens another avenue for individuals to support religious institutions — and these institutions rely on member support to continue their good works.

RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN

Chabad Jewish Center

In Scripture, we read that the ancient Christians laid their offerings at the apostles' feet (Acts 4, 5). Today there is no "feet laying;" everyone puts their money into a plate. Christians now, like those of the first century, still support the cause of Christ by putting their money in the congregational collection receptacles.

There's nothing sacrosanct in having others watch you place your earnings into the coffers, there's only the expectation that conscientious participants will contribute, and that, "cheerfully" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Under the Old Testament, a tithe (10%) was required of everyone numbered among God's people. It supported the temple, the poor and other considerations. In the New Testament, God expects everyone to give according to how He has blessed them (1 Corinthians 16:2); perhaps 10%, perhaps more, perhaps less. And like any Rotary or local community organization, the church needs support.

Is there only one divine way to accomplish that goal?

There's everything good about using ATM machines, assuming a large enough venue to benefit from such, because our society is certainly moving to a cashless one. I personally use cash rarely, and if I were a parishioner at a church where I could ATM my obligation, I would do so in a heartbeat, as surely as paying for my groceries in the check-out counter at Cordons.

Look, this is the 21st century; I don't carry a 5-pound KJV Bible; I carry an NIV translation on my Treo cellphone.

Churches already offer automatic withdrawal. This is only another means, and as society moves from the Stone Age to the phone age, the Rock of Ages (Who leads us through the valley of the shadow of death) may well be served by the life-sustaining tithe-transfer technology of Silicon Valley and a holy personal identification number.

THE REV. BRYAN GRIEM

Senior Pastor
MontroseCommunityChurch.org

If ATMs ever become a practical tool for my congregation's giving I wouldn't hesitate to use them. The most common problem isn't that we give too much. It's that we give too little.

We enhance our members' blessedness by enabling them to give to the Lord's work more consistently. Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you … by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

As church leaders we, like Paul, don't really seek the gifts themselves, we seek the praise they give to God, the benefit they provide for His work and the profit that increases to the account of the givers.

We all need frequent reminders to give as we have determined to in our hearts. It never hurts to make things easier for each other to do just that.

PASTOR JON BARTA

Valley Baptist Church
Burbank

Providing for the material needs of one's faith is an act of joy and personal will. In the Bahá'í Faith, it is considered a privilege to contribute to our fund, a bounty which is reserved only for members of the Faith. Although sacrifice is urged, and is understood to be a meritorious act conducive to personal growth, we are discouraged from incurring debt. We should instead give generously according to our means.

The use of ATMs as an option for giving is certainly a unique twist on a time-honored practice. Although it may strike some as an unwelcome change, it could be helpful to religious organizations in dealing efficiently with the influx of contributions. It may also help avoid the difficulties presented by receipt of massive numbers of checks.

The important thing for the individual to remember when using plastic to make contributions is to temper enthusiasm with mature judgment.

We are asked to give what we have, not to borrow against the future. Indebtedness did not come into being with the emergence of credit/debit cards. They are merely tools for money management, and should be handled with the same wisdom that we use with our checkbooks and wallets.

BARBARA CRAMER

Secretary
Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Glendale

An ATM for mega-sized churches might be appropriate, but it would not be very practical for smaller churches. It is not something that I would be interested in for our congregation.

Many churches are making it possible for parishioners to tithe via credit cards. That makes more sense to me than an ATM.

Virtually everyone has access to credit cards. I guess we are behind the technology trend at our church. We do not offer this means of tithing either.

It all comes down to this: if a person is intent on tithing to a church, that person will find a way to do it. If a person is not into giving to the church, that person will find a reason not to do so.

Most Unity people write checks automatically each week before paying their other bills. It is not an obligation. It is an investment. When one invests in what can only be described as for his or her highest good, it is done willingly and easily without the need for gimmicks or gadgets.

In Unity, we believe that good returns to us, in many varied forms, 10 times or more for anything we give our church.

THE REV. THOMAS E. WITHERSPOON

Unity Church of the Valley
La Crescenta