Where Should the Pastor and the Pastor's Pastor and So On, Pay Their Tithe?
1) Direct Answer
- Every believer pays tithes to the storehouse where he is fed the Word—his own pastor.
- A pastor also pays tithes. He does not keep his own tithe. He sends his tithe to the minister who feeds him the Word, the one who pastors him, or faithfully into the Gospel work through a proven minister.
- The “pastor’s pastor, and so on” simply follows the same order. It stops where a man is actually being fed. Christ is our High Priest; the tithe supports His ministry on earth, not an endless ladder or a headquarters.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house” (Malachi 3:10). The tithe goes where the spiritual meat is served.
- “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Galatians 6:6). Tithe follows the one who teaches you.
- “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:13–14). God ordains the ministry to live by the tithe.
- “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine… The labourer is worthy of his reward” (1 Timothy 5:17–18). The preaching elder is to be supported.
- In the Old Testament pattern the Levites received tithes, and the Levites themselves gave “a tithe of the tithes” unto the Lord’s service (Numbers 18:21–28; Nehemiah 10:37–39). That shows ministers also tithe onward.
- Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1–8). That points to Christ, our High Priest, receiving tithes through His ministry.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Now notice: the tithe is not for buildings, boards, or programs first; it is for the ministry that brings you the Word. Where you eat is where you tithe.
- You see, a pastor is also taught and strengthened by ministry. So he pays his tithe to the one who truly feeds him or places it faithfully into the active Gospel ministry—not back to himself.
- There is no Scripture for a man tithing to himself, nor for sending tithes to an office that does not feed him. The Bible ties tithing to the storehouse and to the one who teaches.
- So the order is simple and consistent: the flock to their pastor; the pastor to the minister who pastors him or the Gospel work that nourishes him; and it all culminates in Christ’s service, not a human chain without end.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Keep it clean and biblical: tithe where you receive the Word. Let the laborer live by the Gospel, and let even the laborer honor God with his own tithe. That’s the order the Bible sets.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Things that are to be
65-1205 §21
Just like your birth here, I said. You was prepared; God knew you would be here. And now you know, even things that your parents done... Now, people think that that isn't visited from generation to generation, but it is. Over in the book of Hebrews, I believe about the 7th chapter speaking (Paul there, the writer as I believe it was) was speaking on a great event that taken place with Abraham, that he paid tithes to Melchizedek, when he was returning from the slaughter of the king. And now, he said that Levi was in...
Balm in Gilead
61-0218 §17
Now. We're going to read a scripture, and just have a little few words tonight. And tomorrow night, now, we're going to be down at the Municipal Auditorium. And I'm sorry that we made this little junction right quick the way we did ... change, rather. I think the brethren, some of them, thought that maybe it would give the people more room, so they could attend the church. And I hope that no one that goes to these fine churches around here will miss their services tomorrow night. I hope they don't do it. If they go...
Elijah
55-0301 §25
Way up the mountainside. She said to the servant, "Don't you let that mule even catch his breath. Just keep him a-going." That's the way to do it. Lay it on to the church, and let's keep moving. The trouble of it is, you load the church down. I heard an old colored brother here sometime ago, preaching on the wise men coming to see Jesus. And he sure give a good illustration. He said, "Went to packing up the old camels, you know," and said, "the first thing you know," said, "two of them struck out." And said, "Then...
Hebrews, Chapter 7, part 1
57-0915E §85
All right, as we go on now just a little further, then we're closing: ...verily they that are of the sons of Levi, ... receive tithe of the office of the priesthood, and have a commandment to take tithe of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they came out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them that received tithes of Abraham, and blessed of him that had the promise. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die...
The Church choosing Law for Grace
61-0316 §31
God will provide the works if you'll just walk in grace. You'll be more at work than you are right now with the Ladies' Aid Society, and all this other nonsense that's been added into the church. Soup suppers to pay the preacher---where'd you ever get such a thing as that scripture? Tithes pays the preacher. He's to live by the tithes of the people. But we had to get something else to do. We have to have our part into it. And then, if they can't make it up, there's another society will do it, another society. God's...