General Convention Statements on Tithing

Legislation for each General Convention is prepared by official interim bodies of the Church, although legislation can be and is also introduced by individual members of Convention (Deputies and Bishops.)  Most such interim bodies are called Standing Commissions (not to be confused with the Standing Committee which each Diocese has.)  

The Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development was established by canon at the 1979 General Convention (click here for text of the establishing canon), and consists of two bishops, two other clergy, and eight lay people, with 6-year terms, staggered in each order by three years.  At each General Convention, there are also Convention committees to process proposed legislation for the Convention.  There are often two or three individuals who are members of both the interim body and the Convention committee.

• 1982  - Tithing affirmed as the minimum standard of giving for Episcopalians.  The resolution (A-116) as prepared by the Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development did not contain the word "minimum," which was added by the Convention Committee on Stewardship and Development. (However the Standing Commission members had adopted a personal statement which included the words: "We understand this to mean giving at least 10% of our income to the work of God.")
  
   In the Convention Committee's debate, it was decided intentionally not to give precise definitions of "income" or "the work of God," but to leave these definitions as areas for personal decision.)  Click here for the text of the resolution as approved by the 1982 General Convention, as well as the words of the Standing Commission's statement. Most later Standing Commissions have also made their own personal statements, signed by all members of the Commissions, and proposed tithing statements for their respective General Conventions to adopt (see below).   Floor debate of the resolution was not controversial.

• 1985 - There was no tithing resolution.  The Convention did however adopt a resolution calling on congregations and dioceses to "...[give] to others as much as we spend on ourselves."  This concept is sometimes known as the 50/50 principle.  The 1985 resolution is not specific as to precisely where the outgoing 50 percent should go.  Similar resolutions were adopted in 1988 (with half of the outgoing 50% to go to the Diocese), and 1991.  In 1994, the Standing Commission did not propose a 50/50 resolution, and none was adopted.  For 1997, a resolution is again proposed. 

• 1988 - Another tithing statement was passed by both Houses, declaring the tithe to be the minimum standard of giving for Episcopalians, calling for tithing within three years, and calling for the first time for Bishops and Deputies to sign the Statement.  It is recorded that 136 Bishops signed the Statement; their names are given in the Convention Journal.  The number of Deputies is not reported, nor are their names in the Journal.  Copies of the signed statement with signatures from both Houses were circulated in the Church at large following the Convention. Click here for text.

• 1991 - A tithing statement was prepared by the Standing Commission, calling for tithing (as before), and also calling for Episcopalians to have wills (or to make them within one year) leaving bequests for religious and charitable purposes, and calling for signatures.  The House of Bishops passed the resolution, with two amendments: changing the time for making the wills to be within three years, and inserting the words "as we are able" after "bequests."  The resolution reached the floor of the House of Deputies at about 5:00 on the last day of Convention (with adjournment time set at 6:00) and was not passed because their was not time to collect the signatures, and no time to send it bach to the House of Bishops to get the requirement for signatures changed.  Click here for wording as adopted by the House of Bishops.

• 1994 - A tithing statement generally similar to the preceding, but not including wills, was prepared by the Standing Commission, and passed by both Houses without amendment.  Click here for text.  The names of those signing are listed by diocese in the Convention Journal.

• 1997 - A tithing statement essentially identical to the 1994 version was prepared by the Standing Commission, and will be considered by the Convention in Philadelphia in July, 1997.  Click here for text.  For the full report of the 1997 Standing Commission to the July 1997 Convention, click here .

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