Bro. Branham taught that believers should pay tithes and offerings as God's ordained way to support the church and ministers, criticizing alternatives like soup suppers or dinners to raise funds, stating that proper tithing eliminates the need for such events. Evidence: [GOD’S PROVIDED WAY OF DEALING WITH SIN — 54-0305: ¶13]; [ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH 4 — 53-0328: ¶114]; [THE BEGINNING OF JESUS’ FAME — 53-0605: ¶7].
He emphasized supporting what one believes to be true after verifying it scripturally, like the Queen of Sheba who supported Solomon's ministry with gold if proven right, and urged loyalty to Pentecostal causes over those condemning them, while redirecting tithes from himself to needy ministers or bills when offered. Evidence: [THE QUEEN OF SHEBA — 60-0710: ¶180–¶187]; [WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT? — 58-1130: ¶195–¶207]; [A GREATER THAN SOLOMON IS HERE — 61-0515: ¶228–¶230].
On preacher salaries, he shared his practice of pastoring twelve to seventeen years without salary or offerings, working secular jobs instead, rejecting high salaries or big programs to remain free for God's leading, and viewing love offerings as voluntary alms used first for family needs then missions after expenses. Evidence: [I WAS NOT DISOBEDIENT TO THE HEAVENLY VISION — 49-0718: ¶12]; [BELIEVEST THOU THIS? — 50-0115: ¶40]; [AT THY WORD — 53-0608E: ¶5–¶6]; [SPEAK TO THE ROCK AND IT SHALL GIVE FORTH HIS WATER — 60-0723: ¶22–¶29]; [QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS — 64-0823M: ¶308–¶309].
The right attitude toward money in ministry prioritizes total surrender to God over wealth, avoiding love of money as the root of evil, depending on God for provision without begging, and using surplus for missions while staying humble and unentangled. Evidence: [THE QUEEN OF SHEBA — 60-0710: ¶180–¶184]; [TESTIMONY (RAISING DEAD BOY) — 53-1203: ¶4b–¶5].
"God has a way to support a Church, not making blankets and having soup suppers, but every man paying his tithes and offerings into the church, doing the way God said do. That’s God’s provided way for that."
[THE TRUE VINE AND A FALSE VINE — 55-0607: ¶13? Wait, from 54-0305: ¶13]
"Brother, if you paid your tithes and done what God said for you to do, you wouldn’t have these old soup suppers and things like that."
[ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH 4 — 53-0328: ¶114]
"I worked and pastored the Branham Tabernacle at Jeffersonville... worked twelve years and pastored a church and never received one penny, not one cent."
[MY LIFE STORY — 50-0820A: ¶9]
"If it’s right, if that God is real God, then I’m through with this thing I have been serving, and I’m going to support it with everything I got."
[THE QUEEN OF SHEBA — 60-0710: ¶180]
"I have him to go at the back of the building... Billy will give you the money for your dinner and for to pay your hotel bill... out of the love offering that’s taken for me this morning."
[QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS — 64-0823M: ¶309]
You're chatting as a guest.
Sign up for faster responses and saved conversations.
You're chatting as a guest.
Sign up for faster responses and saved conversations.