To tithe or not to tithe? Black churches vulnerable in economic downturn

To tithe or not to tithe, that is the question.

Tithing, or giving 10 percent of your income to support the ministries of your church, is vulnerable during the slow economic recovery. As the national unemployment rate trends downward, currently at 8.5 percent, the opposite is true for African-Americans. Since October 2011, black unemployment has increased from 15 percent to 15.8 percent in December, according to Bureau for Labor Statistics.

The jobs crisis has impacted giving. The non-profit, Faith Communities Today, says 80 percent of congregations in a recent survey said they took a financial hit during the recession.

SHARTIA BRANTLEY REPORTS: TO TITHE OR NOT TO TITHE?

Dr. Thomas Johnson, Sr., Senior Pastor of Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem says many of his members were impacted by cuts on Wall Street, public education and public transportation. "We see a difference in our tallies on Sunday when we count our tithes and offerings that there has been some decline," he says.

Some of the funds from tithing and offerings are used for building maintenance and infrastructure. But despite the dip in giving he says members expect the type of ministries they are accustomed to. "People still expect the same level of passion, and energy and resources and opportunities in worship." Dr. Johnson says.

Giving by the numbers

According to Giving USA, religious charitable giving accounted for 35 percent of the $290.89 billion in charitable contributions in 2010 or about $100.63 billion. Approximately 87 percent of donations came from individuals and family foundations or an estimated $87.5 billion. This includes contributions to houses of worship, national offices of denominations and faith groups, ministries, and religious communities.

Overall, giving was up 0.8 percent from 2009 to 2010, but if you adjust for inflation giving was down 0.8 percent. 2010 was the 56th year religion received the largest share of charitable dollars, but giving to religion has been decreasing as a share of total contributions since the 1986 to 1990 period, according to the Giving USA report.

Houses of worship are feeling the pinch.

According to non-profit Empty Tomb which gathers data from thousands of houses of worship in the U.S., per member giving as a percent of income was 2.38 percent in 2009, this is the lowest since data tracking began in 1968. Sylvia Ronsvalle, Vice President at Empty Tomb, says contributions have been declining whether the economy is good or bad. "Church giving is close to the family, it's not the first place people will cut," Ronsvalle says.

Per member giving in dollars was $854.25 in 2009 after peaking at $863.81 in 2007, according to Empty Tomb. It declined for the first time in 2008, since tracking began in 1968. "As we become richer are we not giving more to the church, if that happens over time, it can weaken commitment," Ronsvalle explains.

"Church giving may have been more vulnerable during the last economic downturn, versus in the 1970s when people were still more committed and resisted decreasing giving until they had to," she says. "I wouldn't say it's only the economy, it's also that commitment to church."