"It angers me that I tithed until I was blue in the face"

January 2002
By a former Worldwide member and tither

I remember becoming baptized as a member of the Worldwide Church of God in Denver, Colorado. My interest began long before that when I lived overseas.

When I moved to Denver, I was unable to locate employment quickly and times were hard. Because of my financial difficulties then I did not even own a working vehicle, but I continued to tithe all the while and rode the bus. I remember how several Worldwide ministers had Toyota mini-vans purchased by church headquarters. A minister in Atlanta had one and so did the minister in Denver. It angers me that I tithed until I was blue in the face and indirectly helped to pay for those mini-vans when I had so little. My tithes also probably helped pay for the salary raises for WWCG staff, even though at times I was unemployed myself and couldn't put adequate food on the table.

I was so poor and lived in substandard housing while WWCG ministers had nice accommodations. I was unable to buy enough food, but thought I was buying myself a place in heaven by continuing to tithe. I was so broke that all I could afford to buy was an occasional bag of lentils. This was the cheapest bean in the store and so I learned to make lentil soup. Cooked lentils saved me from starvation.. My body became emaciated, but I continued to attend WWCG church services. Again and again listening to those zealous, wordy, sermons.

I finally became disenchanted with the church and left ten years ago.