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Judah Smith’s Megachurch Faces Lawsuit for Forcing Staff to Tithe 10% of Wages

By Julie Roys
Judah Chelsea Smith Churchome
Co-Lead Pastors of Churchome Judah and Chelsea Smith. (Source: Facebook)

Judah Smith and his West Coast megachurch, Churchome, are facing a class-action lawsuit for requiring staff to tithe 10% of their wages—a policy that violates two Washington state laws, the suit claims.

The suit was filed Tuesday in King County Superior Court in the state of Washington on behalf of Rachel Kellogg, a post-production producer at Churchome. Also included in the suit are any church employees who contributed part of their wages to Churchome during the relevant time period, unless they opt out, said Eric Nusser, attorney for the plaintiffs.

Named as defendants in the suit are Churchome; its pastors, Judah and Chelsea Smith; and its CEO David Kroll.

Judah Chelsea Smith
Churchome lead pastors Judah and Chelsea Smith (Photo via social media)

According to the suit, Churchome threatened Kellogg with termination if she didn’t give 10% of her wages back to the church, despite Kellogg’s claim of financial hardship. The alleged actions are consistent with Churchome’s company-wide policy of compulsory tithing, which is outlined in the church’s employee handbook, attached to the filing.

The policy violates Washington’s Wage Rebate Act, which prohibits employers from collecting a “rebate of any part of wages” from an employee, the suit claims. The suit also alleges that the policy violates Washington’s Consumer Protection Act, banning unfair “acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.”

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“Together, these Defendants have engaged in a systemic scheme of wage and hour abuse against their employees, including the requirement that all employees rebate ten percent of their gross earned wages back to Defendants in the form of tithes on a monthly basis or face actual or threatened pressure, discipline, or termination,” the suit states.

Some churches consider tithing 10% of one’s income a biblical standard for giving. However, a Barna survey last September found that only one in three pastors believe the traditional 10% tithe should be the standard. About 20% said congregants should give a “sacrificial” amount. And another 20% said the standard should be “as much as they are willing.”

TRR reached out to Churchome for comment about the lawsuit, but the church did not respond.

The lawsuit seeks to recover “compensatory” damages equal to the amount employees paid in tithe over the past three to four years, as well as “exemplary” damages. Exemplary damages are twice the amount paid according to the Wage Rebate Act, Nusser told The Roys Report (TRR). But under the Consumer Protection Act, exemplary damages are triple the amount paid, he said. (The time period of three to four years is based on the respective statute of limitations for each law.)

According to Frank Sommerville, an attorney and CPA with 40 years of experience in cases involving employment law and religious organizations, lawsuits involving compulsory tithing are rare but not unprecedented.

Sommerville cited a 1987 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the right of a Mormon church to fire an employee who refused to tithe. However, that suit was based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Sommerville said, not a state law like the Churchome suit.

churchome
Logo for Churchome (Courtesy image)

Sommerville added that in his entire career, he’s only come across two to three churches that required tithing other than the Mormon Church. Those churches were evangelical churches, Sommerville said.

Potential recovery amounts in this case could be large. Churchome currently has 80 to 100 employees, Nusser said. But the church recently trimmed staff after closing several Churchome campuses and moving more to an online format. So, the number of employees eligible to recover losses in the case could be “substantially higher,” Nusser said.

Churchome was one of several churches recently named as participants in a so-called “celebrity preacher’s scam” involving the global megachurch Hillsong. According to whistleblower documents, Churchome paid $100,000 annually to be included in the “Hillsong Family,” which enabled its celebrity pastors to receive large honorariums for preaching at the megachurches of other celebrity pastors.

Churchome also recently came under fire for re-hiring a former campus pastor after a third-party investigation found a “preponderance of evidence” that the pastor had raped a woman.

Tithing “more important than taking communion”

According to the suit, Churchome hired Kellogg in 2019 as a production assistant. But in Churchome’s job posting, application process, and orientation, the church never mentioned that employees are required to rebate 10% of their gross wages to the church, the suit claims.

Yet, in a staff videoconference in April 2020, Churchome Lead Pastor Judah Smith “reminded” employees of Churchome’s policy requiring employees to tithe 10%, the suit said. Nusser told TRR that his firm has audio of that videoconference, but has not yet decided whether to release it.

During the meeting, Smith said, “I’ll be very honest: people have already been transitioned and moved on and fired because they were not tithing,” the suit claimed. Smith also reportedly asserted that tithing 10% was a “black and white” issue and “more important than taking communion.”

judah smith churchome
Judah Smith preaches at Churchome in Los Angeles, California, in 2019. (Photos via Churchome)

Smith also used Scripture to imply that employees should “sell their ‘possessions and belongings’ rather than fail to rebate ten percent of their paychecks back to Churchome,” the suit said.

After that videoconference, Kellogg was afraid she’d be fired for not tithing, so she arranged for 10% of her wages to be automatically withdrawn from her checking account, the suit says.

But about four months later, Kellogg reportedly got in a serious car accident, which totaled her car and left her with serious injuries. Kellogg bought a new car with higher payments. She also had to “cover several up-front medical costs,” the suit said.

churchome
Wes Halliburton (Photo via Churchome)

As a result, Kellogg reportedly stopped tithing in December 2020 and didn’t tithe for all of 2021. In July of 2021, Kellogg lost her rental home and was forced to lease another home with “substantially greater” rent, increasing her financial strain.

In November 2021, Churchome’s Chief Creative Officer Wes Halliburton spoke with Kellogg and told her she needed to resume tithing, the suit says. In follow-up messages attached to the filing, Halliburton wrote, “Im (sic) not sure if you have started giving since our last conversation, but that needs to happen asap.”

Kellogg responded that she planned to resume giving in January. But she added “it likely won’t be a full 10% to start, but I’ll be doing my best to work my way up as time goes on and my finances become a little more stable.”

churchome tithe

 On January 18, 2022, Kellogg received a written reprimand from her supervisor, Video Production Manager Ben Sorte, for failing to tithe 10%.

“Your conduct regarding company policy on Tithing has not been met over a period of time and has created a pattern that is in direct violation of the referenced company policy,” Sorte wrote. “. . . It is my expectation that you get in rhythm with our company policy on tithing. While I understand the complexities of finances, this is an expectation for all Churchome employees and you need to correct this pattern immediately.”

Sorte added that “continued incidents of this nature . . . may result in additional, more serious disciplinary action, up to and including termination.”

About a year later, Kellogg reportedly met with Joe Goods, Churchome’s content director, about tithing. Kellogg told Goods she couldn’t afford to give 10% to the church, the suit stated. Goods then reportedly told Kellogg that when he had financial difficulty, he chose to sell his house rather than stop tithing.

Earlier this month, Goods sent a message to Kellogg, telling her that the Churchome executive team expected her to start giving a full tithe to the church within four weeks. When Kellogg asked what would happen if she couldn’t meet that expectation, Goods asked if she needed six weeks. But he added that not complying “would lead to being removed from staff.”

churchome tithe

The suit states that Kellogg knows of at least two former Churchome employees who were fired for not tithing. Despite this, the church continues to not disclose the tithing requirement in its advertisements for job offerings.

Attorney Nusser told TRR that any former or current Churchome employees who who have had experiences similar to Kellogg’s are welcome to contact his law firm, Terrell Marshall Law Group. Any information shared would remain 100% confidential unless the person directs otherwise, Nusser said.

Kellogg v. Churchome Complaint filed March 21, 2023

Kellogg v Churchome Complaint with Appendices

 

Julie Roys is a veteran investigative reporter and founder of The Roys Report. She also previously hosted a national talk show on the Moody Radio Network, called Up for Debate, and has worked as a TV reporter for a CBS affiliate. Her articles have appeared in numerous periodicals. 

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68 Responses

  1. I’m so happy Rachel is able to take this action against a criminal, coercive, and domineering practice. I have no doubt that trying to change this systemic abuse “from the inside” would have utterly failed and been additionally traumatizing. Best of luck to Rachel and the attorneys and I’ll be praying for a win.

  2. When one loses site of who the real Headship is ie YESHUA/JESUS and not themselves, State or Fed gov. and didn’t get themselves out of the 501c3 when President Trump got rid of the Johnson Ammendment and treat themselves as a god running a Business then this is what comes out of it…Cultists erronous practices not following the REAL LORD of lords and KING of kings or Biblical sound scriptural practices.

    1. I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, and the Father. All things belong to God. Read 2 Corinthians 9:5-15 NKJV. Within this it is mentioned- “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” Jesus spoke about the appearance of giving through obligations versus a thankful heart that’s gives. One women tithes a very small amount compared to others. She gave all she had, and God honors this because He knows each of our hearts. I see why a church would mandate this. They are fearful, lacking trust in the one who Watches over the entire Body of Christ. I remember Pastor Wendell and Go no Smith, and how they cast the net to the other side. I don’t recognize the way of Chuchome. Jesus through the testimony of the Holy Spirit to the Father in heaven will make judgment. We must always apply the Word of God to all things within the Body of Christ.

      1. ” We must always apply the Word of God to all things within the Body of Christ.”
        The point is Churchome believes they are doing just that.

  3. Interesting that with a church of this size, their communication was 100% about getting money FROM their employee, without any effort to help her financially, despite the vast amount of money they have, including paying Hillsong $100,000 per year, which is most likely the tip of the iceberg of financial benefits the pastors and key leaders receive. And they knew she was having financial struggles, because she shared some of her struggles with them. Where is the pastoral care, and Christ’s desire to help those in need? Completely non-existent in their communication :-(. And their silence on seeking to see how they could help her – speaks volumes about their values and priorities.

    1. I was a on staff at a church in San Diego, CA. that had the same requirement. When I first started there I was being paid below the poverty line for a family of 4 in San Diego County. In order to keep my paycheck higher, they suggested putting my family on medical and applying for food assistance with the County.

      I was basically ready to quit at that point but we had no other job and decided to stay. I had signed the employee hand acknowledging the tithing requirement.

      It was an extreme hardship on my family the entire time I was on staff there. I eventually received a couple of pay raises but we also had another baby and still were under the County poverty level.

      We struggled to tithe both because of finances and our fear of the churches continued failures and problems.

      After six years and the very first day of Covid-19 lockdowns in San Diego County, I got a 2min phone call telling me I was being fired for inconsistent tithing.

      1. There is so much wrong with the way you were treated by that church! Where to begin?
        Churches have largely become business entities. Truly corrupted by the economic system we live in.
        I think it’s called mammon.

  4. I don’t believe in legalism, but a church worker who doesn’t tithe is a cause for concern.
    On the other hand, since ministries pay less than the going rate, if they expect the employees’ tithe to go to them, they should be upfront about it during the hiring process.
    I know of one mission agency that expects missionaries to tithe to their local church and if they don’t have one, to the mission agency (to help support their own work until their work is successful in starting a church for them to tithe to).

    1. An organisation requring missionaries to tithe to a local church is not at all the same thing as a megachurch requiring their employees to tithe TO THEMSELVES! Thats a fairly serious conflict of interest.

      After all this financial hardship this poor lady experience they should have been offering her money – don’t decent churches have benevolence funds for precisely this sort of situation – not trying to take the little she had away!

    2. People who do not tithe are only a concern to the religious business that they attend. It is not Jesus Church, ever. And there is nothing in the N.T. about tithing to anyone or anything. It is just bad theology that takes from this and that unrelated thing and tries to tie them together with the flimsiest of strings.

      1. a church worker who does not tithe is of no concern to you me or anyone else —except between that church worker and God. —

        1. Yes I do actually agree, I don’t think tithing should be a condition of employment anywhere. I should have clarified. I just meant that while that would be somewhat controlling, this is controlling AND greedy.

    3. “but a church worker who doesn’t tithe is a cause for concern”

      Biblically speaking, the only people God requires to tithe are Israelites living in the land of Canaan. And the required tithe is to be agriculture and agricultural food byproducts, not money.

      So you really should not be concerned with church members that don’t tithe. You should instead be concerned with church leaders who are handling the word of God deceiitfully in order to preach the monetary tithe requirement donctrine.

    4. “I don’t believe in legalism, but a church worker who doesn’t tithe is a cause for concern.”

      You may want to think about what you wrote there. If one is actually John chapter three “born again” then that person is dead to the Law of Moses/Old Covenant, Romans 7:4. The true cause for concern here is that anyone, anywhere at anytime, would think tithing was in effect.

      No tithing under the New Covenant. Nunca, nada, zip, zilch, never. Giving yes, but that is very different than a compelled Theocracy tax under the Old Covenant.

      Please see Hebrews chapter eight in it’s entirety, but here’s the kicker…

      “When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” ~ Hebrews 8:13

      Also remember that the writer is quoting from Jeremiah there. So the Old Covenant is long gone. And even when it was in effect for the Children of Israel, no one could keep it.

      Don’t kid yourself, “SmithCorp Industries™” also known as Churchome is a business. The CEO is named in the suit. In fairness nearly all “churches” are the same way. What they are not is an extension of the true family of God. They broke state law so I have no problem with them getting sued.

      All of the employees need to reconsider what they are doing with their lives. Sadly many will not. It sure doesn’t seem like anyone there cared much about a sister in need and that is what upsets me the most. Ignorant of the hypocrisy they personify it.

      If anyone has knowledge of an online fund raising account for Rachel, please comment on my comment and let us know. Thanks!

  5. I’m reminded of the legal maxim, “bad facts make bad law.” Regardless of the good or bad in the practice, there is great danger in allowing the state to dictate policies of a church that relate to interpretation of the Scriptures. As a lawyer that has litigated religious liberty cases I side with the right of a church to enforce policies I may not agree with. This case smacks of state interference, and I think it raises significant First Amendment concerns. Of course, the state has a compelling interest in preventing child abuse or enforcing criminal laws. Not so much with an “unreasonable” policy. I think the policy is a terrible practice, but I would fight to defend it in court. The protection of religious liberty is of first importance.

    1. I think if they required employees to give 10% of their earnings to some kind of Christian work (which COULD be themselves), that would look an awful lot better. That would make it a lot easier for them to claim it was about their employees’ hearts, rather than requiring the money for themselves, which makes them look greedy. And I’m saying that as someone who thinks supporting a local church is super important.

      1. and if they had showed compassion to the person who was in financial difficult situation and offer actual help that would also go a long way to showing they were an actual real church

    2. This is not related in any way to religious liberty……this a pure & simple employment law case……the employer (Churchome) rented the time of Ms Kellogg (employee) in turn she was issued a paycheck minus any local , state, Medicare, and social security taxes…….there isn’t a state in the Union that allows an employer to illegally deduct or coerce monies from an employee paycheck.
      I don’t need a law degree to see that this so called tithe is actually theft from the employee

      1. Thank you Kevin,

        Churchome is breaking the Law and Committing FRAUD in my books. It is time for them to be made an example of. When people abuse their privileges, unfortunately the State has to step in.

    3. I am pretty sure it’s illegal for any corporation to require employees to spend their wages…. anywhere. It’s certainly a conflict of interest to require employees to give some of their wages back to the employer as a condition of employment. That’s why the state of WA has laws against it.

    4. “Of course, the state has a compelling interest in … or enforcing criminal laws.”
      That’s the point of the lawsuit is it not?

  6. This whole tithe thing can go so many ways. The New Testament says be generous, period. Also no church should be paying their employees below the poverty line! Where is the compassion?
    She can’t pay her bills, church doesn’t seem to want to help, she is a sister in the Lord and you treat her like hired help. I would like to see Judah’s house, car and salary.
    I had a pastor once whose elders made talk once a year about giving, his take? If God has blessed you be generous. The MOST LIBERATING THING HE SAID WAS IF YOUR NEIGHBOR CANT PAY HIS OR HER MORTGAGE, don’t worry about the church, help them! God will take care of us ( the church).

    1. I wanted to know about his house, car, and salary, too. With a quick Google search I found reports of expensive designer clothing and a second home in CA he bought some years back.

  7. It’s concerning that they showed so little ‘generosity’ toward an employee who was struggling financially. The Seattle area is a very expensive place to live with high housing and rental costs. Were they paying her a livable wage? Were the pastors living a luxury lifestyle–multiple homes, designer clothing, luxury cars while the people working for them could barely pay their rent? It’s sad when churches become places that take advantage of others rather than care for them.

  8. Believers in Christ… please for the love of humanity do not attend these type of Christian entities or work for them. I know people need to have a job, but there are millions of other places a person can get a job.

    Part of the problem is that many evangelicals support leaders who should not be in leadership. But to then to sue them in a court of law is a bit ironic.

    Please do just not support any evangelical organization which is outside the purview of scripture. This includes the dystopian Churhome.

  9. The tithe in the OT was to pay the living expenses of the clergy. In essence it was a tax. Christians aren’t supposed to taxed by their leaders. Those who are wealthy hardly feel the pinch; those who are poor sacrifice so much more, or feel guilt ridden. Giving should be voluntary and sacrificial. Let’s do away with taxing followers of Christ.

  10. I live here in the Seattle area. Churchome has been running FB ads focused on giving. In the Ad Judah mentions giving of time, treasure, and talent but if you click on the link it’s only about giving financially. My guess is they aren’t doing well financially.

    1. If so, probably because it sounds like they obeyed the government rather than God and shut down during the covid fraud.

  11. I would gladly give a Biblical Tithe. Wages were never subject to a tithe in the Bible. I have a small patch of mint and sage I could tithe from.

    1. Biblical tithes:

      1. Go to war; kill the enemy; gather any spoils you can find; go to a valley in the Middle East; give a tenth of the spoils to a king; give the remainder of the spoils to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah.

      2. give tithes of agriculture and agricultural food byproducts from within the borders of the holy land…but only if you have inherited a portion of that land.

      3. reject God and give any tithe that man requires of you.

  12. It’s not truly a tithe or offering when required by one’s employer. Also, it’s unhealthy for pastors to monitor how much is given by specific individuals. At my church only one elder (treasurer) and one part-time employee (financial secretary, who attends a different church) know the amounts donated by anyone. This practice allows pastors to concentrate on spiritual care of the flock and prevents favoritism.

  13. Looks like Churchome is guilty of the crime of “Simony.”

    Sadly, this is a common practice in not just Churchome, but in churches of all mainstream denominations. I, myself, was relieved of a preaching position in a Baptist church that I had been preaching in since 2006 because of my stance on biblical tithing in 2013.

    I was not the pastor of the church, but often called to preach when the pastors was away. I never taughto on the subject of tithing in the church, but I taught in my community what the Bible actually says aobut tithing, e.g that it was an ordinance for the twelve tribes of Israel only; that it was to be agricultural, not monetary; and that it was only to be observed in the land of Canaan.

    This went against the Baptist standards. So they chose not to call me to minister there anymore and eventually sent me an email telling me I would be welcome back only if I repent of what I teach.

    I haven’t been back. I still teach the truth about God’s commanded tithe.

  14. Several random thoughts

    When I was a minister, the church district I belonged to required a tithe of each minister’s income.

    Heard at least one story of an unbeliever who showed up at a pastor’s house each week with a tithe. The curious pastor asked why he, an unbeliever, did so. The unbeliever replied that he only had enough money when he did so.

    The church could easily resolve this in the future by reducing the salary by 10% and stating that a donation would be made in the staff member’s name of the other 10%!!!

    1. Better yet…

      The church could preach the truth concerning God’s commanded tithe..That:

      a) God’s tithe is to be agriculture (Lev. 27:30,32) and agricultural food byproducts, (Deut. 12:17) and not money.
      b) God’s tithe is required of the twelve tribes of Israel, (Lev. 27:30-34) and not of the saved in Christ.
      c) God’s tithe is to be observed in the land of Canaan, (Deut. 12:10-11) and not all over the world.
      d) that the storehouse for God’s tithe was chambers in the House of God, (2 Chr. 31:11-12) and not a building where the ungodly stored their unrighteous mammon.
      e) that it was only the tithe of the tithe that was to be taken to the House of God. (Neh. 10:38)

  15. The IRS take around 40% of our earnings before bills get paid, yet Christians complain about giving 10% to God because bills come first.

    I am well aware that tithing is under the Old Testament, and under the covenant of Jesus, it was Paul who said to be generous. However, not giving or giving less than 10% is NOT GENEROUS.
    Nevertheless, church employees should not be forced to tithe and neither would I want to give 10% or anything to this employer who has wealth, but I would still tithe to another Christian mission somewhere else because God is our Provider.

    1. For many, such as myself, the problem is not giving. The problem is the lie that is preached from the pulpit that God requires the saved in Christ to tithe.

      I have a heart to give. But when I hear the lie, it makes me not to want to support the church at all. Why must pastors lie to the congregation in order to acquire money for the church programs? God’s church is built on the truths written and spoken by the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ being the Chief Corner Stone. It is not built on lies.

      1. “Why must pastors lie to the congregation in order to acquire money for the church programs? God’s church is built on the truths written and spoken by the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ being the Chief Corner Stone. It is not built on lies.”

        You are answering your own question. They are not houses built with God’s truth, because without the lie, they cannot have the luxury/power their hearts lust for or rationalize their behaviors. People need to stop supporting these satanic inversions, because these corrupted churches need you more, than you need them.

  16. One thing I always appreciated about a pastor of a church I attended, was he had no idea what everyone gave. Only the financial secretary and possibly the treasurer. There was a lot of oversight from the treasurer. Why should the pastor or anyone know what you are giving. What happened to not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing in giving.

  17. I hope the plaintiffs win this lawsuit, as there is nothing Biblical about forcing People to give their hard earned monies to a Church and where the Pastor wants to control People. I say this even as a Pastor myself. If I were a member of a Church, there is not a single person in that Church who could force me to give 10% of my income in the manner that this and other Churches like the late Fred Price did, and even as how Creflo “Cashflo” Dollar does today. I wouldn’t want to be a member of anyone’s Church that bad that I would submit to that kind of control!

    Further, someone needs to informed these Churches that because the Husband is the Pastor, that doesn’t make the Wife a Pastor! That is NOT a Biblical paradigm and women are NOT called to be in positions of FINAL AUTHORITY over Men in the Church Leadership (1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9 & 1 Peter 5:1-4).

    The problem in Churches today, especially in the ARC affiliated Churches, is Biblical illiteracy and ignorance. Again, I would NEVER be a part of a Church where the wife of the Pastor is considered a Pastor just because she is married to the Pastor. I know that Courts do not like to intervene in Church business, but it appears that the only way to settle this kind of gross abuse is to have the secular judicial system deal with, hopefully once and for all!

    1. When will complementarianism cease to be a litmus test for biblical orthodoxy? Comments like these further divisions in the church. I think it’s fair to say that both complementarian and egalitarisn churches are seeking to be faithful to God‘s word. Both leadership structures can honor God when it comes to generosity and financial stewardship. This Churchome decision is wrong- period. Whether Churchome is an egalitarian or complementarian church is not the issue here.

      1. It’s because if someone is willing to disobey the clear teachings of Scripture in one area, they will do it in others. Completely related.

        1. But that is exactly the point Maria. The complementarian teaching is far from clear. Study Junia, Phoebe, and Priscilla. Then get back to us on that “clear teaching” you are confident in. A little theological humility can go a long way.
          Greed is greed no matter what your view on women in church leadership. Just see Harvest in Chicago and Mars Hill in Seattle. 2 complementarian churches with some pretty major greed problems if you ask me.

          1. Wrong! The Bible is crystal clear as to whom God has chosen to lead His Church, and that choice is Men, not Women. The examples you cited does absolutely nothing to refute what I’ve written , as those females you listed were NOT Pastors of Churches and nor were they “Apostles” in the sense of the 12 Men that Jesus Called and appointed to Church leadership. The Greek word for “apostle” when speaking about Junia is a word that means “Church appointed Missionary”.

            A wife of a Pastor is NOT Biblically qualified to be a Pastor just because she serves alongside her husband. My wife has served alongside of me for nearly forty years of Ministry, and we never had any compulsion to make her or call her “Pastor”. It is complete nonsense and is designed to control the Church by one Family!

  18. No, Judah Smith, it is not “more important than taking communion.” I think alot of us in non-sacramental churches could learn from our counterparts. This is more than a memorial! John 6

  19. Sounds exactly like what James MacDonald did at Harvest Christian Academy – all school employees were required to be a tithing member of HIS church in order to keep their job. I know this first hand from a friend who was terminated from her position at HCA because she wouldn’t join his cult. Nothing new under the sun with these servants of satan…

  20. Beware and watch your wallet when any employer starts telling you to “lean into” something (e.g. “lean into what we’re doing here.”) Rest assured what will soon follow will be a season of you sacrificing more for less return.

    And what is it about a certain type of religious manipulator that they LOVE them some “seasons of life?”

  21. I would dare to suggest that this is an unspoken common practice for many mega (or wannabe mega) churches; one that is probably more widespread than we realize. Having been a full-time worship pastor in the Pacific NW for most of the last 20 years, I’ve turned down more than one job offer because of this requirement, and, ultimately, left my last church, in part, because the pastor was trying to pressure the staff with this stipulation. It became untenable, so I resigned.

    Many of these churches are controlled by one man, or a married couple, that wield absolute power. They *might* have a puppet board, but often not even that amount of so-called “accountability.” Essentially they pay themselves whatever exhorbitant salary they think they can get away with, tack on an extra 10% to make it look like they are following their own rules (IF they even do that… who’s gonna know since they control everything, right?), pay their staff poverty line wages, and require a 10% mandatory tithe from people who can barely make ends meet. It’s disgusting.

  22. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews made a statement that the tithes went to Levi (Hebrews 7:5). This was a tax to help upkeep of the temple and to provide food since they had no land of their own. The Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., eliminating the need for tithing.
    What is also strange is church leaders say about MONEY for tithes but never mention about our tithing of time. Also, the Israelites had THREE tithes, one from the living, one from the works of the hands, and one every three years to help with the poor. How come these are never mentioned?
    I am not against giving but so many churches require tithing as a member hence, I am not one. I am struggling as it is and finding a good church is getting harder.

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Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “The Atlas Factor: Shifting Leadership Onto the Shoulders of Jesus” by Lance Ford.