Ordination Offering

Definition and Meaning

An ordination offering is an offering made by a person newly receiving a church office such as elder, kwonsa (exhorting deaconess), or deacon (particularly ordained deacon)—that is, by the ordinand—around the time of the ordination service. The Korean term imjik (任職) means "entrusting with an office." In Korean churches the offering is often understood as a form of thanksgiving offering, expressing gratitude for the office received and a commitment to dedicated service.

Biblical and Historical Background

No passage of Scripture directly prescribes an ordination offering. Supporters of the practice cite passages concerning offerings given willingly, such as Exodus 25:2, and describe it as a voluntary offering arising from a grateful heart.

Critics point to the account of Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:18–24. Simon offered money for the power to confer the Holy Spirit, and Peter rebuked him. In church history, the buying and selling of church offices or holy orders came to be called "simony" after Simon. Simony was repeatedly prohibited in the medieval church and was also condemned during the Reformation as an example of ecclesiastical corruption.

Practice in Korean Churches

In Korean churches, it is widespread for ordinands to make an offering in connection with the ordination service. The offering goes into the church finances and is reportedly used for purposes such as church construction, missions, and relief work. In some cases ordinands also help cover the costs of the ordination ceremony or of commemorative gifts.

The practice varies from church to church.

• Some churches allow ordinands to decide the amount themselves and give voluntarily.
• Some churches reportedly set de facto amounts for each office.
• Some churches have abolished ordination offerings altogether.

Opinions on the practice are divided.

• Supporters hold that church office is received by grace and that the offering is an expression of gratitude and dedication in response.
• Critics point out that when the amount is fixed or large, members of limited means may find it difficult to receive office. They also argue that linking church office to money gives the practice a character resembling simony.

Such criticism has been voiced persistently, chiefly by church reform organizations and some pastors.