“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
“Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it,” Malachi 3:10.
Tithing is one of the most sensitive areas in modern day church and it is a topic that often ignites heated debate.
From whether we should give a tenth of our gross or net pay to how our giving shall be put to use.
Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga over the weekend stated that Christians have become reluctant to tithe and this has greatly affected the church.
Speaking during mass at Saint Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga, Bishop Kizito said most church projects stall because Christians do not tithe faithfully.
“Whenever we ask for tithe, everyone gives only what they have at that time. But the Bible says a tenth of whatever you earn belongs to the church,” said Archbishop Lwanga.
“Give me your support as I front this proposal because it is good for us. Aren’t you tired of putting money in the baskets all the time?”
He proposed that the government should make this deduction directly from salaries depending on how one is registered, as it is done in some European countries.
“I was told Germans make agreements with their government to deduct monthly tithe from their salaries and forward it to the church and this money they use to build and renovate their churches,” he said.
In countries like Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy and Sweden, church tax is imposed on members of some religious congregations and is used to maintain and restore church sacral objects and buildings.
Those who do not want to pay the tax can leave the church by making an official declaration stating they are leaving the faith.
standardmedia.co.ke
