Confidentiality of Tithes

[returnman]

Never have ask this question before and not sure it has been discussed.
For the most part, every church business meeting I have attended while in the UPC, the tithing report amount is kept confidential. Anyone want to explain why this is so? What is the big secret? All other funds where always reported.

[Sweet Pea]

There is no secret at our business meetings. All contributions are listed:

Tithes
General Offering
Missions
Misc Special Offerings

Then the expenses from each group is listed.

[Dordrecht]

I can see why individual tithing reports would be confidential, but the total amounts should be available to everybody.

[shag]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

There is no secret at our business meetings. All contributions are listed:

Tithes
General Offering
Missions
Misc Special Offerings

Then the expenses from each group is listed.

UPCI?

[freeatlast]

in the last upci church I attended every dollar in and where it went was in the annual report to the church.

The upci I attended prior to that, the tithe were never reported separately from other funds that came in.

What the pastor took out was an unknown.


Pastor's that operate this way today simply are hiding something. They do not want anyone to know how deep they are into the pockets of the church.

Everyone that is participating
in supporting the work of God has a right to know about the stewardship of the church.

[Sweet Pea]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

There is no secret at our business meetings. All contributions are listed:

Tithes
General Offering
Missions
Misc Special Offerings

Then the expenses from each group is listed.

Originally Posted by shag

UPCI?

Yes it is UPCI - and I want to clarify something. Individual contribution information is not given to anyone other than the Pastor.

The pastor draws a salary just like the associate pastors and secretaries. The pastor's salary is agreed upon by the pastor and the trustee board. The associate pastor salaries are set by the pastor.

All the salaries, bills (utilities, mortgage, insurance, etc. etc) are paid from the tithes and general offerings. All special offerings are in a designated fund to be used for that designation. However, the church by-laws state something to the effect that the church administration reserves the right to redirect designated funds if necessary. This is also stated on the contribution envelopes. (I don't have an envelope here and can't remember the exact verbiage.) It would be a good idea for all churches to have something similar in their by-laws and printed on the contribution envelopes.

All this information is freely given at the business meetings and it is announced that all the books will be open for review for 30 days after the business meeting. (The individual salaries are not listed - just the total for "salaries.") I have no idea if anyone has ever asked to review the books - although I do doubt that individual salary information would be given out.

The church income and expenses are audited each year by an outside CPA that has no connection to the church.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

Yes it is UPCI - and I want to clarify something. Individual contribution information is not given to anyone other than the Pastor.

The pastor draws a salary just like the associate pastors and secretaries. The pastor's salary is agreed upon by the pastor and the trustee board. The associate pastor salaries are set by the pastor.

All the salaries, bills (utilities, mortgage, insurance, etc. etc) are paid from the tithes and general offerings. All special offerings are in a designated fund to be used for that designation. However, the church by-laws state something to the effect that the church administration reserves the right to redirect designated funds if necessary. This is also stated on the contribution envelopes. (I don't have an envelope here and can't remember the exact verbiage.) It would be a good idea for all churches to have something similar in their by-laws and printed on the contribution envelopes.

All this information is freely given at the business meetings and it is announced that all the books will be open for review for 30 days after the business meeting. (The individual salaries are not listed - just the total for "salaries.") I have no idea if anyone has ever asked to review the books - although I do doubt that individual salary information would be given out.

The church income and expenses are audited each year by an outside CPA that has no connection to the church.

That setup sounds good to me.

[deltaguitar]

Nope, the churches I have been a part of in the past only showed the general fund and not the tithing account. One was UPC and the other the pastor was former UPC.

Amazing the difference, I now go to a baptist church that has audited financial statements, is overseen by true elders, and has the monthly financial statements online, has 32 million in assets, a budget of 12 million a year. And, weekly attendance at my campus is around 8000 while the auditorium seats about 1500. Total contrast to the church that has a 400 seat auditorium with 60 people, if that.

Looking back, I have thank God for his grace because I gave a lot of money to a church that wasted it and I never questioned.

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Nope, the churches I have been a part of in the past only showed the general fund and not the tithing account. One was UPC and the other the pastor was former UPC.

Amazing the difference, I now go to a baptist church that has audited financial statements, is overseen by true elders, and has the monthly financial statements online, has 32 million in assets, a budget of 12 million a year. And, weekly attendance at my campus is around 8000 while the auditorium seats about 1500. Total contrast to the church that has a 400 seat auditorium with 60 people, if that.

Looking back, I have thank God for his grace because I gave a lot of money to a church that wasted it and I never questioned.

YOU are wasting it now supporting false doctrine and sending yourself and your family to hell.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

YOU are wasting it now supporting false doctrine and sending yourself and your family to hell.

So Steve are you stating that all Baptists are going to hell?