You support the parish through regular, proportional giving, usually by making an annual pledge and fulfilling it throughout the year.
Orthodox parishes don’t pass collection plates during services. We don’t have ushers walking the aisles with baskets while everyone watches who gives what. Instead, we practice stewardship through pledging, which is both more private and more intentional. At the beginning of each year (or when you become a member), you fill out a pledge card indicating what you plan to give. Then you fulfill that commitment however works for you: weekly, monthly, quarterly, or in one annual gift.
This isn’t a contract. It’s a promise you make prayerfully, considering what God’s given you and what you can offer back. The parish uses these pledges to build a realistic budget for the year, paying utilities, maintaining the building, supporting ministries, and meeting our obligations to the Archdiocese. Without pledges, we’re just guessing.
What We Mean by Stewardship
If you’re coming from a Baptist or evangelical background, you might expect to hear about tithing, the Old Testament practice of giving ten percent. We don’t teach that in Orthodoxy. Not because we want less from you, but because we’re asking for something different.
St. Paul wrote that “God loves a cheerful giver.” He didn’t specify a percentage. The early Church fathers, including St. John Chrysostom, taught that everything we have belongs to God anyway. We’re stewards, not owners. So the question isn’t “How much of my money do I owe God?” It’s “How do I use what God’s entrusted to me?”
For most Orthodox Christians, that means proportional giving. As your income grows, your giving grows. Some families give five percent. Some give fifteen. Some give more in lean years than they thought possible because they’ve learned to trust God’s provision. The amount matters less than the heart behind it.
The Practical Side
Most parishes offer several ways to give. You can drop a check in the offering box at the back of the church. You can mail it. Many parishes now have online giving portals where you can set up automatic payments, helpful if you work offshore two weeks on, two weeks off, or if you travel frequently for work.
Some people give cash in an envelope with their name on it so the treasurer can record it for tax purposes. Yes, your giving is tax-deductible. And yes, it’s confidential. The priest doesn’t get a spreadsheet of who gave what. That’s between you and the parish treasurer.
You can also give non-cash gifts: stocks, bonds, even bequests in your will. If you’ve been blessed financially and want to make a larger impact, talk to the parish council about those options.
Why This Matters
Here’s the thing: Orthodox parishes don’t have wealthy denominations backing them. We’re not Southern Baptists with the Cooperative Program. We’re not Catholics with Vatican resources. Each parish is largely self-supporting. If the air conditioning breaks in August (and in Southeast Texas, it will), we fix it from what we’ve received in pledges and offerings.
More importantly, this is how we live out our membership in the Body of Christ. When you pledge, you’re saying, “I belong here. This is my parish family. I’m committed to its life and mission.” It’s not about earning salvation, we can’t buy our way into heaven. But supporting the Church is part of how we respond to God’s grace in our lives.
St. Basil the Great said that when we give to the Church and the poor, we’re lending to God. Not a bad investment.
Getting Started
If you’re new, don’t stress about this. Talk to someone on the parish council or ask after coffee hour. Most parishes are just grateful you’re there and learning. But when you’re ready to make St. Michael’s your church home, filling out that first pledge card is part of how you make it official.
Start where you can. Pray about it. Then commit to it faithfully. The kingdom of God is built on thousands of small acts of faithfulness, including the quiet discipline of supporting your local parish month after month, year after year.
