THE HARD QUESTIONS!

1. THE HARD QUESTIONS! • ANSWERED

2. COMMENTS - QUESTIONS - TESTIMONIES

3. OBJECTIVES • To provide Biblical insights and principles that may assist us in our delivery of stewardship education, and respond to real questions raised by church members. • To increase our learning capacity in the area of financial stewardship and education.

4. QUESTION ONE • Does it matter which conference I send my tithe to - as long as I am returning the Lord’s tithe? • Background: An expatriate sending his tithe back home and giving only offerings locally.

5. QUESTION TWO • Can online giving reduce the worshipfulness of tithing? Can it cause members to return tithe on credit? What other challenges can online giving present to tithing? • Members incorrectly thought that online giving was going straight to the GC and had concerns about correctness.

6. QUESTION THREE • Should I give my tithe to supporting ministries, or return it to the local church? • Based on what I thought (the GC President) said, I heard: that tithes should be given to the local church & not to supporting ministries..." I was an active church member for years & due to several things that occurred I slipped away from attending or keeping the Sabbath. Approximately a year & half ago I came across 3ABN & the local (Oregon) Better Life Broadcasting Network. I felt compelled to send my tithes & offerings to BLBN, Light Bearers Ministry, AWR & Maranatha. I am not attending any church at this time but am keeping the Sabbath at home.

7. QUESTION FOUR • Is the giving or a returning of a second tithe mandated by the church or scripture? • There are church members around the world who consider the giving of a second tithe biblical, and would therefore see this practice as a sign of spiritual maturity.

8. QUESTION FIVE • Are fundraising activities disallowed/discouraged by the church, or unbiblical? • Does resorting to fundraising not show that our understanding of systematic benevolence is falling short?

9. QUESTION SIX • Is it church practice for the local congregation to loan money to church members? • A sister’s father who was not a believer committed suicide. He had a big loan from a financial company. she and her mother were not able to settle it, therefore, she borrowed money from the local church and payed by installment without interest. • There are two deacons who wanted to start a business but they did not have enough money.  As they didn't want to pay any interest they borrowed money from the local church. They payed by installment to the church without interest.

10. QUESTION SEVEN • Why is there very little mention of tithe and tithing in the New Testament? • Hebrews 7:1-10; Luke 18:12; Matthew 22:23, Luke 11:42; 1Corinthians 9:13.

11. QUESTION EIGHT • Is tithe used exclusively to pay ministers, or are there other uses for tithe? • Unmotivated question from a church member.

12. QUESTION NINE • Shouldn’t the church clerk or the pastor’s secretary be paid from tithe? • There is a strong push by some big congregations in some Western countries to pay certain people working and providing support services at the local congregation with tithe funds.

13. QUESTION TEN • How should I calculate tithe on the sale of a property? • I BOUGHT A HOUSE ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO FOR $120,000 (MORTGAGED). LAST MONTH I SOLD THE HOUSE FOR $140,000. THE BALANCE OF THE MORTGAGE WAS $103,000, SO I RECEIVED $33,000.  SHOULD I TITHE BASED ON THE DIFFERENCE OF $20,000 OR BASED ON THE $33,O0O THAT I RECEIVED? OR, SHOULD I TAKE IN CONSIDERATION THAT I PAYED THE AMOUNT OF AROUND $750.OO MONTHLY FOR THE MORTGAGE (PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST) FOR ABOUT 8 YEARS WHICH IS ABOUT $72,000?

14. QUESTION ELEVEN • Do we pay tithe on gross or net earnings? Do we deduct rent/mortgage, health insurance and groceries before tithing?

15. QUESTION TWELVE • How does the tax deduction for tithe affect my tithing?