The History and Use of the Tithe

Chapter 16—The Tithe and School Support

It was in this setting, at the turn of the century, that we moved into our church school work in a serious way. There were various suggestions made as to how this line of work should be supported. On July 29, 1901, Ellen White wrote: HUT 14.6

“The Lord desires the churches in every place to take hold more diligently of the church school work, giving liberally to sustain the teachers. The question has been asked, ‘Could not the second tithe be used for the support of the church school work?’ It could be used for no better purpose.”—Ms 67, 1901.

On October 29, 1901, the General Conference Committee took an action on the second tithe in which it was arranged for certain second tithe funds to be returned to the Pacific Union Conference, but without specifying their use. HUT 15.1

When San Fernando Academy was opened about the year 1904, it was proposed that the school be supported from the second tithe, and at about that time two pamphlets were published by the Southern California Conference. One was The Second Tithe, Its Scripture Foundation and Legitimate Use, written by R. S. Owen, and the other was The Second Tithe, by Clarence Santee and R. S. Owen. But Ellen White on April 27, 1904, wrote: HUT 15.2

“I do not see the wisdom of the school depending on the second tithe to meet so much of its expenses. I fear that if the brethren rely so much upon this, difficulties will arise. You should labor patiently to develop those industries by which students may partly work their way through school. Let each family try to pay the expenses of the students that it sends to school.”—Letter 167, 1904, addressed to Brethren Santee and Owen.

On April 7, 1905, Ellen White wrote to E. S. Ballenger, who was connected with our school work: HUT 15.3

“In regard to the school work, I have been instructed that the plan of charging students nothing for tuition, depending on the second tithe to support the school, will always leave the school in the condition of financial embarrassment. When I first heard of this movement I thought I would let it be worked out, but I tell you now that the light given me is that other plans will have to be made than the plan of supporting schools from the second tithe. Students should be charged a reasonable price for their tuition. There will be an abundance of places to use the second tithe in doing earnest missionary work in new places.”—Letter 103, 1905.

And then on October 4, 1905, Ellen White wrote to Elder Clarence Santee: HUT 15.4

“We are now wrestling with the debt on the Fernando college. If our people will take hold earnestly of the sale of Christ’s Object Lessons a great deal may be accomplished. The plans for supporting this school in the past were not wisely laid. I hope that no one will endeavor to go over the same ground again and make similar mistakes.”—Letter 279, 1905.

In the context of these times Ellen White in 1904 penned a statement on The Use of the Tithe (Ms 82, 1904), portions of which were to form a part of the counsels which eventually were published in Testimonies, vol. 9, under the title of “Faithful Stewardship.” The full 1904 statement appears as Appendix A. It is significant. HUT 15.5

Considerable attention has been focused on the paragraph on pages 248, 249 of Testimonies, vol. 9, concerning the use of tithe for “school purposes” and support of “canvassers and colporteurs.” HUT 15.6

History of the statement in question:

a. As noted, it appears first in Manuscript 82, 1904, as follows: HUT 15.7

“One reasons that the tithe may be applied to school purposes. Still others reason that canvassers and colporteurs should be supported from the tithe. But a great mistake is made when the tithe is drawn from the object for which it is to be used—the support of the ministers. There should be today in the field one hundred well qualified laborers where now there is but one.” [See full manuscript as Appendix A.]

b. In preparing for a presentation to be made at San Jose, California, in January, 1907, at a symposium on the “Support of God’s Kingdom on Earth,” Ellen White incorporated the paragraph in the heart of the manuscript she would read. HUT 16.1

c. The Ellen G. White symposium article was embodied in 1909 in Testimonies for the Church 9:245-251, in the chapter “Faithful Stewardship.” HUT 16.2

Thus we have the paragraph in question appearing three times: 1904, 1907, 1909. HUT 16.3