Finances, A Touchy Subject

Kate, John, Mat, Ben and myself Joanna in attendance.

Jumping into finances as a debt was the start to a rather touchy subject. I say touchy because it was a general spoken consensus that we were unsure of what was really said about tithing. Was the Mennonite Foundation of Canada (MFC) telling us to give all of our money away at church or were they suggesting that we were bad if we were not tithing? In hopes to keep personal finances personal, I too will stay consistent and leave names out. A quick note that all who were present contributed to the conversation. There were a few confessions of feeling the pain of debt and the struggle to tithe when we are in a time of making ends meet.

After wrestling with the question what is debt? Most were in agreement that purchasing a house could be a wise investment and although technically a debt, it was more an asset. Some expressed their desire to pay off their arrears and others felt that paying them off is next to impossible.

My view is that bringing up the topic of tithing in ministry is a must but speaking about it does not have to frustrate, condemn or confuse people so much. It is my suggestion that MFC could have less focus on ten percent as the tithe and more focus on prayerfully identifying what is right for each person individually. If our relationship is personal to Jesus, wouldn’t that mean that the amounts we tithe are personal too? I would like to point attention to 2 Corinthian’s 9:7 “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity... (NKJV)”. My interpretation is that The Word is not just talking about money. Judging by many claiming this day that they felt guilty not being able to give as much as they would like, the attempt to discuss came across as very legalistic. Perhaps they could explore other ways to give so that it comes from the heart and seems attainable.

Kate’s suggestion for the MFC to provide ways for Pastor’s to talk more about tithing seems very suitable. I also agree with Ben’s idea that some churches do not need to be as big as they are and have all the fine trimmings. What else could that money be used for?