An increasing number of evangelical leaders do not believe tithing is a biblical obligation for Christian believers, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). A report from NAE states: “Many evangelical churches regularly encourage their members to tithe, or give the church at least 10 percent of their income. Yet, according to the February Evangelical Leaders Survey, most evangelical leaders do not believe the Bible requires Christians to tithe. The survey showed that 58 percent do not believe the Bible requires a tithe, while 42 percent do.
“The Old Testament called for multiple tithes, sort of combining government taxes with religious stewardship. Many churches later adopted 10 percent as the standard,” said Leith Anderson, NAE President. “[Because] there is such a strong evangelical tradition of tithing, I was a little surprised that a majority of our evangelical leaders say the tithe system of the Old Testament does not carry over to the New Testament or to us.”
NAE leaders are adamant that this doesn’t release Christians from giving. Alan Robinson of the Brethren in Christ Church said, “Tithing was an Old Testament legal model that ought to lead New Testament Christians to lives of sacrificial generosity. While tithing is not ‘required’ today, it is my view that Christian generosity will at a minimum reflect the Old Testament requirements of the law and should in fact greatly exceed it.” (Click here to read the full story.)