A focus on obedience and the blessings of committed giving — not merely improving church finances — are reasons several Alabama Baptist pastors said they believe in sermons aimed at increased tithing.
The giving-centered sermons are often preached under a theme that has come to be known as Prove the Tithe.
Phil Russell, pastor of First Baptist Church, Roanoke, in Randolph Baptist Association, has used Prove the Tithe campaigns over the years at four churches he has served as pastor, always emphasizing that regular giving blesses worshipers’ lives.
"The goal was not to raise a lump sum of money but to challenge members on a consistent basis to obey God and support His work," Russell said.
"The emphasis was obedience," he added.
Jim Swedenburg, director of the office of Cooperative Program and stewardship development for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said sermons on tithing are frequently part of a Prove the Tithe campaign, organized by the Southern Baptist Convention more than a decade ago.
He said churches in the state largely customize their emphases now with respect to the number of sermons preached and the time frame in which they are presented to the congregation.
"The original emphasis was for a month, but the present emphasis tends to be one Sunday," Swedenburg said.
One Sunday, however, is not enough for some Alabama Baptist pastors.
Russell said he attempts to create an excitement about giving during a six-week churchwide campaign that includes prayers during all services encouraging members to evaluate their giving practices and corresponding emphases in Sunday School classes.
Like Russell, David Hull, pastor of First Baptist Church, Huntsville, in Madison Baptist Association, focuses on tithing for several weeks prior to the Sunday when worshipers are asked to make a financial commitment.
"We are not the ones who are proving anything," Hull said of the theme, a reference to Malachi 3:10. "God wants the chance to prove to us, or to demonstrate to us, the blessings that can come through obedient tithing."
The church’s stewardship committee leads an effort to publicize the campaign through designing artwork for use in publicity materials and testimonies by members during services.
Several weeks of testimonies are also part of a Prove the Tithe campaign at NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville, in Birmingham Baptist Association that Pastor Bill Wilks said culminates with a sermon on tithing.
But while Wilks, Hull and Russell said their churches have prospered financially from increased giving as a result of the campaign, the emphasis is not about benefiting the church.
"Tithing has nothing to do with finances; it has everything to do with faith," Wilks said.
Church members often believe they cannot financially afford to tithe, but he stressed the reality is just the opposite.
"If you really believe God’s Word, you can’t afford not to tithe," Wilks said. "Tithing is a win-win situation. You become a greater blessing to God’s Kingdom and God gives you blessings."
Citing a sermon he gave at First, Huntsville, Hull said he also seeks to convince his church members that the real benefit of regular tithing is improving their lives.
"Tithing is for your own good," Hull said. "It is God’s will — it will strengthen our faith and increase our joy, and it will revolutionize a church. It is not a burden but instead a tremendous blessing."
Wilks has witnessed firsthand the blessings in the lives of those who tithe faithfully. "In my life as a minister, I have found that those who don’t tithe are the ones who struggle financially but those who tithe — they seem to learn discernment in managing money and have a supernatural element of God’s blessing."
But convincing people of the blessings that come from committed tithing isn’t always easy. "Some people are at different levels of faith, and tithing is a stretch of faith," Wilks said.
For more information on Prove the Tithe campaigns, call Swedenburg at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 283.
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