Appendix D—Use of the Tithe
Portion of a letter written by Ellen White on March 16, 1897, from
her home, “Sunnyside,” at Cooranbong, New South Wales, to A. G.
Daniells, concerning the use of the tithe. The entire letter is published
in
Manuscript Releases 13:281-286
.
I send you this morning a letter written for America, and sent there
yesterday morning, which will show you how I regard the tithe money
being used for other purposes. This is the Lord’s special revenue fund,
for a special purpose. I have never so fully understood this matter
as I now understand it. Having had questions directed here to me to
answer, I have had special instruction from the Lord that the tithe is for
a special purpose, consecrated to God to sustain those who minister
in the sacred work as the Lord’s chosen, to do His work not only in
sermonizing but in ministering. They should understand all that this
comprehends. There is to be meat in the house of God, a treasury well
supplied, and it is not to be diverted to other purposes. There is to be
special labor given to awaken the people of God who believe the truth,
to give a faithful tithe to the Lord, and ministers should be encouraged
and sustained by that tithe
.
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That there will always be a temptation to divert the tithe money
to other channels, we know; but the Lord has guarded this, His own
portion, to be sacredly used for the support of the gospel ministers.
There may be such measures taken as shall reduce the working force
that bears the message of truth, as is being done, and in America has
been done, to meet the measurement of the tithe in the treasury; but
this is not the Lord’s plan, and if entered upon and continued will
reduce God’s blessing to the churches that work upon such a plan.
There may be a great dearth of means if there is a departing from the
Lord’s plan
.
The Lord regards the tithe as His own, to be used for a certain
purpose, and it is an easy matter, in the place of practicing the self-
denial that we should, to help in educating students, or in the temporal
matters, as providing conveniences for the church, which is necessary,
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