Where are your tithes?
http://www.michronicleonline.com/articlelive/articles/2320/1/Where-are-your-tithes/Page1.html
Angela Ardis
By Angela Ardis
Published on 01/30/2008
There have been several stories lately regarding ministries that are under investigation for possible mishandling of funds. As touchy as this topic can become, from a journalistic perspective I can’t truly worry about pleasing everyone. So I won’t.
There have been several stories lately regarding ministries that are under investigation for possible mishandling of funds. As touchy as this topic can become, from a journalistic perspective I can’t truly worry about pleasing everyone. So I won’t.
According to David Barrett and team, there are 19 major world religious groupings in the world which are subdivided into a total of about 10,000 distinct religions. Of the latter, there were 270 religions and para-religions.
Within Christianity, they have identified 34,000 separate groups (denominations, sects, individual unaffiliated churches, para-church groups, etc.) in the world. “Over half of them are independent churches that are not interested in linking with the big denominations.”
Each church, religious group and sect have their own ways of delivering their messages, welcoming their congregations and divvying up their tithes, donations and givings.
Is there a right or wrong way when it comes to religion or is it all about the relationship each pastor, minister and reverend has with their congregation, clergymen and board, and the agreements that they adhere to?
After speaking with several different pastors of churches around the Detroit area, I’m still not clear as to how the tithes are allocated. It was definitely a consensus that a large portion of the givings were utilized for church funding (operations of the establishments).
Denominations tend to set standards for salaries based on experience and education. I believe that a pastor’s salary should not be related to the number of people in the church. For some with great pastoral abilities and experience, working in a small church or medium-size church could grow that church and increase its income. But because they can’t afford someone of the talent or experience needed to pull them through a tough time, they tend to go under.
If there was a set standard of pay for pastors according to education and experience, it would take the awkwardness out of the salary debate. Lay people are not great judges of salary for pastors. All of the double standards get in the way of sound judgment.
Also when pastors get paid $85,000 and their associates get paid $25,000, there is too much discrepancy. Then there is the matter of pastoral relations committees. Some believe they should base any kind of salary raise on merit. How does one measure the merit of a pastor who has such immeasurable duties?
Pastors who can raise the most money get the highest salaries. Where is the ceiling for the salaries or is the sky the limit as long as the pastor continues to grow the congregation?
Take the salary question out of the pastoral role and the pastor’s position will gain back the dignity it deserves. Pastors are not hired hands of the congregation.
Pastors are called by God to be set apart, to gain knowledge and experience leading the people of God, and to bring the presence and knowledge of God’s Holy Spirit into the midst of the people. If that is what they are called to do, are we the people called to pay largely for their calling?
On the flip side, church is a business. It’s one of the leading business entities in the world. Pastors, ministers and preachers should be compensated and taken care of in the same capacity as the president of the United States.
Ministers are as powerful to their congregations as the president is to the world. They should be given a salary affordedable by their congregation, given a housing allowance, and should be able to expense certain bills and personal overheads. They should also be given a bonus at the end of the year consisting of 5 percent of tithes’ gross for the year. However, I don’t feel as though they should be admired and praised for living extravagantly. They surrendered their lives to the Lord and extravagance isn’t Godly.
As churchgoers, ask yourself where do you think the tithes, donations and givings should go? There are poor people within every congregation who could always use a helping hand; why not help them? There are poor and hungry people within the communities that surround many of these churches; why not help them more?
For televangelists, there are starving cities, nations and countries who could use the millions spent on real estate, vehicles, vacations, designer clothes, plastic surgery, private jets and fancy restaurants. If you have $5-$30 million a year in tithes left over, what do you think you should do with it?
Allocating funds to places and for things that have no purpose for the church or the congregation at large is a gross injustice to every congregation that pulls together money every single Sunday to give. Heal the world with all of those tithes, not self-indulge and call it a blessing.I’m aware that every church isn’t pulling in televangelism money. However, I do feel, as the preachers always say, “every little bit helps.”
Christianity began as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When it went to Athens, it became a philosophy. When it went to Rome, it became an organization. When it went to Europe, it became a culture. When it came to America, it became a business.
If tithing is the percent of your income that is supposed to go to God, why are the ministers, preachers, and reverends dipping?
That money is supposed to be allocated for maintaining the place of worship and for hardships.
Ministers, preachers and reverends are not God, but men of God, as is everyone in the world. I wonder why congregations aren’t encouraged to tithe themselves by putting 10 percent in a personal savings account and saving it for their own hardships?
Angela Ardis is the author of “Inside a Thug’s Heart,” “My Mind’s Poetry” and the upcoming “The Block.” To contact Angela Ardis visit www.AngelaArdis.com or send emails to: info@AngelaArdis.com.
There have been several stories lately regarding ministries that are under investigation for possible mishandling of funds. As touchy as this topic can become, from a journalistic perspective I can’t truly worry about pleasing everyone. So I won’t. Ministries that are under investigation for possible mishandling of funds
There have been several stories lately regarding ministries that are under investigation for possible mishandling of funds. As touchy as this topic can become, from a journalistic perspective I can’t truly worry about pleasing everyone. So I won’t.
According to David Barrett and team, there are 19 major world religious groupings in the world which are subdivided into a total of about 10,000 distinct religions. Of the latter, there were 270 religions and para-religions.
Within Christianity, they have identified 34,000 separate groups (denominations, sects, individual unaffiliated churches, para-church groups, etc.) in the world. “Over half of them are independent churches that are not interested in linking with the big denominations.”
Each church, religious group and sect have their own ways of delivering their messages, welcoming their congregations and divvying up their tithes, donations and givings.
Is there a right or wrong way when it comes to religion or is it all about the relationship each pastor, minister and reverend has with their congregation, clergymen and board, and the agreements that they adhere to?
After speaking with several different pastors of churches around the Detroit area, I’m still not clear as to how the tithes are allocated. It was definitely a consensus that a large portion of the givings were utilized for church funding (operations of the establishments).
Denominations tend to set standards for salaries based on experience and education. I believe that a pastor’s salary should not be related to the number of people in the church. For some with great pastoral abilities and experience, working in a small church or medium-size church could grow that church and increase its income. But because they can’t afford someone of the talent or experience needed to pull them through a tough time, they tend to go under.
If there was a set standard of pay for pastors according to education and experience, it would take the awkwardness out of the salary debate. Lay people are not great judges of salary for pastors. All of the double standards get in the way of sound judgment.
Also when pastors get paid $85,000 and their associates get paid $25,000, there is too much discrepancy. Then there is the matter of pastoral relations committees. Some believe they should base any kind of salary raise on merit. How does one measure the merit of a pastor who has such immeasurable duties?
Pastors who can raise the most money get the highest salaries. Where is the ceiling for the salaries or is the sky the limit as long as the pastor continues to grow the congregation?
Take the salary question out of the pastoral role and the pastor’s position will gain back the dignity it deserves. Pastors are not hired hands of the congregation.
Pastors are called by God to be set apart, to gain knowledge and experience leading the people of God, and to bring the presence and knowledge of God’s Holy Spirit into the midst of the people. If that is what they are called to do, are we the people called to pay largely for their calling?
On the flip side, church is a business. It’s one of the leading business entities in the world. Pastors, ministers and preachers should be compensated and taken care of in the same capacity as the president of the United States.
Ministers are as powerful to their congregations as the president is to the world. They should be given a salary affordedable by their congregation, given a housing allowance, and should be able to expense certain bills and personal overheads. They should also be given a bonus at the end of the year consisting of 5 percent of tithes’ gross for the year. However, I don’t feel as though they should be admired and praised for living extravagantly. They surrendered their lives to the Lord and extravagance isn’t Godly.
As churchgoers, ask yourself where do you think the tithes, donations and givings should go? There are poor people within every congregation who could always use a helping hand; why not help them? There are poor and hungry people within the communities that surround many of these churches; why not help them more?
For televangelists, there are starving cities, nations and countries who could use the millions spent on real estate, vehicles, vacations, designer clothes, plastic surgery, private jets and fancy restaurants. If you have $5-$30 million a year in tithes left over, what do you think you should do with it?
Allocating funds to places and for things that have no purpose for the church or the congregation at large is a gross injustice to every congregation that pulls together money every single Sunday to give. Heal the world with all of those tithes, not self-indulge and call it a blessing.I’m aware that every church isn’t pulling in televangelism money. However, I do feel, as the preachers always say, “every little bit helps.”
Christianity began as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When it went to Athens, it became a philosophy. When it went to Rome, it became an organization. When it went to Europe, it became a culture. When it came to America, it became a business.
If tithing is the percent of your income that is supposed to go to God, why are the ministers, preachers, and reverends dipping?
That money is supposed to be allocated for maintaining the place of worship and for hardships.
Ministers, preachers and reverends are not God, but men of God, as is everyone in the world. I wonder why congregations aren’t encouraged to tithe themselves by putting 10 percent in a personal savings account and saving it for their own hardships?
Angela Ardis is the author of “Inside a Thug’s Heart,” “My Mind’s Poetry” and the upcoming “The Block.” To contact Angela Ardis visit www.AngelaArdis.com or send emails to: info@AngelaArdis.com.