(SBC LIFEWAY) FACTS AND TRENDS MAGAZINE,
Mar/Apr 2006; pg 14-19, for complete article.
If one out of five (20%) of SBC pastors and regular
church members freely admit that they disagree with the tithing doctrine, then 20% should be enough of a REASON to re-study
the doctrine.
This does not prove that they are against supporting
the church! It merely proves that they are against supporting it using the Old Covenant principles of tithing.
Baptists flourished for over 300 years without
teaching tithing. Perhaps they should restore their old paths of evangelism and Training Union instead of restoring the Mosaic
Law.
………………………………
“An exclusive study conducted by Ellison
Research for this issue of Facts and Trends indicates that [ONLY] 51 per cent of a church’s laity believes there is
a biblical mandate to tithe to the local church. However fewer than 1 in 10 actually gives 10 per cent or more of their income
to any cause or organization.” (p14)
The survey involved 811 Protestant ministers
and 1184 church members who attend church at least once a month.
BIBLICAL MANDATE TO TITHE TO THE LOCAL CHURCH:
All clergy:
56%
44% do not agree
All laity:
36%
64% do not agree
SBC clergy:
76%
24% do not agree
SBC laity:
51%
49% do not agree
BIBLICAL MANDATE TO TITHE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY
TO THE CHURCH:
All clergy:
12% [+56%] 68%
some kind of tithing
All laity:
23% [+36] 59% some kind
of tithing
SBC clergy:
4% [+76%]
80% some kind of tithing; 20% NOT!
SBC laity:
28% [+51%] 79% some kind of tithing
BIBLICAL GIVING NOT BY SPECIFIC PERCENTAGE:
All clergy:
20%
All laity:
27%
SBC clergy:
12%
SBC laity:
16%
OTHER REPLIES:
All clergy:
11% [+20%] 31% DO NOT!
All laity:
15% [+27%] 42% DO NOT!
SBC clergy:
8% [+12%]
20% DO NOT! SBC
SBC laity:
4% [+16%]
20% DO NOT! SBC
