Tithes and church donations are nothing new, but a Texas pastor who recently got creative in preaching to his congregation about how to tithe. However, the way he relayed it became the subject of virality and outrage online, because a lot of people interpreted what the pastor was saying into how church-goers should put tithes to his church above necessities such as groceries, bills, and even daycare.
Senior Pastor Eben Conner of Word of Truth Family Church in Arlington, Texas, is the preacher in question, and earlier in March, his preaching went viral on multiple social media platforms. In the video, you can see Conner demonstrating how his congregation should pay tithes by prioritizing it; people who “give a tenth to the lord, but they didn’t do it first,” allegedly didn’t tithe correctly.
Since tithes are usually 10 percent of what people have, that means higher amounts for the church if you tithe first before subtracting necessary expenses.
For people who sadly come up short because a bigger amount went to the tithe, well, Pastor Conner further preached that, “God is obligated at that point to supply all of my need, because he’s supposed to do that, because I’ve honored him with the first.” Conner, however, didn’t specifically state which necessities to neglect in favor of tithing, just that the lord will do something about it.
The Preacher’s Tithing Tips Sparked a Debate
Right away, Conner’s recent preaching has drawn some controversy online, with certain commenters even trying to correct him on which tithe amount is acceptable. “Man tithes are 10% of what you have. If you end up with a dollar after paying your expenses, then you pay 10 cents because that’s what you actually have. These false preachers, get on my nerves,” rants a Christian commenter on X.
Of course, some people had their own anecdotes about how Conner’s tithing method actually works, as another commenter explains, “Been tithing consistently for 3 years now (not always easy when bills stack up). Can honestly say the math never added up on paper yet somehow the bills still get paid and unexpected doors keep opening. Not saying everyone’s story is the same, but for me it’s been wild how it works.”
Other people online have questioned Conner’s integrity, however, and even mocked the purpose of tithing higher, “What do God be spending my money on!? I GOTS to know! lol 😂,” asks an Instagram commenter. Some of the more disillusioned commenters even questioned the whole religion itself, “You’re absolutely brainwashed if you think THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS , GOD THE ALMIGHTY needs you to give him money.”
