I don’t think there is one particular number that applies to every church, but I would not advise one person to be counting the church offering alone.
At least two people should be involved, and I would even prefer three where the church has enough trusted people. The reason is not because you don’t trust the person counting the money. It is because you are putting a system in place that protects everybody.
If one person counts the money alone and something doesn’t balance, who can confirm what actually happened? Even if that person is completely innocent, suspicion can still come.
So you can have two or three people count together, record the amount, reconcile it with what was expected, and have the appropriate people sign or confirm the record.
And I think this is where churches need to be careful… financial accountability is not an accusation against somebody’s character. It is a way of protecting their character.
Even if you trust someone completely, don’t create a system that depends entirely on that person’s integrity.
Because sometimes, we say, “Oh, I trust this person.” That’s good. But the better question is, “What system have we put in place to protect the person we trust?”
The more money a church is handling, the more important these controls become. You don’t want one person collecting, counting, recording, approving, and depositing the money. Those responsibilities should be separated as much as the size of the church allows.
So, if you ask me for a simple starting point… two people minimum, three where practical, and proper records every time.
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