Considering Matthew 25:31-46, I was wondering why “God” would be sitting around hoping I give him a piece of pie? I mean Jesus says our brother in need is where we see Him, so it seems the guy should have been giving a slice to a brother or sister who was in need. But nobody like that was in the video at all.

The “time tithe” was most often a way of tithing in lieu of money, from the policies I remember on that subject. Ncatina’s experience was that the church demanded both time and money tithes. And the service tithe was primarily on behalf of the church facility itself or its attending workload. No special regard given necessarily to the person’s calling.

I know that many Christian schools allow a parent to tithe time when they were short on tuition. They could be conscripted to become drivers, chaperones, office workers, fundraising chairpersons and workers, teacher and coach assistants, etc., to meet their shortfall. In that case, though, there is a legitimate debt that the parent’s time offsets. A monetary value is assigned by the school ahead of time to the work to be done so that the tuition’s balance due can be slowly satisfied.

Yet, predatorily, the same attitude and procedure is taken by tithing churches like Ncatina spoke of, based on the premise that the money tithe is a legitimate debt that can be offset the same way by certain labors that the church itself creates to be done. They do not regard the person’s own calling in that calculation, unless, by chance, the work assigned to a particular individual is within that person’s calling. The abuse comes with believers not being able to fulfill their own God-given ministry because so much of their time is taken up in these arbitrary duties. So, if someone admits to not being able to tithe monetarily, they’ll end up with double duty for the church (read: pastor’s empire). So, what’s double duty then- 34 hours? Oy vey. Hence, burn out, resentment and unresolved guilt. The root of bitterness springing up to defile many; and all created over money.

Even when I was caught up in the 10% scam, I didn’t really “get” the “tithe your time” concept. I thought Christians were always supposed to do good continually as we are able. I never put any stock in having to have 10% of my “time” at “home church”.

Some assemblies are able to use things like an “assessment” of members’ skills, abilities and seeing what the Lord has gifted the members with, without using the information for abusive purposes. Some use it to help saints better realize how they might be most effective in doing good works and ministry. But the pimps, anything given to them is bound to be abused.

These actiities are all designed to rip people for their time, talent, energy AND money for the exclusive benefit to the organization/overseer, and direct detriment of the giver.

You’re right. Since pastors have arbitrarily (without scriptural mandate) created little empires with palaces (church buildings) as their capitols, and them as kings; you become the serfs. This is an ongoing fulfillment of what the Lord said to the Israelites when they wanted a king like other nations (1 Sam 8:11-18). For such misappropriations of God’s servants for their own legacy, they must answer for it one day; for it is in direct disobedience to Mark 10:42-43 and 1 Pet 5:3.

Because so many people involved in these “ministries” serving within the church see the organiztion as God Himself, once they burn out and contemplate leaving, out of misguided fear, they feel they will leave God Himself.

Right on!

Money, money, money. The desire for it ruins so many and the church is not exempt. That love is thorns growing up to choke off the Word. God protect us from that temptation.