Ellen G. White Comments on the Use of Tithe Funds

3. Bible Teachers

“Some women are now teaching young women to work successfully as visitors and Bible readers.... Should not such labor be looked upon as being as rich in results as the work of the ordained ministers? Should it not command the hire of the laborers? Would not such workers be defrauded if they were not paid?... EGWCUTF 18.4

“In many respects a woman can impart knowledge to her sisters that a man cannot. The cause would suffer great loss without this kind of labor. Again and again the Lord has shown me that women teachers are just as greatly needed to do the work to which He has appointed them as are men.”—Ms 43a, 1898; MR 330. EGWCUTF 18.5

“The best ministerial talent should be employed to lead and direct in the teaching of the Bible in our schools. Those chosen for this work need to be thorough Bible students; they should be men who have a deep Christian experience, and their salary should be paid from the tithe.”—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 431 (1913). EGWCUTF 18.6

“Light has been plainly given that those who minister in our schools, teaching the Word of God, explaining the Scriptures, educating the students in the things of God, should be supported by the tithe money. This instruction was given long ago, and more recently it has been repeated again and again.”—Testimonies for the Church 6:215 (1900); Counsels on Stewardship, 103. EGWCUTF 18.7

On December 4, 1904, W. C. White wrote William Covert, president of the Wisconsin Conference: EGWCUTF 18.8

“In working out this problem in schools that mother was closely connected with, the tithe was only used for the minister connected with the school, who had the chief burden of the Bible instruction, whose special work was the fitting of young people for evangelical work.”