$12 Billion of church funds are missing ----- What are U going to DO?

[Woody]

Is Our World Church Missing $12 Billion in Tithe?

How much money would the Seventh-day Adventist Church have for mission each year if world membership records were accurate and each member returned a faithful tithe? About $14 billion, according to the Global Tithing Index (GTI), a report measuring 2010 statistics of tithing faithfulness per capita across countries.

The denomination currently receives about $2 billion annually. This year’s GTI introduced a new measurement called the Total Tithe Potential, the total tithe that should theoretically be received in a country if all Adventist Church members were faithful in giving 10 percent of their income.

(taken from the Gleaner)

[CoAspen]

Gotta love those guilt trips!!

If you never had it.....it ain't missing!!

[Gerr]

If you steal, you should feel guilty.

[OzarkWoman]

Gotta love those guilt trips!!

If you never had it.....it ain't missing!!

I agree. Why try to guilt people out of their money? That doesn't seem to be what Jesus preached.

[cricket]

There would be no need of a local church budget if everyone paid their tithe.

[CoAspen]

Tithe ain't used for local budget! Tithe leaves the local church, only offerings will pay for church building and expenses.

[Woody]

Folks - the OP is about what are YOU going to do about getting the missing $12 billion back into the church coffers?

[nuff sed]

$12 Billion worth of lost blessings... I wonder if the Lord might have come a long time ago if Adventists really believed what the Lord said and trusted Him. It won't be too long before we will not be allowed to 'return' ANYTHING! Nuff Sed..............

[cricket]

Tithe ain't used for local budget! Tithe leaves the local church, only offerings will pay for church building and expenses.

Grrr!!! It ain't?!?!

Yes, I know. I was merely thinking out of the box. I was a stewardship director for two years. My own personal theory is that if everyone paid tithe, there would be no need for a local budget because it could come out of the over abundance of funds from the faithful tithe.

Grrr!!!

[Windsor]

Tithe ain't used for local budget! Tithe leaves the local church, only offerings will pay for church building and expenses.

I think you missed his point. If everyone was paying 10%, the conference would be able to disburse money to pay for each local budget out of the tithe money.

[cricket]

Folks - the OP is about what are YOU going to do about getting the missing $12 billion back into the church coffers?

Probably absolutely nothing. I tried years ago. What I tried didn't work as well as I'd hoped.

[Gerr]

Folks - the OP is about what are YOU going to do about getting the missing $12 billion back into the church coffers?

No one can do anything about it. Until the Lord has the heart, He cannot have the pocketbook either. That goes for any other obedience issue.

[olger]

I'll look under the water cooler...maybe it's there.

[Woody]

Originally Posted By: Woody

Folks - the OP is about what are YOU going to do about getting the missing $12 billion back into the church coffers?

No one can do anything about it. Until the Lord has the heart, He cannot have the pocketbook either. That goes for any other obedience issue.

What about more tithing sermons?

[CoAspen]

Originally Posted By: CoAspen

Tithe ain't used for local budget! Tithe leaves the local church, only offerings will pay for church building and expenses.

I think you missed his point. If everyone was paying 10%, the conference would be able to disburse money to pay for each local budget out of the tithe money.

Ah..no...tithe is stipulated only for certain things, not maintenance, mowing lawns, etc.

[CoAspen]

Folks - the OP is about what are YOU going to do about getting the missing $12 billion back into the church coffers?

How can it be missing? It was never there! Still waiting for an explanation!!

[Woody]

I copied the article from the Gleaner. You would have to ask the author. I report. U decide. lol The term 'missing' was the term of the author's --- not mine.

This below was the title of the article:

Quote:

Is Our World Church Missing $12 Billion in Tithe?

[CoAspen]

Ya, I know! So my answer is...you already guessed it....drum roll please...NO!

[Woody]

Well - I vote for YES. So we cancel each other's votes out. The same as we will do in the General Election. lol

[Gerr]

Quote:

What about more tithing sermons?

It won't work.

"A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work".--Review and Herald, March 22, 1887.

"A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from the spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend."-- Review and Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.

[Gerr]

Originally Posted By: Woody

Folks - the OP is about what are YOU going to do about getting the missing $12 billion back into the church coffers?

How can it be missing? It was never there! Still waiting for an explanation!!

My understanding of the quote is that it is missing because the part that God claims as his is being withheld.

[cricket]

Originally Posted By: Windsor

I think you missed his point. If everyone was paying 10%, the conference would be able to disburse money to pay for each local budget out of the tithe money.

Ah..no...tithe is stipulated only for certain things, not maintenance, mowing lawns, etc.

Ah..so...change what it's stipulated for since there will be an abundance of funds coming in.

I know that my own personal budget constraints would change if I were to suddenly come into an extra 12 billion dollars. For example, money coming in from one source that was stipulated to go to college savings for my children might be used for other things.

Anyway, it doesn't really matter to me one way or another. I don't really care because the "missing" money will likely never be found.

[CoAspen]

The reason I say it isn't 'missing', is because tithing was/is a voluntary action. I don't fully understand the present day system but it seems to be different than the 'OT' system. Our church organization has grown quite large, some might say too large, which tithe supports. I have this feeling that the so called 'missing' tithe is a lot of speculation on what peoples income levels are without any real knowledge. Some members simply choose where to send their monies, not always to the local church. That can be argued about, but in the end, it is between the individual and God. Too often it is used a a measuring stick, like many other things that should be left between a person and their relationship with God.

I find the talk about 'what if' and 'missing funds' distasteful and distracting from the real purpose of our lives here on earth, the Good News of a risen Christ and His desire that all can be saved. We still, in some ways, seek to emulate the 'OT' teachings of the Jewish religious leaders, salvation by obedience to rules. Didn't work then, doesn't today.

[Woody]

Yes CoA. God has commanded that we do a number of things. And since He is a loving God that promotes choice - all of His commands are within the voluntary free-will classification I suppose. I just choose to obey His commands as I love Him dearly.

[Gibs]

Coa,

Yes it does work today, it is our love for right and for Him that we render obedience. We show if we love him by whether we keep His commandments. He made every provision that we can walk as he walked.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Joh 14:15 ¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.

1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1Jo 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

1Jo 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.