Not too long ago, the network of church leaders with whom I routinely communicate was discussing the issue of staff member tithing. It’s that time of year! I was surprised by the amount of churches that communicate it as an expectation of staff but don’t check to see if it’s actually happening.
I have an old saying, “never make a ‘rule’ you’re not prepared to enforce.” I don’t know how you can tell your staff that they are expected to tithe, and not check to make sure they’re actually doing it.
That aside, how can a church staff member justify not tithing? As staff members, I certainly hope that we actually believe what the Bible says. I hope that we actually “do” what we’re “teaching.” How can we justify doing otherwise?
I’m interested in what you think. If you’re a church leader and you have an opinion on this subject, please comment. Does your church require its staff to tithe? Do you check to make sure it’s happening?
March 6th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Write it in their Job Description
December 1st, 2009 at 10:20 am
All of this is assuming Jesus perpetuated the tithe (in a letter-of-the-law sort of way). But did he? It seems as though some things were carried over, if you will, in that way; however other things may not have been. Further, it seems that Jesus had opportunities to ‘reinstate’ it but chose not to. If this is the case, then we Christians are to give whatever is laid upon us from above. Though, there is little to no reason to believe less than 10% would be laid upon a man’s heart. If the tithe were not continue to the letter, your question is answered.
November 16th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Can you force someone to get married. Certainly, it’s called a shotgun wedding. I guess a similar approach could be evaluated. Wait your previous post addressed that, make it a part of their employment. Why not give them a 10% increase and set the increase aside as obligatory, tithing similar to “union dues”.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Great question, it’s something we’re just starting to wrestle with. I did a survey of our staff to see where people are at right now. It was across the board from 5% all the way to 15% of gross income.
I think if we take seriously the teachings of Jesus on all subjects and expect staff to lead by example in all areas (morally, doctrinally, ethically, etc) then why would we not expect staff members to excel in the gift of giving?
My question to my fellow Exec Pastors is “How many of you see what individual giving is in the church” We’ve been feeling the pinch like everyone else and I’ve been going through our expenses, which I know in detail, but our problem is a giving one and I feel handcuffed because I only see the big picture numbers.
What about the rest of you?
November 16th, 2009 at 7:21 am
Good stuff!
First, whether or not you can “force” someone to give to a charitable organization is not the question. The question is should the church “require” its staff to tithe. I’m no lawyer and have never done the research, but I’m guessing that if tithing is an employment requirement in an “at will” state, an individual can be dismissed for not meeting the requirement. A dismissal for not tithing would be comparable to a dismissal for not believing in Jesus or in what the church teaches about baptism, etc.
Second, for the sake of definition, I am defining a “tithe” as 10% of everything a person makes. We can argue about whether one should tithe on their “gross” or “net” income, but that’s not really the point.
This is an open dialog. If you have an opinion or information you can add to this discussion, post your comments here!
November 14th, 2009 at 8:01 am
I think there is no question that you can “not” force anyone to make a donation (tithe) to any charitable organization – but – You should consider first what a tithe actually is instead of calling it a donation. If you do that, you may want to look at the covenant where you have pledge yourself and think about the scripture related to tithing.
My comment related to the initial question then is – I would not make a “rule” but ask the individual which may not be tithing if they “think they are” and does whatever they are doing reflect their heart in their relationship with God.
I believe they will answer to the Lord for their conduct someday (not are they saved / not saved by my view) and he will specifically state his position on the matter – … So, did you love me will all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul?
But I don’t think that reflecting any less would display character traits that we view very important in our leaders and I would suspect they would not be very happy on staff. They will handle the rest.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
The question should be, can you force someone to make a donation (tithe) to a charitable organization?