In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
God provides everything we need; all He asks in return is that we give a portion of what He gives us back to Him. Of course, an important part of returning tithe and giving our offerings is to help provide for the care of God’s workers in both sharing the gospel with the world and caring for the members of His church, but did you know that it’s also good for your health—both mental and physical?
An article by the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, entitled “It (literally) pays to be generous,” reports that, after researchers analyzed hundreds of studies, they found that “people who are ‘otherish’ rather than selfish tend to live longer, for example. And they also experience higher levels of wellbeing, greater self-esteem, more positive emotions, and stronger relationships.” Another study analyzing data from the United States and Europe found that “generous people have healthier bodies, minds, and relationships—and in the long run, they actually make more money than people who are selfish.”[1]
In order to give the Church an idea of members’ views about returning tithes and giving offerings, the Global Church Member Survey asked members about their giving habits and attitudes.
In 2018, a single question was asked about how often members gave a “significant amount of money to help other people.” Twelve percent of members said that they never gave money; 17.9%, rarely; 25.3%, sometimes; 17.2%, sometimes/often; and 27.5%, often.
GCMS 2018

In 2023, the survey questions were increased to expand the Church’s understanding of members’ attitudes towards giving.
When asked how often they gave a “significant amount of money,” the 2023 figures were very similar to the 2018 ones: 11.3% said, never; 18.3% said, rarely; 24.2% said, occasionally; 19.3% said, frequently; and 26.9% said, often.
GCMS 2023

Members were also asked whether they believed that God still required everyone to return tithe. Only 1.9% strongly disagreed, 2.5% disagreed, and 5.6% weren’t sure, whereas 29.5% agreed, and 60.4% strongly agreed that God still requires us to return our tithe—that’s almost 90% of members who believe that tithing is still required by God.
GCMS 2023

The survey also assessed how people return their tithe. Most members, 74.2%, returned tithe by marking it as “tithe,” either on a traditional tithe envelope or when giving electronically; 7.7% just put it into the offering plate without indicating that it was tithe; 10.8% said that they give their ten percent as they see fit; and 6.9% admitted that they do not return tithe at all. A very small percentage of 0.4%, in the Chinese Union Mission only, declared that they use a different method. While virtually three-quarters of church members return tithe as tithe, this means one in four do not return a biblical tithe as the Church teaches it; there is room for improvement here.
GCMS 2023

Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief 21 is about stewardship. It reminds us that God made us stewards of the earth and its resources, and it is our responsibility to make sure we use them properly. We “acknowledge God’s ownership” of the world and everything in it by faithful service and by returning a portion of His gifts back to Him to support His work. “Stewardship is a privilege given to us by God for nurture in love and the victory over selfishness and covetousness. Stewards rejoice in the blessings that come to others as a result of their faithfulness.”[2] Giving our tithe and offerings is a win-win situation—the Church benefits by being able to support pastors and evangelists to spread the Good News of Jesus, and we benefit by living healthier, happier, and more fulfilled lives.
You can access the full report here.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 12/3/2024.
[1] Beasley, Brett. n.d. “It (Literally) Pays to Be Generous.” Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, paras. 1, 2. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://ethicalleadership.nd.edu/news/it-pays-to-be-generous/.
[2] General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. 2020, 2024. “What Adventists Believe About Biblical Stewardship: Belief 21: Stewardship.” https://www.adventist.org/stewardship/.