Contents:
The Apostle Paul taught that how we give is as important as what we give. In what ways does the Church use tithing funds and other offerings? As members of the Church, we give tithing and other offerings to the Lord. Tithing is used by the Church for many purposes. Some of these are to:. Build, maintain, and operate temples, meetinghouses, and other buildings. Provide operating funds for stakes, wards, and other units of the Church.
These units use the funds to carry out the ecclesiastical programs of the Church, which include teaching the gospel and conducting social activities. Educate young people in Church schools, seminaries, and institutes. Church members fast each month by going without food and drink for two consecutive meals. They contribute at least the amount of money they would have spent for the meals.
They may give as generously as they are able. This offering is called the fast offering. Bishops use these fast offerings to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for the needy. See chapter 25 in this book. As part of the fast day, members attend a meeting called the fast and testimony meeting, where they share with each other their testimonies of Christ and His gospel.
Church members may donate to other efforts of the Church, such as missionary work , the Perpetual Education Fund, temple construction, and humanitarian aid. Judging from my experience, questioning church leaders on anything that has to do with finances is like questioning God's representative who is believed to be beyond reproached.
At the moment, we are experiencing this kind of situation in the religious community of Liberia. Pastors or Preachers are getting wealthier while their members living conditions are getting bad. Complain about this comment Comment number 1. They extort money from their members with the promise of prosperity, good health, good life and general wellbeing. This is anchored on the generosity of the believer by sowing seeds money that is expected to germinate and leads to prosperity. However, this prosperity is only experienced by the church owners while the congregations wallow in poverty.
In Nigeria, a church member embezzled over N40m which he donated to the church, when arrested, the pastor claimed he never sent him to embezzle.
My mother - in - law is always a victim of these extortion, even on her sick bed pastors were requesting her monthly contributions. Complain about this comment Comment number 2. This is not a concession I ever thought I'd make, having always argued that our problems are caused by atrocious political leadership, but I'm now convinced that this is not the whole picture. For our gullibility and our willingness to ignore the obvious is almost unmatched elsewhere. Take the emergence of so-called "churches".
These, to any rational observer, are clearly criminal enterprises run by snake-oil salesmen, who care as much about the teachings of Christ as an Innuit does about Tutankhamen's nappies.
Yet, although many of their followers are dirt-poor, they don't mind "challenging God" with huge, regular "tithes. Try telling our people that that brand new if only half-completed airport or stadium in the regional governor's village serves no useful economic purpose and should never have been built, and you're labelled an enemy of "progress. Alas, duplicity and cunning are considered heroic virtues by our people. And we wonder why we remain mired in misery so long after independence.
Complain about this comment Comment number 3. This is incredible, the so-called men of God,gosple preachers who are expected to impart bible principles to the people are now making prosperity,success as their theme of preaching,indirectly, they are making life difficult for their congregations, many feel reluctant of going to church because they cannot afford compulsory contributions, they will reap their reward in full, for there will be no hiding place for the creator of the universe. Complain about this comment Comment number 4.
The issue of soliciting money in the name of Jesus is not unique to Africa, rather it is a world wide practise. Look at all the Christian non-profit oragnizations present in Africa. What do they do? They solicit money and their founders and CEO earn six figures. The form of Christianity presently practised in Africa has nothing to do with the local cultures but a Western form of Christianity which is heavily loaded with entrepreneurism. The Vatican City was built out of soliciting money from the poor.
Mega churches are built by borrowing money from the bank and making the poor souls pay that morgage. The only trur and authentic church is one described in the Acts of The Apostles, meaning that everything was held in common to help the most poor of the community. Church is about business and manupulation. Complain about this comment Comment number 5. I believe the question is not whether or not one can afford to go to church, but the beggar syndrome of some pastors is a complete put off!!! In Uganda, one female pastor told her congregation that it was not acceptable to give god coins!!!
Now for anyone who had gone to church that day with coins, the feeling must have been terrible!!! Then the concept of contributing towards all sorts of things, including pastors' trips overseas!!! First collection is ordinary offertory Complain about this comment Comment number 6. Tithing to a church is strictly voluntary unless you are in a cult that requires one to give-up possessions. Some people say that there are two things that are unavoidable and can happen to you: They forgot to include tithing.
Complain about this comment Comment number 7. I can afford to go to church simply because I give tithe when I feel like it and certainly won't be coerced into giving. When I go to church, it is to pray in peace not to be a member, or to hear any preaching that they don't practice or get a blessing from any human being.
It is interesting to see how we Africans get unhappy with our politicians but refuse to see the evil done in the name of god. In which case, the blame lies entirely on the congregation as they provide the platform for these so called men of god to bully and abuse those who put their trust into them.
Mainstream religion is not feeding people. And they should not take advantage of the vulnerability of people. The pastor, founder, general overseer or leader is often as rich as midas, draped in a designer suit he exhorts us to dig deeper into our pockets and come up with more cash. What is more terrifying is the inability of these men or women of God to properly account for these funds. This was just one of many situations that I witnessed.
The question is, do people really have to go to such churches to prove their Christianity, does god need a middle man to be reached. In my view, the answer is no in both cases. Complain about this comment Comment number 8. I marvel when I hear Pentecostal Pastors ask their congregation for Tithe. Tithe is an Old Testament Law, and Numbers 18; 21 says that it is meant for the upkeep of Priests and Levites and work in the Tabernacle. These new churches do not believe in the work done in the Tabernacle and yet they pull Tithing out of the hat!
Church members need to wisen up and "test all things" as the Bible tells us to. When we start doing that, things will change, and our churches will probably start doing more of the transformative job we expect of them. Complain about this comment Comment number 9. I remember quite clear at the age of 9 before moving with my family from Kenya to Germany that our pastor was someone you looked up to. That is almost 16 years ago. He was a great man who cared about the society, the needy ones and always counted himself and his family last. Maybe it's due to my age that I misunderstood this or he was really real back in the days.
However, after I came back for a visit 5 years later obviously a lot of things had changed, especially the pastor who just returned from the united states with his family later found out they travel every three months. The small church that used to be quite decent, turned to be a big hall full with fancy new things.
I saw him and his wife and kids. They stood out of the crowd with their fashionable clothes and jewelery, and not to forget the two silver and black Mercedes that were parked outside the church. One for him and the other one for his wife, because on that day they had visitors from the states.
The fact that even the old house they used to live in, which was quite beautiful, became to small was another reason for me to start doubting. All in all, I just realized after having a few conversation with some people who have been going to church ever since, that the pastor became rich through preaching. This may sound offending, but remembering how my aunt used to expect us to give even the last shilling in our pocket to the collection, made me really angry. From that day I started doubting going to church though other incidents contributed to that as well, but that's another topic and told myself I can read the bible and I can preach myself.
I can help myself. God gave me the ability and I will use it! I did a gap year in Ghana and sad enough, it was even worse over there. The same market women who struggle from Monday to Saturday with only a few Cedis in their pocket would go and give all that money to the collection, in the believe God will double that amount. Not knowing God has nothing to do with this and it's the pastor who is benefiting. I believe that keeps most of the people going though, thinking their money is used wisely Complain about this comment Comment number I come from Kenya and I find this article timely.
In my country Kenya,our church ministers make it very difficult and at times impossible to go to church,as the way of soliciting for SADAKA,ie the church contribution is so tormenting and minddisturbing. An example is a case where a pastor dictates the congragation to flash out their contribution to the air so he can bless it. The pastor brings out his and shows it to everyone,and his is the highest denomination of the land What is his message? How about those who have just afew coins?
How will you come back to that church tomorrow,if you dont have kshs ? And where do they take the church money? I wish there was a way to make the people realise that 90 percent of the pastors in Africa are in these positions to make themselves rich. They have copied so much from the western prosperity pastors and have taken advantage of their own people. As africans, we are born already believing in something and the poverty and lack of proper medical access causes people to easily believe the false teachings the pastors preach.
Often the people are told the blessing will come "soon" and until that "soon" comes, more and more money must be given. The pastors benefit from such teachings and they all know, they will never be held accountable for their misleading practices. He failed to heal my brother that died of cancer. We lived in the biggest house ever and we drove the best cars.
We went to foreign schools whilst our housekeepers earned the worst pay, they tithed in his church, giving almost all they earned to have a better future for their children. His ministry grew to a mega church. I hope I can one day write and expose his practises.. I hope him and all pastors like my father will be punished for their crime.
The usual maxim is, the more you bring the more your blessings. Accountability is almost non existent. Handsome rewards await the generous giver, they would often repeat The orthodox churches are run pretty much the same way the Europeans taught our fathers and their fathers before them. They are more democratic, with leaders chosen through elections and local churches run majorly through periodically elected non clergy or elders.
Financial records are, in the churches I have attended, open for scrutiny and debated at least once a year. Offerings are sometimes requested for specific projects and committees run them. You may think that the orthodox churches will have the most number of followers due to the relatively transparent ways they are being run.
Attendance are declining because usually little or no sermons on prosperity is given. People are not promised 'handsome returns' for their money. And like the stock market boom and bust in Nigeria teaches us, people are more likely to rush to equities churches with the most prospect of spiritual returns with no questions asked.
I have seen this happening in a lot of churches in Africa and else where in the world, albeit with a more subtle tactics to enchant money from congregations. My Church Highlife church in Nigeria presents giving in a way that ensures that people know it is their responsibility to decide how much and if they give without feeling any guilt about their decision.
I have never felt under pressure to give. I believe this is due to the fact that we practice from the stand point of grace in all we say and do. Pressures of Greed, Competition and over extension amongst others. African continent as a whole are now playing holier than thou and Money is oil lubricating all known faith. Yet our spiritual and political leaders are not God fearing, infact Money is widely worship while they swindle ordinary folks of their votes and savings.
Going to church means power game, not spiritual anymore! We do need to expect to receive when we give, primarily so we will be resupplied and able to give more. However, the emphasis should be on giving, not receiving. It is more blessed to give than to receive Acts We should live to give and not give to live.
Second, there has been a lot of misunderstanding about when we should give. Many Christians only give after all their needs have been met. But the Scriptures teach that our gifts are first fruits Prov. That means the first thing we do when we receive money is to honor the Lord by giving a portion of it to His work.
Anything less is not honoring the Lord. Also, some of us are taught only to give at the specific command of the Lord. What if the only time our children ever told us they loved us was when we told them to tell us? Likewise, the Lord wants us to give as we desire to give, not under pressure. I would never give in a situation like that. Do it again even more. We have no right to murmur and complain when we voted for the thing we are upset about.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9: You pay where you eat. Likewise, you are to give where you are fed. I agree with that if your church is truly a storehouse.