D068 Biblical Standard of the Tithe
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring,
That the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church hereby commends the Biblical standard of the tithe to all Episcopalians as an essential element of being faithful Christians, and that the 80th General Convention encourages all Episcopalians who have not yet adopted the tithe as part of their personal financial commitment to God to move toward the tithe with all deliberate speed by giving to God a larger percentage of their income in each of the next two years with the firm purpose of achieving the tithe by the next General Convention and that General Convention expects God to pour out blessings upon God’s faithful people as they put God to the test in the matter of the tithe, as promised in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10.
Explanation
God calls us in Scripture to recognize that all we are, and all we have has come from a gracious giver of all things; and we are not our own but “were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20); and; Holy Scripture and numerous resolutions passed by General Convention commend the principle of returning a tenth of one’s income (tithing) to God through the church as a part of being responsible stewards of God’s property entrusted to us; and God promises to “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” for those who “test [Him] in this.” (Malachi 3:10)