Generous giving supports ministries of all types, but must tithes and offerings always go in the church offering plate?
Most churchgoers say no, according to a recent survey by LifeWay Research.
“For many churchgoers, tithing is just another term for generosity,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.
Most churchgoers believe they are commanded to give and many believe in the idea of tithing, which is often understood as giving away 10 percent of a person’s income.
Eighty-three percent of those surveyed, which included 1,010 Americans who attend services at a Protestant or nondenominational church at least once a month and 1,000 Protestant senior pastors, agreed when asked, “Is tithing a biblical command that still applies today?” Churchgoers in the South (85 percent) as well as the Northeast (74 percent), as well as African-American (87 percent) and white (80 percent) churchgoers were most likely to say tithing applies today.
More than half (54 percent) of churchgoers say they give at least 10 percent of their income to the church. That includes 37 percent who say they tithe and 17 percent who say they give more than 10 percent. One in 5 (20 percent) give regularly but less than 10 percent. A similar number (17 percent) say they try to give but aren’t always consistent. Eight percent say finances make it hard for them to give. Two percent do not give to their church.
‘Giving matters’
“Even those who can’t tithe believe that giving matters,” said McConnell. “Most churchgoers say they give — even if it’s a struggle.”
The survey also found that churchgoers who attend services more often are likely to tithe. Fifty-seven percent of those who attend services at least once a week say they give at least a tithe, but only 28 percent of those who go to church only once or twice a month were likely to tithe.
When it comes to where that money can go, Protestant churchgoers were flexible. Almost half (48 percent) say funds can go to a Christian ministry. A third say tithes can go to another church (35 percent) or an individual in need (34 percent).
Some churchgoers (18 percent) say their donations to a secular charity can be part of their tithe. That includes more than 4 in 10 Lutherans (44 percent) and a third of Methodists.
Baptists (12 percent) and Assemblies of God/Pentecostal churchgoers (13 percent) are less likely to say donations to a secular charity can be part of their tithe.
Fewer than half of churchgoers (47 percent) say only giving to the church counts for tithing.
As part of the study LifeWay Research asked Protestant senior pastors how often they talk about tithing.
Tithing sermons
Two-thirds say they preached about tithing at least once in the past year. Nine percent had preached on tithing in the last month. Twenty-eight percent had done so in the past six months, while 31 percent had preached on tithing between six months and a year earlier.
Five percent had preached in the last two years. Six percent had preached three or more years ago about tithing.
One in 5 has never made tithing a primary focus of a sermon, though they and churchgoers seem to agree for the most part that 10 percent of one’s income is a goal to strive for when measuring giving.
“Both pastors and churchgoers see giving as a vital part of their faith,” said McConnell. “They don’t always agree on how much a churchgoer should give. But most seem to see 10 percent as an ideal to strive for.” (BP)
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