Church Receives $80,000 Winning Lottery Ticket in Collection Plate

Talk about tithing…

Someone recently placed an $80,000 winning Georgia lottery ticket into the offering plate at a Columbus church.

The Cathedral of Prayer Inc. claimed the winning Georgia Lottery ticket worth $80,000. Gloria Rodgers, chief financial officer, said the winning ticket, Lemon Doubler Cashword, was dropped anonymously in the church offering plate.

 Rodgers, speaking on behalf of the nonprofit, claimed the prize Aug. 26 at the Georgia Lottery’s Columbus District Office.

 “It’s an excellent thing,” Rodgers said in a news release issued Monday by the Georgia Lottery. “People in the community have come by and put lottery winnings in the offering through the years.”

The $80,000 prize is by far the largest they’ve received.

“When we saw this, we didn’t know,” Rodgers added.

 According to Rodgers, burglars stripped the air conditioning unit of its copper three weeks ago, leaving the edifice without cool air. The anonymous donation will go toward fixing the unit.

 “Everybody is just thrilled,” she said. “We’re thankful.”

 Jerrys Food Mart, 3874 Saint Marys Road in Columbus, sold the winning ticket.