Links to more about tithing requirements. Beliefnet members discuss tithing, obligation, and faith. Read selected quotes . Join the discussion . The Bible commands tithing.
Some churches report the practice thrives, but there are skeptics.
For though membership has its privileges, membership has its responsibilities. A check of the situation, though, shows that beyond black churches statistics are hard to come by, and that tithing customs and definitions can vary greatly. Another survey, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's Program for the Study of Organized Religion and Social Work, found that African American churches derive almost half their income from offerings and a third from tithes and dues. This article first appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Reprinted with permission of the author.