The Culture of giving of overseas Filipino Adventist members and its effect on tithing in the Seventh-day Adventist church

Abstract

The tithing system is God’s way to finance His work on earth. God’s people primarily carry it out as members of His church. The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church follows this principle and has made policies for its appropriate usage to fulfill its mission. The leadership implements these agreed policies about the tithes and is also followed by the church membership worldwide. Nevertheless, there is a reality that members are making tithe diversion because of the mission field’s need or for cultural reasons. The problem of tithe diversion tends to be a concern to the SDA Church. There seems to be a common belief among Adventists in five continents of the world (Africa, Europe, Australia, North America, and South America) that it is reasonable to divert tithe. This is seriously alarming. The leading purpose of this study is to find out whether this practice is also evident among Filipinos who are Asians, as Filipinos are the majority of Adventists in Asia—the 6th continent. This study has explored the culture of Overseas Filipino Adventist Members’ (OFAMs) giving and its effect on tithing in the SDA Church. The research study included seven OFAMs as participants working and living in the United States of America. They are baptized and active members of the church. They are also mature Adventist members who are also involved in supporting the mission of the church in the Philippines. Finally, the findings created a strategy to educate OFAMs to practice tithing by the church policy.