Offertory

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term bongheon (奉獻) means "to present with reverence." In the narrow sense, it refers to the part of the worship service in which members give their offerings; in the broader sense, it refers to the whole act of faith by which one dedicates material goods, time, and oneself to God. Whereas "offering" refers to the money itself, "offertory" emphasizes the act of giving and its place in the order of worship.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Old Testament describes many forms of giving, such as sacrifices, firstfruits, and the tithe. In the New Testament, Paul urged believers to set aside money on the first day of every week in proportion to their income (1 Corinthians 16:2). He also exhorted them to give willingly: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give" (2 Corinthians 9:7). Romans 12:1 calls believers to present their bodies as "a living sacrifice," which provides a basis for understanding the offertory more broadly as self-dedication.

In the early church, believers brought gifts together with the bread and wine to be used in the Lord's Supper. According to the second-century account of Justin Martyr, what was collected was used to help those in need, such as widows and orphans.

Practice in Korean Churches

The offertory in Korean churches generally proceeds as follows:

• Collecting the offering: Ushers pass offering baskets or bags. Alternatively, members may place their offerings beforehand in an offering box at the entrance of the sanctuary.
• Offertory hymn and offertory prayer: After the offering is collected, the congregation sings an offertory hymn, or the choir sings an offertory anthem, while the gifts are brought forward. A pastor, an elder, or another leader then offers the offertory prayer.
• Offering envelopes: Members write their names on envelopes marked with the type of offering, such as a thanksgiving offering or tithe.

Some churches print the names of donors in the church bulletin, while others, emphasizing the voluntary nature of faith, do not. To avoid giving the impression that giving is compulsory, some churches do not pass baskets and instead provide only offering boxes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, online giving, such as bank transfers, has become widespread alongside online worship.

The placement and understanding of the offertory vary by denomination and congregation.

• Anglican and Lutheran: In liturgical churches such as the Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea, the offertory is part of the Eucharistic rite and is often conducted together with the preparation of the bread and wine.
• Presbyterian, Methodist, and others: Many churches place the offertory after the sermon and explain it as a response to the Word. Other churches place it before the sermon, so its position is not uniform even within the same denomination.

Differences of opinion over whether giving is obligatory and how the tithe should be interpreted are addressed in the article Tithing Controversy.