crazyheart
Voluntary contributions
Posted on: 08/21/2010 17:52
The Awake mag was delivered to my door today and CrazyDad is very polite. I thumbed through .
" How are the Jehovah's Witness financed?
Their work is financed by voluntary contributions. The Witnesses do not charge for performing baptisms, weddings, funerals, or any other religious service. Nor do they tithe.
Anyone who wants to make a donation can do so by placing it in a discreetly located contribution box in the Kingdom Hall. Jehovah's Witnesses produce the bible literature they use, which keeps costs down and their modest Kingdom Halls and branch facilities are mostly constructed by volunteers."
How would main stream churches stay afloat?
- Login or register to post comments
- Add new comment
Comments
jon71
That's funny. A lady comes by
Posted on: 08/22/2010 04:09
That's funny. A lady comes by on a regular basis and drops off Watchtower magazines. It started just because my wife was too polite so say we aren't interested. They just get thrown away unread but she's a nice lady so my wife doesn't want to be rude.
lastpointe
Not sure I follow you. Our
Posted on: 08/22/2010 04:12
Not sure I follow you. Our church is financed by voluntary contributions too. If it isn't voluntary then you can't give a tax receipt.
If a congregation sets out a policy of donations then you actually have a membership fee, not a donation and memberships are not donations that can get tax receipts.
crazyheart
lastpoint, this is what their
Posted on: 08/22/2010 09:58
lastpoint, this is what their magazine said. I wondered about tax receipts too. I also wondered about the word "discreetly placed" Does that eliminate getting counters for after the service/ hahaha
DKS
If you want to understand the
Posted on: 08/22/2010 13:42
If you want to understand the JW finances, check out their T3010 Charitable Return at the CRA revenue site and search by city. It will tell you how much they spent, how much they raised and all kinds of other interesting things.
carolla
I don't quite follow your
Posted on: 08/22/2010 14:40
I don't quite follow your point CH - it sounds like the donations are placed into a secure box, rather than having an offering plate passed during the service, or PAR as we use in our church. I have heard of other churches in the US accepting their donations in this manner, even to the point of having an on-line kiosk available in the church for those who prefer to make their donations by credit card on-line.
The not charging for funerals, baptisms etc. - not so different. I don't think our churches stay afloat on those amounts, at least not mine.
Not sure if or how clergy are paid in the JW church - perhaps that is different. I didn't look at the tax site DKS referenced. I know that the Hall in my community is not 'staffed' as churches some churches are 'staffed' - found that out trying to obtain some info last year.
RichardBott
We do the 'secure box'
Posted on: 08/22/2010 15:32
We do the 'secure box' thing, rather than passing the plates - and we're working on online (though we're trying to set it up for debit, not credit.)
r
crazyheart
I guess it was the wording of
Posted on: 08/22/2010 15:50
I guess it was the wording of the article, carolla. A box that is discreetly placed seemed funny to me. It reminded me of a treasure hunt where people had to find the box before they could put their money into it.. Why would it have to be descreetly placed? Would that be so no one would see someone else putting their offering in.
The wording just struck me funny.
carolla
Ah, now I understand CH ...
Posted on: 08/22/2010 15:56
Ah, now I understand CH ... thanks for clarifying!!
Audj
Thanks for the heads up CH
Posted on: 08/27/2010 09:48
Thanks for the heads up CH :)
The contribution boxes are placed discreetly around the Kingdom Hall due to two principles found in God's Word.
1. “Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”—2Co 9:7.
2. “Take good care not to practice YOUR righteousness in front of men in order to be observed by them; otherwise YOU will have no reward with YOUR Father who is in the heavens. Hence when you go making gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, just as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to YOU, They are having their reward in full. But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, that your gifts of mercy may be in secret; then your Father who is looking on in secret will repay you.”—Mat. 6:1-4.
Having contribution boxes placed discreetly simply allows for someone to make a donation without feeling obliged (as a plate passed around might do) and also, no one else really sees what amount you've put in.