Agreement/disagreement With The Pastor

[MountainChristian]

I know my pastor preaches to tithe, then we have a whole month of "missionary month" in OctOBer, which is just a whole month of trying to get blood out of turnips in my church. We have an average Sunday adult attendance in church of average of 12 regulars, 20 on a good Sunday. Not all tithe or "give willingly". I hear how God will get it out of you someway, your car will break down and be the price of what you would normally give. Then every year, want you to increase your giving to the church, to the missionaries, to the school, or whatever pet project is going on at the moment.

 

Miss Daisy that is common in my area.

 

My pastor talks a lot about giving time. Praying, Reading the Scriptures, Visiting the Sick, etc. He said if churches ever found out how much preachers love to preach, they make them pay for the privilege. 

[2bLikeJesus]

Must every thread turn into a tithing/giving thread?  Can we PLEASE give it a rest?!  This thread started as an eternal security thread, but of course it didn't take long to become tithing...again...

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I bet your pastor collects tithes every Sunday.  Something tells me you don't cry out give it a rest when that false doctrine is pushed in your Church. smh

[Standing Firm In Christ]

For the record, I didn't turn this into a thread about tithing. Matter of fact, it was a Moderator who brought up the tithing issue.

Also, how can the horse be dead when others are still riding it? LoL

[prophet1]

Anecdotal evidence is weak, but my testimony adds to the 100% teach "tithing"(which isn't actually a word, though much misuse has placed it in the dictionaries of late).

Of the churches that I have visited, or joined, in the last 40 years, not one has taught NT giving properly.
All that have taught on tithe, have greived the Spirit of God, and reinstated the curse of the Law.
Included in this list are three of the largest, most influential IFB churches in my lifetime.

To be fair, Jack Hyles mentioned that John R.Rice didn't agree with him on tithes, but I never heard Rice out, on the subject, so I can't include testimony of him and/or any of his like-minded churches.
I'm sure, with the circulation of the SOTL in the 70's and 80's, that there were some who agreed with its editor.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Here is John R. Rice' teaching on tithing... http://cnview.com/on_line_resources/storehouse_tithing.htm

[prophet1]

Thanks for linking that article.
Now I can't say that I haven't heard Rice out.

So he definitely had a rift with Hyles over that heresy.

I don't know the date on this article, but Rice saw the IFB beginning to fall into Nicolaitan deeds , and tithing as the catalyst.

[Ukulelemike]

I would ask you to present some proof that "95% teach tithing".

 

This is not my experience at all.

 

I have NEVER personally heard the tithe taught as a necessity in any IFB church I have ever been to.

 

I certainly am not saying it does not happen, but when people use terms like "95%" or even "most", I find it hard to believe.

 

I have heard people use it as "an example to follow, but only as the Lord leads", never as a necessity - the heart of giving is always emphasised.

 

So - prove it, or stop it.

 

Proof of "most" or "95%" or else stop saying it.

 

How about saying "Whenever people preach tithing as a necessity it is wrong"?

 

That I have no prOBlem with.

At all.

 

In any way......

 

But stop making accusations that are simply not true.

 

It is not 95%, nor in my experience is it "most".

 

MY personal experience is that it is actually NO IFB church preaches it, but I have heard reports of some who do, so I would never say that no IFB church preaches - that would by just as wrong as saying "95%" or "Most".

 

"Some do" would be an acceptable statement - but not "95%".

Of course, I can only speak to my experience, but in the roughly 30 years I have been an IFB, going only to IFB churches from the west coast to the east coast, as well as every one I have visited, 100% of them have taught the tithe, as well as NT free-will giving on top of that. Basically, a 10% tithe is required, such that God will TAKE it if you don't give it. I said 95% yes, just off the top of my head, but the first church I have ever been in, mine is the first NOT to teach it.

 

So, yes, I admit, the 95% is not based up-on researched information, and I apologize for my assumption and incorrect information, but as I said, we can but speak to our experience, and I have just a little.

[John81]

Our pastor mentioned Sunday that unless the text he's preaching from has to do with money/giving, he doesn't bring it up because he believes if our hearts are right with God we will be giving without having to be told, and we especially don't need to be told how much to give.

 

If a special project or need comes up he will mention it from the pulpit, usually just once and simply tell folks if they want to give to the purchase of a new heating system (for example) they may do so.

 

By the grace of God our church is well funded, we have no debt.

[2bLikeJesus]

I have never heard a message on giving/tithing either from my pastor in the 14 years I have been attending there.  Like John mentioned, "he believes if our hearts are right with God we will be giving without having to be told".  He did mention recently though that our giving has been very good but our "missions" giving has been lower than normal.  Our pastor runs a very tight ship when it comes to church funds and will not take from one bucket that is well funded to add to a bucket that is low, (ie. building fund, bus ministry funds, general offering (tithe), and missions are kept rigidly separate),and 100% of a love offering for a special speaker goes directly to that speaker (I hear that is rare). By the grace of God our church is also well funded and we have no debt.  Though we have severely outgrown our current building (we have to bus our kids off site to an elementary school for youth services), and own outright 5 acres for a new building, our pastor will not put the church in deep debt for a loan but instead insists that over 70% of any building be paid in cash.

 

Bro. Garry

[John81]

Our pastor also keeps all funding separate and there is no taking from Peter to fund Paul. We've also outgrown our building and are very much in need of an addition. We've been putting aside money for such for a long time. In the spring we were presented with an offer much lower than previously for an addition. If we can work out the details, it looks as if we could build the addition with the money we have, but then it would require additional money and volunteer help to do the finishing work for the interior.

[HappyChristian]

Okay, folks, read this carefully: this is not a tithing thread.  Repeat: this is not a tithing thread.  Just because it was mentioned in a post does not mean that we need to derail the thread into such.  Put a stop to it - without smart alecky comments about whether or not "tithe" was collected in my church Sunday.

 

There is a tithe thread already going.  Post in that rather than here.  

[Ukulelemike]

We just had one account, and everything went in there. After we went so low we ran out, the bank eventually shut down our account altogether. We made a second personal account and use it for the church fund, but its rarely got much in it.

 

That's just how we roll.

 

We roll very slow.

[HappyChristian]

Okay, folks, read this carefully: this is not a tithing thread.  Repeat: this is not a tithing thread.  Just because it was mentioned in a post does not mean that we need to derail the thread into such.  Put a stop to it - without smart alecky comments about whether or not "tithe" was collected in my church Sunday.

 

There is a tithe thread already going.  Post in that rather than here.  

[Pastor Matt]

What if you agree with most of the teachings from the pastor of your church but disagree on a few topics? Should one agree to disagree to keep unity? Should one eat the watermelon and spit out the seeds? Is it time to find a new church? Does anyone else have experiences of this nature? If so, how do you deal with it?

It is very common to disagree with the pastor and/or anyone else in the church. After all, you are your own person and not a blind follower. Anything that you disagreement you have with the pastor with should be discussed with him with an open mind. I have found that in my discussions with my pastor that I was the one that was wrong sometimes, my pride got in the way sometimes. Other times it was the other way around. If they are areas that you feel that you can't live with and they are becoming a stumbling block, then leave the church after discussing it with the Pastor. Keep in mind that just as you feel that you may be 100% correct in this issue, so does he. Who is right? We will find out when we get to heaven, until then try not to be arrogant about the situation and do what is best for your family. 

 

FYI: I'm not basing my comments on basic Baptist doctrine but other small things that Baptists commonly disagree on.