The History and Use of the Tithe

Chapter 2—Tithe Usages in Unusual Situations

1. Houses of Worship, in Exceptional Cases

“There are exceptional cases, where poverty is so deep that in order to secure the humblest place of worship, it may be necessary to appropriate the tithes. But that place is not Battle Creek or Oakland.”—Ms 24, 1897; Manuscript Releases 1:191. HUT 20.3

“All here [Petoskey, Michigan] are poor, scarcely able to take care of themselves. Now the request I have to make is for the conference to buy this little meetinghouse. We want you all to consent to this, and the conference may own it until the church here increases in numbers and can buy it.”—Letter 96, 1890, to O. A. Olsen, General Conference president. HUT 20.4