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20 Financial & Generosity Fast Facts Impacting Churches

Orginally published on Friday, March 25, 2005 at 9:07 AM
by Todd Rhoades

Brian Kluth offers these 20 Financial Facts that most definitely impact your church… 1. Average credit card debt per U.S. household is $8400.Source: Cardweb.com. 2. Americans spent more on legalized gambling ($2500 for every American) than on groceries. Source: Focus on the Family article on the 1997 US abstract reports. 3. Requests for emergency shelter assistance grew an average of 19% from 2001 to 2002 in 18 major cities - the steepest rise in a decade. Of these requests, 41% were families, 41% single men, 13% single women, 5% minors. USA Today 2003

4. 70% of employees are retiring BEFORE they are 65. And 33% of retirees indicated that 90% of their income came from their Social Security retirement check of $895/month in 2002.Washington Post 2003

5. 20% of Americans have items stored in the U.S.'s 40,000 storage facilities. USA Today 2003

6. Many U.S. families (and churches) are 1 to 2 months away from $$$ crisis.

7. Record 1.5 million bankruptcies in 2002 (more than the ENTIRE decade of the 1960's).US Courts

8. Financial problems are the largest contributing cause of marital stress and divorce.

9. Average college student carries 4 credit cards (with UNPAID balances of $2327).Washington Post 2003

10. 50% of new college graduates owe $10,000-$40,000 in student loans (and 1/3rd were unable to make their first monthly payment 6 months after graduation). Source: Wall Street Journal 2003

11. $10-13 trillion dollars in inheritances will be transferred to the baby boomer generation within the next 10-20 years. Yet, 70+% of the elderly today have NO will or trust ($0 for church/non-profits) Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

12. 95% of Christian Educational Institutions (colleges, universities, seminaries and Bible colleges) offer NO personal or ministry financial curriculum. Lilly Foundation Studies

13. 90% of Denominations offer no available (or limited) financial teaching resources to their pastors or churches. CSA research

14. 85% of Pastors feel unequipped and uncomfortable teaching on finances and giving. Lilly Foundation Studies

15. 90% of Churches have no active plan for teaching Biblical financial principles. CSA seminar research

16. In 2000, 12% of all born again adults tithed to their local church. The percentage rose to 14% in 2001, but dropped to only 6% in 2002. This represents a 62% drop! Barna.org May 2003

17. There has been a 30+ year decline in the % Christians give (depending on the denomination, the average giving is 1% – 3½ %) Source: Empty Tomb Research

18. 20-35% of church attendee giving records are blank ($0 of recorded offerings given). Source: CSA

19. In 1999, ~$3 billion was given to 600 Christian mission agencies. Compare this to $58 billion for soda products, $24 billion in jewelry store sales, $8 billion for movies theaters, $13 billion for chocolate products, $38 billion in vending machine sales, $11 billion for comp/video games, $7 billion greeting cards, $23 billion for toys, $91 billion in lawn/garden industry, $23 billion for pets. Source: Empty Tomb Research

20. In the Bible, there are 40 verses on "baptism", 275 verses on "prayer", 350 verses on "faith", 650 verses on "love" -- and 2,350 verses that relate specifically to finances and material possessions

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Brian Kluth is a senior pastor, founder of www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org, generosity speaker/trainer for denomination and pastors conferences, and the author of a FREE monthly email newsletter on generosity for pastors, church leaders, and denominational leaders.

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TRACKBACKS: (0) There are 11 Comments:

Posted by

Friday, March 25, 2005 at 10:34 AM

It is amazing that the church has taken so long to get around to helping people with their finances. If the church was teaching TRUE stewardship (more than just tithes and offerings) 20 years ago I might not be in the financial mess I am in now - and I’m a pastor!

Of course, if my church would provide a decent salary it would help too…
Posted by

Friday, March 25, 2005 at 10:58 AM

I hear ya Art!
Posted by

Friday, March 25, 2005 at 1:30 PM

OK, just a pet peeve of mine. After 40 years in several churches I have not seen a pastor that was underpaid. Maybe I was just lucky, but in every church I have been in the pastors have been paid as much or more than they could have recieved in the private sector. I am now a pastor in my first church at age 48 and I am paid more than in my previous job. I know that there is a lot of pressure and hours, but no more than when I owned my own business, or was managing other large businesses. I do think that the church has failed to teach the Biblical role of money. We need to follow the examples that God has given us in His word.
Posted by

Saturday, March 26, 2005 at 9:41 AM

If you are working for a church, you will never get paid enough. If you are working for God, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, comes to mind!
Posted by

Saturday, March 26, 2005 at 11:50 AM

Great info. Thanks for compiling. What I have seen over too many years is the foolish spending authorized by church leadership. It does make me wonder if some of the reduced tithing is going elsewhere; where there is more accountability.
Posted by

Monday, March 28, 2005 at 11:05 AM

Bart wrote “After 40 years in several churches I have not seen a pastor that was underpaid.” He goes on to say that the pastors in those churches have been paid much more than they could have received in secular jobs. I wonder how the pastors in his churches would have responded if ask if they thought they were paid well or if they could have made more in the public sector.

My experience has been much different. I’ve been in ministry 20 years and served in five churches. I was underpaid in a few and well paid in the others, but I have never been overpaid or received what I could have in the secular market. Furthermore, I’ve never received raises that have even been close to matching cost if living increases. But then, I didn’t get into this for the money. In the churches I was underpaid, I went into the church knowing that would be the case ahead of time. My decision to go to each of those churches was based on God’s call not on my pocketbook. Even so, God has always taken care of the needs of my family and I wouldn’t trade ministry for anything.
Posted by bernie dehler

Monday, March 28, 2005 at 4:06 PM

It is unbiblical to teach tithing for today’s Christians. Instead, we are to practice “Stewardship.” It’s not 10% to God… it should be 100%. Here’s a book I hope many will read on this subject to learn more:

Should the Church Teach Tithing: A Theologian’s Conclusions About a Taboo Doctrine
by Russell Kelly

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0595159788/qid=1112043890/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-5736630-7093557?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Posted by

Saturday, April 02, 2005 at 9:29 AM

What is your take on a senior pastor of a growing church who splits his ‘tithe’ equally between the church’s ministry budget and the church’s building campaign. His total giving is 10%.
Posted by bernie dehler

Saturday, April 02, 2005 at 3:56 PM

Marcus said:
“What is your take on a senior pastor of a growing church who splits his ‘tithe’ equally between the church’s ministry budget and the church’s building campaign. His total giving is 10%.”

Percentages don’t mean anything. Is he a good steward? Does he consider all his money, intellect, gifts, etc. as from God, and property of God, to be used for God?

I’d be more afraid of a Pastor who (legalistically/religiously) gives 10%, and feels comfortable at that… Maybe it should be 5%… maybe 90%. Someone like Pastor Dr. John Hagee, who makes almost $1 million per year, I hope gives much more than 10%! You can read about Dr. Hagee here:

http://freegoodnews.blogspot.com

...Bernie
Posted by

Sunday, April 03, 2005 at 9:56 PM

I have felt called to be a stay-at-home mom, even though my kids are in school. Last year was a very lean year and my husband made barely over $20,000. I added $150.00 a month helping a relative. God has been faithful to provide for our needs, and we have exercised much discipline to not go into debt. Our pastor made almost three times my husbands income. I do believe pastors should be paid well, but they need to remember that there may be several low income people who are tithing to support them.
Posted by

Sunday, April 03, 2005 at 10:05 PM

I have felt called to be a stay-at-home mom, even though my kids are in school. Last year was a very lean year and my husband made barely over $20,000. I added $150.00 a month helping a relative. God has been faithful to provide for our needs, and we have exercised much discipline to not go into debt. Our pastor made almost three times my husbands income. I do believe pastors should be paid well, but they need to remember that there may be several low income people who are tithing to support them.

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