Tithing Settlement is now Tithing Declaration

[JAHS]

First Presidency Announces Annual ‘Tithing Declaration’

Tithing declaration (beginning September 1) replaces tithing settlement, giving local leaders more time to discuss covenants and the divine commandment of tithing
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-tithing-declaration

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced changes to the end-of-year gathering of local leaders and members about tithing.

Latter-day Saints give tithing (10% of their income) to the Church to honor God’s ancient and modern commandment to tithe (see Genesis 14:18–20, Leviticus 27:30–32 and Doctrine and Covenants 119:3–4).

Tithing settlement has been an annual meeting held toward the end of each year. In it, a local bishop or branch president meets with individual Latter-day Saints and families to discuss their tithes. This will now be called “tithing declaration.” The change is intended to enhance focus on the principles and blessings of tithing. Tithing declaration will be primarily a learning experience — especially for children and youth — and an opportunity for Latter-day Saints to declare their tithing faithfulness.

Tithing declaration interviews may now occur as early as September 1 to offer bishops and branch presidents additional time to meet with families and individuals.

“What a great blessing to have a time dedicated to discussing the divine law of the tithe,” said Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé. “Tithing is an essential practice of Latter-day Saints, regardless of where they live, their social standing, or their material circumstances. By keeping this law, Church members receive spiritual and temporal blessings in their lives and help further the Church’s divine mission on earth.”

_________

A rose by any other name? I suppose "tithing settlement" has a connotation of just paying the tithing that is owed to settle the account, whereas Tithing Declaration is more of a communication to the Bishop about one's general tithing status.

[bsjkki]

I want to do this by email. I have no more children and youth and don’t need a greater understanding of the blessings of tithing after paying it faithfully my whole life.

[JAHS]

25 minutes ago, bsjkki said:

I want to do this by email. I have no more children and youth and don’t need a greater understanding of the blessings of tithing after paying it faithfully my whole life.

If you can't make it to meet with the Bishop, he will just make a declaration (a guess) for you for reporting purposes based on what you have paid during the year.
But an email is better than no communication at all about it.

[Scott Lloyd]

I wonder if it will still involve a member of the clerk staff preparing for the ward member a statement of tithing and other donations made during the year. 
 

As a matter of practice, this is not necessary for members who make their donations online via that feature on the Church website, as the member can view and/or print out his own statement.  But I suppose there is still a sizable portion of members who pay the old fashioned way: by giving the donation physically to a member of the bishopric and having a bishopric member and clerk account it. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Scott Lloyd

[Rain]

48 minutes ago, bsjkki said:

I want to do this by email. I have no more children and youth and don’t need a greater understanding of the blessings of tithing after paying it faithfully my whole life.

I did last year.  Just emailed the bishop and the executive secretary (so he would know he didn't need to take time to call me) and declared my status. Will do it again this year.

[JAHS]

1 minute ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I wonder if it will still involve a member of the clerk staff preparing a statement for the ward member of tithing and other donations made during the year. 
 

As a matter of practice, this is not necessary for members who make their donations online via that feature on the Church website, as the member can view and/or print out his own statement.  But I suppose there is still a sizable portion of members who pay the old fashioned way: by giving the donation physically to a member of the bishopric and having a bishopric member and clerk account it. 

I am a finance clerk now and for those that come in for the interview we will still print a statement for them and hand it to them just before they go in to see the Bishop.

[ksfisher]

12 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I wonder if it will still involve a member of the clerk staff preparing a statement for the ward member of tithing and other donations made during the year. 
 

As a matter of practice, this is not necessary for members who make their donations online via that feature on the Church website, as the member can view and/or print out his own statement.  But I suppose there is still a sizable portion of members who pay the old fashioned way: by giving the donation physically to a member of the bishopric and having a bishopric member and clerk account it. 

I do find that I pay better attention to a paper document than one on a computer screen.  I couple of years ago I found on the paper copy a couple donations that one of my daughters made, despite looking at my donation history online several time during the year. 

[ksfisher]

57 minutes ago, bsjkki said:

I want to do this by email. I have no more children and youth and don’t need a greater understanding of the blessings of tithing after paying it faithfully my whole life.

I find that I value any time that the bishop has to meet with me.  While meeting with the bishop once to declare our statues he made several promises of blessings to us, which we later saw fulfilled.  I doubt we would have had the same experience via email.

[Duncan]

I hadn't been in years, always pay and when you go to the TR interviews you say you pay or you don't anyways. To me it seems like a redundant mtg and the Bishop could be busy elsewhere. Their isn't a penalty for not going so what's the point of it I don't know. In my Mom's former ward the Bishop never had them and nobody seemed to care anyways. 

[Scott Lloyd]

22 minutes ago, Rain said:

I did last year.  Just emailed the bishop and the executive secretary (so he would know he didn't need to take time to call me) and declared my status. Will do it again this year.

I don’t know how your bishopric does things, but emailing the executive secretary was probably unnecessary. Other than the bishop, It’s the ward clerk or assistant clerk over finances, if anyone, who is involved with tithing settlement. The only role the executive secretary might play is helping to arrange appointments, but with most wards I’ve been in, this is done via a sign-up sheet on the door of the clerk’s office. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Scott Lloyd

[Scott Lloyd]

12 minutes ago, JAHS said:

I am a finance clerk now and for those that come in for the interview we will still print a statement for them and hand it to them just before they go in to see the Bishop.

Yeah, that’s ordinarily what is done, but I’m wondering now if that procedure will change. As I said, those who donate online don’t need to have a printout given to them; they can print out their own. 
 

I can see this becoming an optional, available-on-request sort of thing. 

[Scott Lloyd]

17 minutes ago, ksfisher said:

I do find that I pay better attention to a paper document than one on a computer screen.  I couple of years ago I found on the paper copy a couple donations that one of my daughters made, despite looking at my donation history online several time during the year. 

Point taken. But you could make your own printout if you felt the need for one, right?

[Stargazer]

I don't see an issue here. It always was an opportunity for either you or the bishop to declare tithing status. The settlement part is simply the review of what the church says you donated, and reconciling it with what you say you donated. And perhaps top up one's donation if it hasn't yet been topped up for the year.

[JAHS]

2 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

I don't see an issue here. It always was an opportunity for either you or the bishop to declare tithing status. The settlement part is simply the review of what the church says you donated, and reconciling it with what you say you donated. And perhaps top up one's donation if it hasn't yet been topped up for the year.

I have a couple of members who don't pay anything most of the year and on the last week of the year pay for the whole year, so there is often a zero on their statement when they see the Bishop.

[bluebell]

So is this a distinction without a real difference?  It seems like this is pretty much how tithing settlement went, just with a different name and earlier start date.

[CV75]

1 hour ago, JAHS said:

First Presidency Announces Annual ‘Tithing Declaration’

Tithing declaration (beginning September 1) replaces tithing settlement, giving local leaders more time to discuss covenants and the divine commandment of tithing
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-tithing-declaration

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced changes to the end-of-year gathering of local leaders and members about tithing.

Latter-day Saints give tithing (10% of their income) to the Church to honor God’s ancient and modern commandment to tithe (see Genesis 14:18–20, Leviticus 27:30–32 and Doctrine and Covenants 119:3–4).

Tithing settlement has been an annual meeting held toward the end of each year. In it, a local bishop or branch president meets with individual Latter-day Saints and families to discuss their tithes. This will now be called “tithing declaration.” The change is intended to enhance focus on the principles and blessings of tithing. Tithing declaration will be primarily a learning experience — especially for children and youth — and an opportunity for Latter-day Saints to declare their tithing faithfulness.

Tithing declaration interviews may now occur as early as September 1 to offer bishops and branch presidents additional time to meet with families and individuals.

“What a great blessing to have a time dedicated to discussing the divine law of the tithe,” said Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé. “Tithing is an essential practice of Latter-day Saints, regardless of where they live, their social standing, or their material circumstances. By keeping this law, Church members receive spiritual and temporal blessings in their lives and help further the Church’s divine mission on earth.”

_________

A rose by any other name? I suppose "tithing settlement" has a connotation of just paying the tithing that is owed to settle the account, whereas Tithing Declaration is more of a communication to the Bishop about one's general tithing status.

 

[ttribe]

A name change with no substantive change to the process. Seems very...corporate.

[Teancum]

1 hour ago, JAHS said:

First Presidency Announces Annual ‘Tithing Declaration’

Tithing declaration (beginning September 1) replaces tithing settlement, giving local leaders more time to discuss covenants and the divine commandment of tithing
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-tithing-declaration

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced changes to the end-of-year gathering of local leaders and members about tithing.

Latter-day Saints give tithing (10% of their income) to the Church to honor God’s ancient and modern commandment to tithe (see Genesis 14:18–20, Leviticus 27:30–32 and Doctrine and Covenants 119:3–4).

Tithing settlement has been an annual meeting held toward the end of each year. In it, a local bishop or branch president meets with individual Latter-day Saints and families to discuss their tithes. This will now be called “tithing declaration.” The change is intended to enhance focus on the principles and blessings of tithing. Tithing declaration will be primarily a learning experience — especially for children and youth — and an opportunity for Latter-day Saints to declare their tithing faithfulness.

Tithing declaration interviews may now occur as early as September 1 to offer bishops and branch presidents additional time to meet with families and individuals.

“What a great blessing to have a time dedicated to discussing the divine law of the tithe,” said Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé. “Tithing is an essential practice of Latter-day Saints, regardless of where they live, their social standing, or their material circumstances. By keeping this law, Church members receive spiritual and temporal blessings in their lives and help further the Church’s divine mission on earth.”

_________

A rose by any other name? I suppose "tithing settlement" has a connotation of just paying the tithing that is owed to settle the account, whereas Tithing Declaration is more of a communication to the Bishop about one's general tithing status.

More desperate efforts.  Same as the missionary thread. Missionaries are down so let's pressure the YM more. Tithing  is down so let's find a way to increase it.  THe church is slowly withering away

Edited August 11, 2022 by Teancum

[Amulek]

11 minutes ago, bluebell said:

So is this a distinction without a real difference?  It seems like this is pretty much how tithing settlement went, just with a different name and earlier start date.

I think the name change actually brings the name more into alignment with what was actually happening.

Most people aren't sitting around during tithing settlement with their checkbook records, ledgers, spreadsheets, QuickBooks reports, etc. and actually reviewing the numbers with their bishop and determining whether or not they needed to make any adjustments to "settle" their account for the year.

No, it was mostly an opportunity to meet with families, talk about tithing, and then ask those who were members to declare their tithing status.

Our bishop actually did away with the printouts several years back. They were mostly a waste of time and nobody has been upset by the change.

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Amulek

[Fether]

1 minute ago, Teancum said:

More desperate efforts.  Same as the missionary thread. Missionaries are down so let's pressure the YM more. Tithing  is down so let's find a way to increase it.  THe church is slowly withering away.

I agree, these are desperate efforts. The righteousness of the church is waning and we should be concerned.

[ksfisher]

25 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Point taken. But you could make your own printout if you felt the need for one, right?

If I had a printer 🙂

[JAHS]

3 minutes ago, ttribe said:

A name change with no substantive change to the process. Seems very...corporate.

Perhaps. The Church is not just  a religion, it is also a corporation so it can operate effectively in this world.
I think the change is part of a softening of the names of certain actions that the church has instigated over recent years. 
 https://www.ldsliving.com/30-names-and-terms-that-are-no-longer-used-by-the-church/s/10868
 

[Teancum]

1 minute ago, Fether said:

I agree, these are desperate efforts. The righteousness of the church is waning and we should be concerned.

Or more are understanding the Church is simply not what it claims to be and are thus not willing to devote their time and resources to such an organization.  That is at least my conclusion.  And the church is now missing out on thousands of hours of my time and tens of thousands of my tithing. And I am not alone.

[Rain]

45 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I don’t know how your bishopric does things, but emailing the executive secretary was probably unnecessary. Other than the bishop, It’s the ward clerk or assistant clerk over finances, if anyone, who is involved with tithing settlement. The only role the executive secretary might play is helping to arrange appointments, but with most wards I’ve been in, this is done via a sign-up sheet on the door of the clerk’s office. 

My husband was executive secretary and called to make appointments with members who didn't sign up.  While he was serving a notice came from the church saying that they shouldn't have public sign-ups anymore and that people should be contacted privately to make an appointment.

Since then in various wards most of the time our executive secretary has either had a sign-up sheet that he didn't let you see or called to make an appointment.  With some bishops the executive secretary would let you see the sign-up while he was standing there.

[Rain]

23 minutes ago, Amulek said:

I think the name change actually brings the name more into alignment with what was actually happening.

Most people aren't sitting around during tithing settlement with their checkbook records, ledgers, spreadsheets, QuickBooks reports, etc. and actually reviewing the numbers with their bishop and determining whether or not they needed to make any adjustments to "settle" their account for the year.

I don't do it with the bishop, but I did go through the church records.  Sometimes tithing was recorded as a fast offering or vice versa.  Other things like this.  Then I word tell the financial clerk.

23 minutes ago, Amulek said:

No, it was mostly an opportunity to meet with families, talk about tithing, and then ask those who were members to declare their tithing status.

Our bishop actually did away with the printouts several years back. They were mostly a waste of time and nobody has been upset by the change.

 

I was worried at first when I thought it needed to be signed for tax purposes.