Non-Tithers are Excommunicated?

[houston]

Originally Posted by Sabby

We give attorneys up to $700-$800 an hour billing fee, we give physicians $200 for 15 minutes in a clinical setting.
Why do we think that there is no value added in ministry and that the ministry is worth nothing?

Just asking

Jesus said to feed his sheep. What some people are fed that passes for spiritual food is worth no more than what is offered on the Mc Donald's dollar menu.

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by Sabby

We give attorneys up to $700-$800 an hour billing fee, we give physicians $200 for 15 minutes in a clinical setting.
Why do we think that there is no value added in ministry and that the ministry is worth nothing?

Just asking

Who posted anything about not giving?

[OP_Carl]

Originally Posted by Orthodoxy

It's a disgrace that we in America give so little, considering our wealth.

Inform yourself before you type. No other nation in recorded history has given as much as America, both as a state and in aggregate as individuals.

Truth be told, tithing should probably be the bare minimum of our giving.

But I cannot say that tithing is a requirement for church membership.

It is an essential requirement for church membership. Why would you want the obviously uncommitted, irresponsible, and/or immature to influence decisions large or small?

Where is this in the Bible? Furthermore, I've never heard a pastor say that he would excommunicate any member who did not tithe. Has anyone else heard anything like this?

Hell hath no fury like a Baptist scorned?

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Orthodoxy

Today I was in the foyer of a conservative Missionary Baptist Church. On the bulletin board in the foyer was an open letter from the pastor to the congregation.

In the letter, the pastor stated that he had been very lenient in the past regarding his members and tithing. He then said that he was very disappointed at the lack of tithing among his congregants. He apologized for his former leniency, and said that things were going to change. From now on, every member of his church was required to tithe. He would give them a grace period of 30 days, but after that, if a church member failed to tithe, they would be excommunicated.

Now look, I understand that the concept of sacrificial giving is Biblical. I believe that every true Christian will have the desire to give of his finances to the Kingdom. Truth be told, tithing should probably be the bare minimum of our giving. It's a disgrace that we in America give so little, considering our wealth.

But I cannot say that tithing is a requirement for church membership. Where is this in the Bible? Furthermore, I've never heard a pastor say that he would excommunicate any member who did not tithe. Has anyone else heard anything like this?

How does he know who is tithing and who is not?

[Orthodoxy]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

How does he know who is tithing and who is not?

Good question... This is not a tiny church either. The sanctuary seats about 600.

[Dagwood]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

How does he know who is tithing and who is not?

Some pastors might ask the church secretary for the financial records when he notices a decline in the tithes/offerings...

Whether or not it's any of his business is a matter of determining what the church's financial setup is -- does the pastor receive all tithes/offerings or only a portion?

Sounds like the church Ortho mentioned may be one of those where the pastor receives all the tithes. But, then again, I don't know how it's set up at the local level or if the church answers to an organization...

[Orthodoxy]

Originally Posted by OP_Carl

Inform yourself before you type. No other nation in recorded history has given as much as America, both as a state and in aggregate as individuals.

No disagreement there. I was speaking in relative, not absolute, terms.

What I was emphasizing is that the American Christian gives an average of about 2.5% of his income. It's actually probably less in the current economy. In the year 2000, one out of eight Christians tithed. In the same year, four out of every ten adults gave nothing to their churches (The Barna Update, June 5, 2001, www.barna.org). That's pretty pitiful.

Originally Posted by OP_Carl

Hell hath no fury like a Baptist scorned?

I love Baptists!

In fact, I'm probably one of the most baptistic members on this forum.

[OP_Carl]

Originally Posted by Orthodoxy

No disagreement there. I was speaking in relative, not absolute, terms.

What I was emphasizing is that the American Christian gives an average of about 2.5% of his income. It's actually probably less in the current economy. In the year 2000, one out of eight Christians tithed. In the same year, four out of every ten adults gave nothing to their churches (The Barna Update, June 5, 2001, www.barna.org). That's pretty pitiful.

So if his church is filled with "average American Christians," is he going to throw them all out?

I can't help but wonder if their statistics draw from the pool of everybody who has a Christmas tree, rather than attempting to poll those who regularly attend church?

Ten out of ten sinners sinned last year, and five out of four people don't understand fractions.

I hope you are familiar with Mark Twain's quote about statistics?

I love Baptists!

me too. They're delicious!

[RandyWayne]

I've always given cash. Unless they want to start doing DNA tests, no one has a record. We've also written checks to various ministries not associated with our church, so again, they would have no way of knowing.

[Jay]

I pay my tithes, and try very hard to be faithful and diligent. I do find it to be a mandate from Scripture. I am not going to get into the whole thing now, but I have found that when one obeys this command, God will bless in many ways. Not all of the Old Testament was done away with by the New. The laborer is still worthy of his hire, and the tithing supports the Pastor, who is the man of God.