Where Should Pastors Tithe? God allows us the freedom to give where we feel it will be used wisely. He does not say where we should give but wants us to give. The Question of Tithing is very important, we tithe (10%) to give back to God the Blessings He Has given us. This can include, Money or even the Jews Tithed from their Gardens.
Table of Contents
History of Tithing
The History of Tithing goes all the way back to Abraham where God had blessed him and the patriarch.
“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High, 19and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.20And praise is to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. ( Genesis 14: 18 – 20 )
We See Jacob also following in that tradition in sharing back the blessings God has given us.
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it”. And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven”.
So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying,
“If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me, I will give a full tenth to you” (Genesis 28:16–22)
To The Priest / Local Church
In The Old Testament the Jews gave their Tithes to the Priest. They then would distribute it. Later on the Jews would also give another 10th specifically dedicated to the poor.
Funds were taken and used for spiritual purposes. Helping and maintaining the Spiritual Things Under the Old law
In The New Testament Tithing is not Given as a Commandment but encourages freely giving of the blessings back to God. As on the Earlier times to maintain the work of the Local Church Family
The Idea is that God wants us to properly view his Blessings, to realize they are freely given, so should we freely give.
Where Should Pastors Tithe
- Yes Where They serve
- Yes Beyond That
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Proverbs 3:9-10(NIV)
A lot is said about tithing, but there is one thing that we tend to overlook, and that is pastors tithing. To be more specific, where should pastors tithe? We know that we are supposed to tithe where we are fed spiritually that is our local church, but the thing is pastors are the ones who feed the flock the word of God, so where should they tithe?
Is it okay for a pastor to tithe in the same church that they lead? Or should they find ministries where they can be taking their tithe? Someone may say that it doesn’t make sense for pastors to tithe in the first place because tithe belongs to them. So are they supposed to tithe?
Should Pastors Tithe? Where He Serves – Yes
Men and Women of God need to lead by example. Sharing of:
- Of Their $ Blessings
- Of Their Time and work
What Stronger Testament can be shown that a Godly Life is Your Living your life by the same things you teach
Proof of their Faith in God
Pastors need to tithe because doing so shows that they have faith in God, who has promised to bless them if they give. See, you cannot tell your church members that you have faith in God and yet not trust God with ten percent of your earnings. Tithing is not just about giving God our money; God doesn’t need it. It is more about trusting Him with our finances, and the best way to do that is through entrusting a portion of it to Him.
Shows the Pastor’s Heart for the Ministry
Another reason why they need to tithe is to show their commitment and heart for their ministry. You cannot say that you have a heart for what you’re doing and are committed to ensuring that that ministry stands if you’re not willing to show it by your actions. For pastors, one of the best ways to show their commitment to the church is through tithing.
The Bible tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only
(James 1:22-25). “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
When a pastor tells people to tithe, but they do not do the same, it brings out a bad picture. Pastors need to practice what they preach by giving a tenth of their earnings to God as a sign that they trust God and are committed to following his word and being obedient to him.
( II Corinthians 9:6 – 11 ) Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.“
Now that we are clear about whether pastors should tithe or not, let us look at where they should tithe.
A person may argue that since pastors are paid by the church, they should not tithe in that very church. Well, I believe that a pastor should tithe in their local church, and here is why:
It Enables the Pastor to be a Great Example to His Congregation
It is great to tell people to tithe. It is also good for you to teach them about biblical advantages of tithing. But the thing is most people, including those who come to your church, believe by seeing. Some of your congregants may be struggling with tithing because of the different teachings that they have been taught since childhood.
Understand that just because you’re a pastor that believes tithing is for today as it was for the Old Testament doesn’t mean that all your church members believe that too. Some came from churches that preached against tithing. They think that preachers who ask members to tithe are doing it for selfish gains. But when they see you tithing, their hearts will be stirred up to do the same.
Remember, pastors are spiritual parents to their congregants. And just the way children learn from their parents is how your congregants are learning from you about spiritual matters. It is not enough for you to preach. You need to practice what you preach and be a good example to your congregants.
Tithing in your Local Church Enables God to Bless Your Ministry
When we tithe, we are, in essence, surrendering our finances, jobs, and every area of our lives to God. So when a pastor tithes to his local church, he is surrendering his ministry to God and allowing him to be in charge of everything. Be disciplined and tithe faithfully for God to bless your ministry.
Pastors are Part of the Congregation, which is a Separate Entity
Just because God has called you to be a pastor and you’re leading a certain congregation does not mean that you own that church. When people tithe, they are not giving it to the pastor but to the church. Yes, pastors are paid from the tithes that a church receives
(1Corintians 9:14), “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”
but that does not mean that they possess all that people give.
The church is an institution by itself. It means that pastors are part of the congregation in the church. As much as you are the leader and teacher of your church, you need to contribute to different areas, and one of them is in tithing.
You’re also a child of God, and your heavenly Father is the ultimate leader of your church. You need to be submissive to him and follow his decrees.
Conclusion
Tithing is a subject that brings up a lot of debate among Christians. Some people believe that pastors should not tithe. But we need to remember that the Bible tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Pastors are not above God, and so they need to submit to him.
Other people believe that pastors should tithe but not in their local churches. But pastors need to be a great example to members in their local church. One way they can do that is by tithing in their local churches just like other congregants. They should show their commitment to their ministries so that other believers can also believe in their vision and calling.
Pastors should not only preach and teach others what to do, but they should also put what they preach into practice so that other believers can see that they believe in what they are professing. One of the best ways that they can do that is by tithing in the churches that they lead.
