Hydesville Community Church gives a lot of attention to tithing.  This is the largest church (400-600) in my community (Fortuna, CA and surrounding area) of approximately 15,000.  On any given Sunday you are likely to hear a reference to the tithe.  To demonstrate the tactics of tithe preaching let me relay the following story.

On a Sunday morning, during the Christmas season, people were encouraged to give to the 'Birthday Boy'.  10% of our income was communicated to be the tithe.  The congregation was encouraged to commit to giving 10% to Jesus with a card hung on the tree in front.  During the Lords supper Mike Delamarian (the senior pastor) talked about examining ourselves concerning our tithing.  He said If we have not been tithing (minimum 10%) we should make it right before we eat and drink damnation to ourselves (at the Lord's Supper).  It was clearly communicated that failing to tithe was sin.  During that time he spoke of a previous event when ushers were told either tithe or don’t usher, some ushers resigned.  The message was clear, these ushers had definitely compromised.

Do you ever come away from church feeling dirty?  Like you’re observing some con taking advantage of innocent people?  This is how I was feeling.  I was thinking this preacher is a salesman that is selling a product using a twisted Bible.  A verse here and a verse there to back up the sales pitch.  I thought I need to talk to this preacher and find out if my perspective here is wrong.  Is this preacher a servant of God or a con with a pitch?  The con with a pitch is selling to feed a cash hungry church business trying to perpetuate its self.  The sincere servant preacher is reaching out to a people with a message of giving.  Which was it?

I met with the preacher and discovered he didn’t know what the scriptures taught.  He requested I write a summary that would show what the Bible teaches about tithing.  I did this (see 'The Scriptures and The Tithe' for what I gave him)and then was offered to meet with David (the youth pastor) and the senior pastor Mike.  So, I met with Michael Delamarian and  the conclusion of that meeting was… he would check with the elders and draw up some conclusion to our meeting.  Two months later I called and asked what the conclusion to our meeting was, had he talked with the elders?  Delamarian said, ‘no, he had not talked to the elders, but he said I had not proved my point about tithing so he considered the case closed.'  I wrote more to the pastors and talked to an elder about it.  I emailed and tried to get a move out of the leaders.  It was all like I was talking to a rock, no response.  

The issue at hand was the premise that 'tithing is the will of God for Christians'.  When this is said it must be assumed to not tithe is sin.  This is err.  Please read 'What Does the Bible Teach' to overview a scriptural exposition concerning tithing.  It is basically what I gave the leadership at HCC trying to persuade them to change their tithing doctrine. 

About this same time I attended the Hydesville Community Church membership class 101, tithing was a repeated subject.  During the class a folder was given out for the class.  After 'The Essentials We Believe' is the 'Our Lifestyle Statement'.  In this statement we read a quote from Lev.27: 30 (the law) and then there is a statement ‘At Hydesville we practice tithing for the support of Christ’s Body, the church, as God commands.  We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the Biblical standard of giving.’  At this same meeting the scriptures were held up and said to be our supreme authority.  I wondered then and I am still questioning if change can occur, can these matters be reconciled?

After months of silence from HCC the bomb shell dropped with a letter asking for me to either submit to the tithing doctrine or go somewhere else.  Tithing was now an essential for fellowship.  It was necessary or I was to go else where. 

After receiving the letter I talked to Gil Stieglitz (District Superintendent of the Western District of Evangelical Free Church of America -EFCA).  As I struggled to try to see change I was steadily going up the ladder.  First, I talked to the youth pastor, then the senior pastor, an elder and finally I wrote a letter to Gil.  He never responded but it just so happened he preached on a Sunday morning at HCC.  I talked to him after his preaching.  He confirmed that this tithing doctrine was common among Evangelical Free Churches of America and that if Michael Delamarian preached it at HCC that was fine, the HCC position (that non-tithing was sin) was perfectly fine, he suggested I go somewhere else and not make any waves concerning this…

My conclusion in this struggle…

Many churches teach tithing.  If you are required to tithe at your church I recommend that you question this practice.  If your questioning brings change to this doctrine, your church is to be commended, repentance is possible there and  where repentance/change can occur then there is great potential for fellowship and healthy body life.  If your questioning brings about argument with no scriptural evidence or if there is only a stony response I would consider that church organization to be an empty shell and old wines skins, a business run on a budget obtained by deceiving people.