Why Don’t We Give More to Our Local Church?

American Christians are richer than ever and most of us still believe that some version of the tithe exists and is good, but the slice of giving going to the local church has been shrinking for over 50 years. In 1968 church members gave a little over 3% of their income to their church, but by 2019 it was less than 2% which is an even lower percentage than during the Great Depression!

If the mission of the Church is the most important activity that exists and Christians are wealthier than ever, then why are we giving less to our local churches? Have we suddenly stopped believing in the mission of the Church and that the preaching of the Word is the power of salvation? I don’t think that’s it. Maybe partially, but there is something going on here.

Your local church ought to be the primary recipient of your charitable giving and the first place you prioritize giving to, but why does that seem harder to do than it should?

I’ve served in the local church in a few different capacities over my life as a Christian. I’ve been a trustee and a worship band member. I’ve had the opportunity to lead singing for a congregation, I’ve exhorted from the pulpit, I’ve taught Sunday school, and I served as the treasurer for my local church for a decade. I’ve also been on the board of a local pregnancy center for the past 9 years and it’s been a lot easier to ask for money for the pregnancy center than it has been for the church.

I’ve grown up in the church and held all sorts of beliefs about the church and money that have matured as I have. While working as the church treasurer I started to wonder “Why is this?” My theory became that “familiarity breeds contempt.” The closer you are to a ministry or organization the more you see the warts. The more the shine wears off. The more you notice that this organization is full of imperfect people doing things imperfectly. When that happens, you tend to be less excited about giving your money to it.

I held this belief all the way up until last week, when I started researching today’s topic more in depth. The research disagreed with me. Barna research shows that trust is higher the closer you are to the organization. People trust their own pastor more than “the church” as a whole. So as a generalization the research doesn’t show that being familiar with a ministry leads to less giving, but some other research from Passing the Plate shows that there is a real objection to giving to the local church: people suspect that there is waste or mismanagement happening and it does disincentivize giving.

So the objection is a real one. Being familiar with the ministry reveals specific disagreements like the building program you don’t approve of or the color of the carpets or the pastor’s insurance benefits line items you’d like to have seen spent differently, and that can impact the amount you’re willing to give.

Especially after COVID, trust in institutions across the board is at historic lows. Gallup shows that only 33% of Americans have confidence in the church. Trust in clergy is down the most compared to any profession measured and that decline started well before COVID. The cultural zeitgeist has moved toward distrusting institutions. Is your local public school managing its finances well in your opinion? Are you satisfied with how the federal government is spending your tax dollars? Have universities gotten more efficient over your lifetime? Do you like the experience at your hospital or doctor’s office?

The loss of trust in institutions generally seems to have bled over into a lack of trust for the local church. We’re more aware of people’s incentives for their recommendations than ever. When’s the last time your pastor talked about giving in a sermon? In my experience most pastors are hesitant to touch this hot issue at least partly because they are worried about what it will look like to people to see them encouraging giving since they’re the primary recipient of a large chunk of the church budget, especially in small churches.

That’s why I’m so keen to talk about this. My church doesn’t pay me. I don’t make any more or less money if you’re generous to your local church, and so I say with confidence and boldness: don’t conflate your local church with your attitude about institutions in general. There’s arguably more opportunity for, and evidence of, waste, fraud, and abuse in institutions than ever as those institutions grow, bloat, and the sheer amount of money flowing to them grows, but that doesn’t mean your local church should be treated the same way. You know your pastor. You see the budget. You’ve submitted to those in authority over you in the Lord. It’s not the same.

Scripture is my ally in this argument. The preaching of the gospel and the proper administration of the sacraments and discipline are the primary functions of the church, they are the ordinary means of grace by which people are saved. This is the most important cause on the planet, and while it doesn’t seem like maybe the most practical use of money, it is prescribed by Scripture. Missionaries, bible distribution, evangelists in India and Africa, are all urgent needs, but while it may seem ordinary, the foolishness of preaching is actual wisdom and worthy of our support financially.

The church is also to provide for widows and orphans which is something that’s harder to parse in our culture than ever. We have ever-expanding social safety nets and the truly destitute aren’t as prevalent as they used to be. While the argument that if a man won’t work, let him not eat is a good one, I’d encourage you to heed Paul also when he says to be generous to everyone, especially those of the household of faith. While we enjoy luxuries nobody in history has known, do we see them as ours by right while those less well off in our congregations are getting their just rewards? We ought to help elevate our brothers and sisters however we can.

The church is the primary means of charity and has been so historically. In Dominion, historian Tom Holland shows that the first hospital was started by Basil in the 4th century, and the rescue of abandoned children was happening around then as well. The church built hospitals, schools, and orphanages before anyone else and should continue to. When taxes are increasing this can seem like an extra burden and there’s a temptation to outsource it. That’s why I’m so passionate about paying less in taxes and giving more to your local church. The state isn’t as good at taking care of body and soul as the church is, and it’s our responsibility to make sure the church has resources to do it.

Pastors are underappreciated. Sure some of them are famous and make plenty of money from their megachurch, book sales, podcast, YouTube channels, or social media feeds. But the vast majority of them are laboring in a small or medium-sized church. They are praying for their members individually. They are shepherds who smell like the sheep because they live and work right alongside us. Most qualified pastors have gotten graduate level degrees like an M.Div (a three-year master’s) and received a calling that promises very little upside and career growth. A pastor won’t get stock options, equity compensation, commission, or profit-sharing. If a pastor works 60 or 80 hours instead of 40 hours a week they won’t earn any extra. There’s no incentive bonuses. Especially in smaller churches, where the criticism is that the pastor does less (and probably actually does more like printing bulletins, running social media, even mowing the lawn and other administrative tasks), a pastor is likely to make $45k to $75k a year. Compare that to the average teacher making $74.5k a year plus additional pensions and benefits the pastor doesn’t have. It seems we are happy to keep pastors destitute as if that somehow makes them more humble or qualified, but do you apply that same logic to your kids or grandkids? Don’t you want your family to have reliable transportation, modern conveniences, nice clothes, nutritious and delicious food, and some of the same luxuries we enjoy on a regular basis?

Being a pastor is an exceptionally high calling and one worthy of our respect and honor, not just socially, but financially as well. Pastors need to be cared for. While there are instances of pastoral abuse where pastors have lorded their power unjustly over their congregations, it’s far more common for members to abuse their pastors. Nearly every pastor I’ve talked to has a few stories about them being the recipient of abuse. The worker is worthy of his wages, not based on results, but based on the calling itself, which is true no matter the size of the church.

So what do you do about it? I’m imploring you to GIVMOAR. Give to your church first in all your giving. Try to reach that 10% floor of giving with all of that going to your church. Then everything above that give to extra initiatives your church has or supports. Give above the 10% to parachurch organizations, secular charities, individuals you know that are in need. That’s the order and this is a guide, not a law, but the priority of your local church is commanded.

There’s not a set amount or percentage and giving even all that you have (like the rich young ruler) isn’t going to save you. Rather, because you’ve been saved by grace through faith, you give generously and joyously to the bride of Christ that you are a part of. When Jesus looks at the church and sees the same things you see, some inefficiencies, maybe some waste and sinners working together, He also sees a bride that he has made perfect. This is what we should be laboring for. It’s not just for the church, but for the World. The church sends missionaries, feeds the hungry, and advocates for the poor.

Change your heart or change your church. If your church isn’t a true church (preaching the gospel, administering the sacraments, praying) then maybe you do need a change, but if the reason you’re not giving is because you don’t see the ROI and because of differences of opinions on line-item spending, then you need a change of heart. You can actually do something about your confidence too. Read the budget, go to the congregational meeting and ask questions, talk to your Elders about your concerns. You’ll probably find fellow believers doing their best to steward what the Lord has given them for His Glory, albeit imperfectly. I’ve been there. I’m passionate about the local church. My local church doesn’t do everything the way I think it should and I’ve been tempted to re-route giving because of it. I’ve even done it without thinking. I needed a heart change. You might too.

You’ll never outgive the Giver, the One who gave His Son. He gave the church to you and you to the church. Give gladly, not because the church has earned it, but because He has.

Soli Deo Gloria