US megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar has publically denounced all the teachings he’s done on the topic of tithing.
Dollar, who leads World Changers International Ministries in College Park, Georgia, told his congregation in a 26th June sermon that what he’s preached about tithing for many years was incorrect.
In the sermon named ‘The Great Misunderstanding’, he started off by saying: “I want to start off by saying to you that I'm still growing. And that the teachings that I've shared in times past on the subject of tithing, were not correct. And today I stand in, and humility, to correct some things that I've taught for years and believed for years, but could never under understand it clearly, because I had not yet been confronted with the gospel of grace, which has made the difference.”
Pastor Dollar specifically said he won’t apologise for his teachings, because otherwise he wouldn’t have learnt his lesson.
But he directed his congregation to take action.
“...I will say that I have no shame at all at saying to you throw away every book, every tape, and every video I ever did on the subject of tithing. Unless it lines up with this [the Bible].
“I've done some corrective teaching in the last ten years, but not to the degree of what we're getting ready to do now.
“So why is this important? Because religion is sustained by two factors, fear and guilt. And if there's one subject that the Church has used, for a long time, to keep people in fear and guilt, it is in that subject of tithing, and it has to be corrected. And it's got to be corrected now.”
Pastor Dollar admitted that he may “lose some friends” and speaking engagements over his confession, but said it something that he’s been through before so “it doesn’t matter”.
His sermon then focused on proving why tithing, giving ten per cent of your income to your church, is an Old Testament concept. He emphasised that Christians today no longer live under the Mosaic Law but the “freedom of God’s grace” described in the New Testament of the Bible.
He instructed his church to see giving finances as an act of worship, just as much as “singing” and “lifting hands” ans said people should ask God what they should give.
He added: “Now, for some reason, if you're cool with starting off at 10 per cent. It ain't no crime. But you can't make it mandatorily the law for New Testament Christians to give 10 per cent. That's all I'm saying.
“New Testament is clear about giving, but not by a law that says you tithe and you won't be cursed. You know that ain’t God no more.”
