tithing

[stevenson]

COG is getting ready to redo their tithing plan and it got me to thinking. Looking at all the major pentecostal organizations, I can not find ONE that follows the Bible's example of tithing.

Biblically, tithes from the local church would be paid to the state office, and then the state would pay tithes to the national headquarters (tithes of tithes). But all these organizations have you sending in different percentages, some to state and some to international offices. Where is the scripture to back up what they do? What do you think about the financial situation?

[Poimen]

TCOG does it the way you mention.


They have since the reorganization.

[stevenson]

That's interesting!

[paul]

COG is getting ready to redo their tithing plan and it got me to thinking. Looking at all the major pentecostal organizations, I can not find ONE that follows the Bible's example of tithing.

Biblically, tithes from the local church would be paid to the state office, and then the state would pay tithes to the national headquarters (tithes of tithes). But all these organizations have you sending in different percentages, some to state and some to international offices. Where is the scripture to back up what they do? What do you think about the financial situation?

Not being funnny, but where in the bible does it mention sending tithes to anything other than the storehouse, (which most take as the local church, temple etc... ) Other than when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. I don't think you can support the argument from scriptures that one must send in a tithe to a parent organization such as Headquarters.

I see no problem with organizations and local churches working out various finacial methods of mutual support....missions, outreaches, support for leardership, education/training and Church Planting, But to cloud that in some form of biblical mandate I fnd not supported.

I do believe that any local church that invest ten percent of their income into the harvest and into ministry of some type other than only the local church will be blessed greatly I Cor 9

We have a few local churches that tithe to our organization, but it is completely voluntary.

[rough_rider]

Finding the perfect system is easier said than done. One of the problems I have with ours is the way pastors pay their secular tithes. I think all the pastors tithes, secular and ministry should be paid to the State offices.

[Paully_44]

Not being funnny, but where in the bible does it mention sending tithes to anything other than the storehouse, (which most take as the local church, temple etc... ) Other than when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. I don't think you can support the argument from scriptures that one must send in a tithe to a parent organization such as Headquarters.

I see no problem with organizations and local churches working out various finacial methods of mutual support....missions, outreaches, support for leardership, education/training and Church Planting, But to cloud that in some form of biblical mandate I fnd not supported.

My feelings exactly.

[DaJudge]

Not being funnny, but where in the bible does it mention sending tithes to anything other than the storehouse, (which most take as the local church, temple etc... ) Other than when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. I don't think you can support the argument from scriptures that one must send in a tithe to a parent organization such as Headquarters.

I see no problem with organizations and local churches working out various finacial methods of mutual support....missions, outreaches, support for leardership, education/training and Church Planting, But to cloud that in some form of biblical mandate I fnd not supported.

I do believe that any local church that invest ten percent of their income into the harvest and into ministry of some type other than only the local church will be blessed greatly I Cor 9

We have a few local churches that tithe to our organization, but it is completely voluntary.

Very good points Paul.

[one love]

poimen i may have misread this but tcog has church tithes send 10 percent then the pastor gets there salary and pay the other 10 percent off of that . So 10% Goes to state and 10% goes to GH.

is this what you were implying
I wish it could be 5% and 5% because then it would still be ten....

[stevenson]

Very good point Paul. But our State Offices should be a storehouse for our local churches and pastors. The local churches or pastors should be able to go to their state office and get help during a time of famine. And if the State Office is in trouble, their storehouse should be HQ.

And the Bible does talk about the tithes of tithes.

But giving 3% here, 5% there, and then 10% over there, is way to confusing.

Redhawk, I don't have a problem with the pastor paying his 10% wether from secular work or ministry to the state office. But I also think that the church should pay 10% to the state office. My feeling is that it puts the money closer to home where then rubber meets the road.

[paul]

Very good point Paul. But our State Offices should be a storehouse for our local churches and pastors. The local churches or pastors should be able to go to their state office and get help during a time of famine. And if the State Office is in trouble, their storehouse should be HQ.

And the Bible does talk about the tithes of tithes.

But giving 3% here, 5% there, and then 10% over there, is way to confusing.

Redhawk, I don't have a problem with the pastor paying his 10% wether from secular work or ministry to the state office. But I also think that the church should pay 10% to the state office. My feeling is that it puts the money closer to home where then rubber meets the road.

Stevenson, I was responding to your comment:

Biblically, tithes from the local church would be paid to the state office, and then the state would pay tithes to the national headquarters (tithes of tithes)

I don't think that there were State Offices at that time. And also it was the Priest who were partly supported by receiveiving the tithe of the tithe Num 18:26. I often wonder about the termonology of " Paying ", this generally is and expression used when one gets something in return either goods or services of which I paid for. Tithing and offerings and alms to me should be expressed as giving. So I see the Levites usin a protion of the tithe to provide for the priest. According to the word we know that the tithe ( first fruits, belong to God ) then our offerings and alms are to be given as a man purposes in his heart and then joyfully.


If I was to follow a straight line conceprt then all thithes from all individuals including Pastors would go to the local church, both ministry and secular income. Then 10% to SO who would then send 10% to HQ.

Nothing wrong with various methods. So whatever method Cogop, Cog, Ag, Baptist, or non-denominational org. have in place. I don't think we can say this is or not the Biblical Way.

[stevenson]

Well, we can argue who pays to where but Biblically....tithes is 10%! And when your sending 3% here, 5% there and 10% wherever.... that's not tithes.

[biblemanryan]

poimen i may have misread this but tcog has church tithes send 10 percent then the pastor gets there salary and pay the other 10 percent off of that . So 10% Goes to state and 10% goes to GH.

is this what you were implying
I wish it could be 5% and 5% because then it would still be ten....

Actually, what Poimen was referring to was that the local sends 10% to state and then the state sends 10% of what they get to general.
In addition, out of the 90% left of the tithes at the local level, the pastor receives his salary, out of which he/she pays tithes to the general level.

God bless,
Bro. Ryan

[RamboPreacher]

I believe in paying Gods tithe.

[Full Quiver]

If you look to HQ for direction, doctrine, etc. then you should send them the 10% and let them feed their many ministries throughout the world including every local church. Either you have a central govt. or you don't; every CoG faction I have seen seems to be confused on whether or not they are local or general.

[dolfan]

Honestly, what Stevenson described in the first post is a tax by people with the authority to make it happen. If you like paying taxes to bloated bureaucracy to produce little substantive value and do a lot of talking, then maybe the scheme is to your liking. Is it Biblical? Yeah, if people submit to it with willing hearts and everyone is pretty well of the same mind on it as being God's lead, then I suppose it is. The system itself need not find a scriptural parallel to be "biblical".

Of course, the whole hierarchical macro leadership model is doubtfully biblical, but if you buy into that (and, it is perfectly okay if you do -- there's plenty of room for different, honest and well-considered opinions on it precisely because the Bible does NOT give a clear picture of how-to), then it can be biblically executed without the model itself being found in the Bible. Personally, I don't like it but my opinion doesn't count.