Pagan Christianity - Tithing and Clergy Salaries
Man, i’ve been so busy lately. Finally I feel like i have a moment to write about the chapter on tithing in Pagan Christianity by George Barna & Frank Viola. I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. If i had the time, i would have read it from front cover to back cover in one sitting- all 275 pages. There are many people out there that are against tithing, but not as many understand the spiritual, as well as functional discrepancies that tithing creates within the church. Frank Viola understands the discrepancies and portrays them in this book very well.
The whole theme of Pagan Christianity is an exploration of the roots of our church practices. Frank Viola goes through a whole list of things, and of course the topic of tithing was the most exciting for me to read. Let’s just get to the meat. Viola says,
“Under the Old Testament system, tithing was good news to the poor. However, in our day, mandatory tithing equals oppression to the poor. Not a few poor Christians have been thrown into deeper poverty because they have felt obligated to give beyond their means.”
The church has not only wrongfully integrated the tithe into the Church system today, but they’ve taken away the power to its most essential blessing- to take care of the poor. First, the Church budget and its wants are put in position above the needs of the poor. Second, we require the poor to contribute 10% of the little money that they have, which worsens their situation. Let’s face it, i know God is all powerful, but he hasn’t promised a never ending supply of oil and flour to the poor, because he’s given us a responsibility to care for them ourselves.
This next quote from Pagan Christianity talks about clergy salaries and raises a very good point. I had never thought about this until it was mentioned here,
“A further peril of the paid pastorate is that it produces clergy who feel “stuck” in the pastorate because they believe they lack employable skills. . . All of the schooling and training had been dedicated to studying and preaching the Bible. While these skills are noteworthy, they are of limited appeal in the secular job market. The major hurdle they now face is forging a new career to support their families.”
Guaranteed, steady salaries that employ full time pastors can create many stumbling blocks. The above mentioned is one of them. Some things to think about. One, should pastors be a full time staff member, so that when the time comes to leave the ministry, that they can provide for their family with some experience in practical skills? Two, does their steady income and lack of practical skills keep them locked in the ministry regardless if God is calling them out? What if ministers are asked to step out because of sin, or whatever else? Then what? Tell me what you think?
[…] & George Barna, so now i want to get into a little more of the book. besides the one chapter on tithing & clergy salaries, the book is not about stewardship, but i do think the book overall has made an important impact on […]
Pingback by Pagan Christianity - part 2 — May 5, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
[…] write my thoughts about the chapters in the next post, but plan on writing a different post just on tithing and the clergy salary. I would urge everyone to read this book. This is the book that people will love or they will hate. […]
Pingback by Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola & George Barna — May 5, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
Jared,
I would like to kindly disagree with you on the broad nature of the statements that you have made.
I think the problem with so many statements that oppose tithing is the attempt to put all who believe in it into the same corner.
You see, I don’t receive a salary. I don’t know who in my church consistently tithes. There are differing plates up front, and they bring their monies and put them into the plates as they feel led to divide it up. Some goes to pastor, some to church, missions, etc. In the end, I get whatever goes into the plate marked “pastor”. That amount varies from week to week based on people’s income, but it is a liveable wage. I believe in tithing, but that does not mean that we have become a church that is stuck in a rut that will prohibit it from helping those in trouble. Sometimes we have taken offerings where I pastor for a month in every service simply to help a family having hard times.
Jared, this is where I take issue with you…not so much in that you disagree with tithing, but that you make such broad statements that simply do not represent all who believe in tithing.
By the way, I also have a few skills that are marketable…I believe. I know other pastors who are so, too.
Grace and peace in Christ.
Comment by JLS — May 5, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
Thanks for the comment.
When i speak of “church”, i am speaking of the church globally. Of course there are exceptions, such as your fellowship. For instance If i say that Church is being corrupted by pastors getting into pornography, does not mean i am pointing at every single pastor. I try to lay interesting material out there, but i can’t force you to be objective about what you’ve read.
i feel that tithing can put people in ruts that prohibit them from helping the poor. Functionally i think it has a higher capacity to get you into that rut as opposed to grace/spirit-led giving. I am not saying that you are in that rut. i wouldn’t know. But i do feel that tithing increases the tendency for us to ignore the imminent needs of other things that are not initially on the list to be a recipient of our tithing.
Maybe, here’s what i mean. imagine if you planned with 3 other people to go out and knock on 50 doors downtown to witness to unsaved. But along the way there was an accident and you were at a dead stop for an hour on the road. What if there was a person right there on the side of the road that needed some help changing a tire. Would we be so consumed with being late and not meeting our door to door goals enough that we don’t see that God has prepared an opportunity right there to witness?
Here’s another example. (this is all hypothetical, but practical) What if we were on our way to Church and had $50 for our tithe to give to the church. But along the way you stopped to get gas, and someone asked if they could have gas for their car so they can take care of their family? Would we say, No?
Comment by tithe — May 5, 2008 @ 10:02 pm
The thirty pieces of silver prophecy is about ’salary’. King James says ‘price’. As I have been attempting to warn everyone, the putting of money into the storehouse is the same as putting money into the manna pot. The simple rebuke of Zechariah 11:12 is to just ‘forbear’ or ‘leave it alone’. In Christ it has all been done for us. This makes us free to give, free to love, free to live.
Comment by Stephen — May 6, 2008 @ 12:04 am
Jared,
I don’t have time to reply to all that you have to say.
I will say that I understand your approach a little better, though I do not agree with you.
Again, as I said on my blog, I appreciate your willingness to discuss this gracefully.
I trust that you shall have a wonderful day in Christ’s grace and mercy.
JLS
Comment by JLS — May 6, 2008 @ 9:45 am
Hi I read Pagan Christianity a couple of years ago when I was learning the Truth about tithing and I agree it was a very enlightening book but I disagree on his view of the Shepherd/Pastor model. Although it was good informational studies I think he has allowed his experiences to shape his view of the Biblical pastor. Thanks God Bless
Comment by Tyris Sr. — May 6, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
Wow You have given me another insight. I wanted to be a pastor but I did not want to have a lack of marketable skills. That is a problem. Paul could work with his hands and he lived in a primitive society yet he preached the gospel gave money to the poor and was imprisoned for the faith. All pastors should live like missionaries showing the exercise of offering their lives up everyday. I might just buy this book. In the meantime please keep giving us your insights. Thankyou
Comment by freewillgiver — May 8, 2008 @ 9:19 am