My county tax on my property is about 1800 per year.
This year I am going to demand that they put a culvert in my back yard so I can cross the ditch and not get wet or muddy.
So this year when I pay my taxes I am going to withhold 300 dollars and send it only when they promise to put that culvert in. I'm sure they won't mind. I need the culvert. I pay taxes. I just need to designate some of my tax money to apply to a specific designated project.
Do you think that's OK? Since I see you have a smile on your face you know that what I have just proposed is silly, wrong and just not the way it is done.
Yet, it happens all the time in Churches. Designated tithing. God's house is to be governed by Godly men and women who in oversight make good decisions based on prayer and revelation on how to best use the tithe money given in obedience to the word of God. There is no where in there that allows giving for designated giving. Just like the county and my culvert.
Yet this happens. Too much. It causes hard feelings. People build little empires by designated giving. I'm not talking about an offering fund like for example a building fund, a missions venture or some other embraced fund to receive offerings, I'm talking about money used to do extra ecclesial functions.
This is wrong. And it's out of line. Pastor Dan was death on these kinds of things. It undermines the mission of the Church to such subversive giving.
If the county allowed me to get away with the culvert thing they would have everyone targeting and designating giving to accomplish various purposes. The general operating fund would founder.
One other thing. This is not hypothetical. I really do want a culvert. If I paid my full taxes and then if I went to culverts are us and without approval just installed one where I want it I would be arrested. I have no right or privilege to modify the public right of way for my own interests.
So the idea in the church that its OK for a person to just go ahead and buy something that THEY deem is necessary, even if it doesn't remove from the tithe is subversion. I wish I could get that in people's heads.
2 comments:
Need to get it in people's heads AND HEARTS. I AGREE with what you say. . HOWEVER, when a congregation is stingy in regard to outreach and Christ's mission in the world with its finances, then I will designate some of my offering to the specific purpose of mission and outreach especially for the church body of which that congregation is affiliated with. Too many congregations in the U.S are mainly self-maintenance operations. A congregation ought to increase its resources for outreach annually. Some do this, and have achieved the goal of 50% for the Lord's operation locally, and 50% for mission outreach. Imagine how we could help grow toward the fulfillment of the great commission if congregations would grow toward that objective!.........H.A.H.
Congregants tithe and in most cases, that will always go to the general fund for the church to distribute where needed.
People also have the right to go above and beyond, donating something extra to a designated ministry or mission. It is their right to do so. If you do not want designated offerings, then the church must say they do not accept them. Such is not always the case. You may know of such a church. They accept the designated donation and use the money for other things without the permission or knowledge of the one who gave it. That would be a crime, is very dishonest and not worthy of Christ. God bless those who tithe and also donate to specific ministries, world missions and community missions. This type of thinking lacks the light of Christ. If the money honors and glorifies God, what is the problem? Is it worth risking or turning off someone lost to God's magnificent truth and love? We need to stop this and really 'Shine'.
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