At Georgia Church, ATM Means "Automatic Tithing Machine"

Anyone who attends church knows the embarrassment of not having cash on hand when the collection plate is being passed. If you're one of those, Pastor Marty Baker of the Stevens Creek Community Church in Augusta, Georgia, feels your pain.

That's why he has installed "giving kiosks" that allow any of the congregation's 1,100 members to make an offering via credit or debit card. The kiosks allow members to donate to specific church funds, and print out a receipt as well as send a confirmation via e-mail.

Baker debuted what he calls his "ATMs for Jesus" in early 2005, and is now marketing them to churches across the country through a firm called SecureGive. With an eye toward future trends, Baker sees the kiosks as a solution for a "post-cash society," for members who are willing to give, yet who increasingly rely on credit or debit cards in place of cash.

Baker has run into some challenges in promoting the kiosks, such as resistance from older congregation members, congregations that discourage credit card use (the machines can be set to accept only debit cards), and those who feel that not passing the collection plate takes away from the worship experience.

People have to realize that when you pay offering that pays for the lights, running water, all the bills to keep the church running. A ATM in a church isn't a bad idea.

it mostly goes to the poor. well that's what they say anyways.

The money is goes equally, they have programs for the poor to but it goes to the bills and the youth and the pastor too.

It isn't like they are trying to MAKE people give, they are just giving people more options if they want to tithe.

and i agree with DarkImpressions I'm cool with the money to keep up the church but not to make the pastor/priest use it to pay his bills on his car and etc.

Well it's not really the priests's car, is it? I know with the Catholic Church, the priest lives in the church's house, uses the church's car, etc. And the car 99% of the time is used for church purposes.

I think that would be cool.

-"Oh I just happened to leave my money at home.."
-"Just use the ATM"
-"Damnit. Next week Ill have to leave my credit cards too."

That's bullshit. My dad used to be a pastor, and he became extremely CORRUPT. I hate when I see pastors driving around in Bentley's and stretch limos. WTF? Use that money to help the poor and help the church.

I remember church money being used to buy one of my pastors a car...and I was so disgusted. Messed up.

I have seen people bowing at pastors, and kneeling down in front of them and basically worshiping them. What is up with these people? Automatic Tithing Machine? What the hell is that crap. They just want more money.

I can't believe the church members went along with this...I would raise hell. Give what you can freaking give.

Something that hasn't been mentioned:

The fact that it records it, you can use that as a tax deduction. You can't go saying that I gave the church a 20 every week for an entire year. You can show a receipt.

Religion is not about religion anymore. True religion died off long ago. The only ones following real religion are the Amish, or the Mormons, or all those crazy fuckers bombing our buildings and hacking off heads in the name of their religion. It's a sick, cruel way of life, but that is what religion is. Religion is violence and brutality. Maybe once, now it's about money.

Religion is not about religion anymore. True religion died off long ago. The only ones following real religion are the Amish, or the Mormons, or all those crazy fuckers bombing our buildings and hacking off heads in the name of their religion. It's a sick, cruel way of life, but that is what religion is. Religion is violence and brutality. Maybe once, now it's about money.

how is it that one atm machine in a one church makes all religion and all churches bad.