Most U.S. Protestants still say tithing is a biblical command even though there are fewer who affirm this view, according to a LifeWay Research report published April 25.
When asked, “Is tithing a biblical command that still applies today?” 77% said “yes,” which is a six-point decline from 2017. By comparison, 13% were unsure (up three points) and 10% said “no” (up two points).
“My church” (90%) was the common response to the question, “To which of the following can tithe money be given?” This is an eight-point drop from 2017.
“A Christian ministry” (55%; up seven points) was the next most common response, followed by “an individual in need” (42%; up eight points), “another church I don’t regularly attend (34%; down one point) and “a secular charity” (25%; up seven points).
Slightly fewer U.S. Protestants give at least 10% of their income (51%) to their church compared to 2017 (54%).
The full report is available here. The overall margin of error is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Managing editor for news and opinion at Good Faith Media.
