Tithing

Tithing – the principle financial element to support the Church and it's Apostle – was a principle and sustaining part of the Church. To remove tithing from the church – as it later found out – was to remove the lifeblood from the church itself.

The first thing that needs to be stated is simple: Tithing was next to mandatory. I say “next to” mandatory because the church always claimed that tithing was “voluntary contributions” and freewill gifts to the church. They never claimed that they were mandatory expenditures – officially. However, tithing was accompanied with scriptural authority, and plenty of commands to do exactly that.

Tithing itself for members of the church was nothing less, for most, then an incomprehensible burden. Armstrongism supports an “up to” three-tiered tithing process.

The first tier of tithing was called the “First Tithe”. This was ten percent of a person's gross income, and was to be set out each paycheck and sent directly to church headquarters. This was done in perpetuality, as long as the member had an income.

The second tier of tithing was called the “Second Tithe”. This was an additional ten percent of a person's gross income, and this was to be set out each paycheck and stored in a savings-type account or any means possible for the purposes of eating out on Holy Days, but primarily for attendance and activities at the church's annual convention, the Feast of Tabernacles.

The third tier of tithing was called the “Third Tithe”. This was sent to headquarters every three years on a continual cycle from the date of baptism (if I recall this correctly.) The third tithe was meant as a benevolence fund for widows and for orphans – but rumors and hearsay alluded to the opinion that this was not always the case in reality.

After the three tiers of tithing, freewill offerings were taken up at services on the seven annual Holy Days – First Day of Unleavened Bread, Last Day of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, The First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day. These were freewill, but you were expected to “give generously” on these days.

After the Tithing and the freewill offerings, there was the expectation to give in support of the Local Church Activity Fund. Because the headquarters church would not send any money to local churches for local activities, the local churches were expected to raise the additional monies themselves. This was usually a pretty aggressive expectation – as activities in the local church included dances, balls, picnics, and other activities.

Another financial expectation was for the “Building Funds” which were in progress with the construction of the church's college campus, Ambassador College. Those who refused to support the “Building Fund” were labeled by headquarters and by the Pastor General as “slackers”, at the least, and at the most, were threatened to go to the Lake of Fire for their refusals.



The Lake of Fire was the “fire” at the Third Resurrection where those who did not “make it” were sentenced to eternal death and cessation of life for all eternity and forevermore. This was a capital threat – the worst threat one can possibly be given – yet for the sake of more income, this was exactly what happened, repeatedly.

It was not uncommon for a member to give up to and over 50% of their income to the church per check during maximum giving periods (First tithe, second tithe, third tithe, offerings, building funds, and local church activities). Obviously, I haven't included what the government takes out of paychecks in terms of taxes and other deductions. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that what is left for a family is not much – when you consider what a family normally has to pay for. It's a sobering and tragic thought to think about.

The church's excessive and burdensome financial requirements were the number one reason why so many families were struggling in poverty. Even so, tithing was said to be tracked by the ministry of the church – and those who refused to tithe were subject to ex-communication by the church at the most to “shunning” at the least for some.

Sadly, it has been documented that tithing supported the affluent and flamboyant lifestyle of many of the senior ministers of the church, and the well-living lifestyle of all of the ministry, who had lavish expense accounts – and did not have to pay second tithe for attendance at the festival.

The aspect of the head of the household – the husband – to bring in that income – and the wife – the husband's assistant – to stay home – made an already impoverished household even more difficult with the financial struggles that were bound to ensue. The husband had an expectation to be the supporter of the family – no matter what – and find a decent job – even with the Saturday work restriction imposed on him. This made job finding for some quite difficult. This also increased the marital stress remarkably due to the impositions made on the family and on the worker. There was little excuse that was accepted – both male and female were to stay in their roles.