Herbert W Armstrong

I'd like to address certain questions regarding when to begin counting for one's third tithe year. We have normally recommended that members count from the Passover or Feast of Tabernacles closest to the date of their baptism. For example, if one is baptized in August or November, he would begin counting from the Feast of Tabernacles of that year. If he is baptized in February, he would begin counting from Passover of that year.

God's Church does not have an ironclad policy as to when a person should begin his third tithe year. A person may begin counting from before his baptism (in the case of teenagers); from his date of baptism; or, as already stated, from either the Passover or Feast of Tabernacles closest to his date of baptism. We normally recommend the latter method for ease of calculation and for the sake of memory. (We might be surprised at the number of members who forget the date of their baptism.) Also, self-employed members sometimes have difficulty determining their actual income until a formal accounting is made. They may find it more convenient to choose a date around the time they determine their income for tax purposes.

Whatever starting point the individual chooses, he should continue that cycle from then on, the only exception being a woman who marries. We recommend that she use her husband's cycle. If she has just finished a third tithe year when she marries, and her husband's third tithe year is about to begin, then she need not pay third tithe on her income (if she is working) until the next third tithe year of her husband. This could result in the wife not paying third tithe for about four years. Nevertheless, such matters should be decided by the couples themselves.

I would like to ask each of you to pray for Mr. Elijah Chukwudi, one of our ministers in Nigeria. He has developed a critical abdominal problem, and we would appreciate your prayers for his healing.

Please also continue to pray faithfully for Mr. Armstrong. It is truly remarkable how productive he is, and how hard he continues to push himself. As he has said so many times, all the credit truly goes to the great God. Let's be sure we are doing our part in supporting Mr. Armstrong through our prayers to our great God on his behalf, not only for his strength, safety and health, but also that God would continue to keep the doors open for him to proclaim the Gospel around the world.