In the wake of the increase in police reports made on thefts at places of worship, churches in Singapore have stepped up their watch on cash handled onsite.

An informal survey by Salt&Light found that in some churches, as much as 80% of tithes and offerings are now given electronically – a process that was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic – so the physical amounts handled are no longer substantial. 

Nonetheless, the leadership at a Brethren church has “adjusted some of our processes, not just for the security of the money being handled, but also for the safety of any staff and volunteers who do so”, one of its pastors told Salt&Light.

A pastor from an Anglican church added that while the church has not noticed any suspicious behaviour recently, it has alerted staff to be on the lookout and warned members to be careful with their belongings.

The largest local mainline denomination, the Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS), has issued a statement in which it underscored the practice of donation boxes being removed immediately after each service and offerings quickly secured. 

Its Chairman of the Council on Communications, Dr Anthony Goh, was quoted as saying, however, that with electronic giving being encouraged, the “opportunities for pilferage” had been reduced and thefts are uncommon in its 46 churches.

Heightened concerns

More than double the number of thefts at places of worship were reported to the police in the first half of this year alone – 11, as compared to the first half of 2022, according to The Straits Times. The figure includes cases of stealing from places of worship and people stealing from one another at these locations.

In January, two men were jailed for three months after stealing close to $12,000 from several temples.

Earlier this month (September), there were news reports of thefts from donation boxes at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Hoon Sian Keng temple in Changi Road.

When contacted by Salt&Light via email, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) replied that it has noted the concerns raised regarding the recent spate of thefts involving religious institutions and will refer the matter to the relevant department for follow-up.

“The safety and security of the people and institutions in Singapore are of utmost importance to us, and we will spare no efforts to prevent, deter and detect crime,” wrote Jackson Wee, the manager of SPF’s Feedback Unit.

Churches keeping up with the times through online giving

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