moneymoney

Dear Family,
1. We love you and appreciate your faithfulness to the Lord and the Family. This is the first in a series of three Letters on the financial state of the Family. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that a lot of Homes are struggling financially, WS income is down greatly, and overall in the Family we could be doing a lot more if we had more money. The Lord has given some very good counsel and solutions which I believe you'll be very thankful for, and I'll be sharing it with you in the GNs that follow. But the first subject we're going to talk about is tithing--not because it's the most important or the only solution to your financial problems, but because recently we've received quite a few questions about our policy of tithing, so we need to address those before we can get into more of the overall picture.
2. Peter and I and those in WS are very thankful for your tithes and offerings, which make our work and the continued progress of the Family possible. Many of you tithe faithfully and give sacrificially, and we really appreciate it. Please forgive us if we haven't told you recently or often enough how very grateful we are for your giving. We understand that it's a sacrifice for you to tithe and we don't take it lightly. It's never easy to give, but we pray for the Lord's supernatural blessing on you as a result.
3. Recently, as I said, we have been hearing quite a few questions about tithing. It's understandable that some of you would have questions, since it's been several years since we published an in-depth explanation about your tithe and where it goes. Many of you new disciples and younger Family members probably haven't had a chance to read the past Letters in which Dad talks about the tithe, the need to tithe, the scriptural basis for tithing, etc.
4. We understand that you're busy trying to keep up with the New Wine, and it's okay that you haven't had a chance to delve into all the past Letters. However, it's dangerous for you spiritually if you haven't researched the Word and yet you debate the validity and effectiveness of the economic system of the Family, which is based on tithing. And it's even more dangerous if you have partaken of the current debates on the ex-member sites, which are trying to undermine the Family's faith in tithing and the credibility of those who manage the Family's WS money.
5. This uneducated discussion about the tithe is a growing trend in some areas, so Peter and I feel the need to answer some of these questions and give a little up-to-date explanation on WS finances, focusing on tithes and offerings.
6. Before I go further, I want to share with you a talk Peter gave on tithing. Our WS finance man sent him some of the questions that were circulating on tithing, and in the following comments Peter answered both him and you, dear Family. In it he gives a pretty good summary of the history of our tithing and where the money goes, which I pray will help give you more faith to keep giving your tithe cheerfully, or to begin to give your full tithe if you haven't been doing so............