Tithe Up In Texas

[Dr. Shane]

According to a letter from our conference, in 2005 we had a 11.8% gain in tithe a 10% gain in 2006. I am wondering how much this has to do with the increasing Hispanic population in Texas and its growth in the church.

[Woody]

Shane ... I think the reason for this is that more people have been reading Ellen White.

She states that TITHE is the test for heavenly fellowship EV 251

And ... Faithfulness in tithing is is a condition for answered prayers. COL 144

[Kountzer]

Leave it to you to link tithe paying with race.

[Dr. Shane]

I am not trying to link tithe paying to race, although back in Minnesota the Hispanic church I belonged to did pay a higher per capita tithe than many of the anglo churches. My comment here was in reference to the documented growth of Hispanic churches in Texas. From what I have read, most of the growth in the Texas Conference is in the Hispanic churches. Of course, many of them are immirgrants. My point there is that immirgration may well be helping our church here.

While we always have to be careful with cause and effect, it would seem to me that the growth of the Hispanic membership and the increase in tithe is, to some extent, connected. Of course another part of it is that the economy has been doing well here in Texas. The increase in the price of oil has provided for a lot of higher paying jobs that have a ripple effect in our economy. So naturally many Adventist tithe-payers are benefitting from that and it is reflected in tithe reciepts.

[Gerr]

Trickle-down economics. The oil companies' profits is trickling down to the common people. Finally!!!

Gerry

[Dr. Shane]

As a contractor, I have lost a number of employees to the oil fields. When the price of oil is low the cap off they wells and lay off the workers. When the price goes up they start pumping and hiring.