A new study from Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts finds that evangelical giving has stabilized after years of decline, though most believers fall short of a biblical tithe. The report shows the average evangelical Protestant gives 1.66 percent of household income to the church.
Researcher Ron Sellers emphasized the broader issue, stating, “And my point is, stop the debate; it doesn’t matter. Almost nobody is tithing.” Even when defining a tithe as giving at least 8 percent of income to church and charity, only 9 percent of evangelicals meet that threshold.
The study indicates that giving trends may be leveling off after a five-year decline, with overall generosity dropping 23 percent since 2020. While 62 percent of evangelicals financially support a church and 51 percent give to outside ministries, 27 percent give nothing.
Researchers found a strong connection between spiritual engagement and generosity. Sellers said, “So the people who are more actively and more frequently reading the Bible, studying the Bible, attending worship services … the more immersed somebody is in that lifestyle, the more generous they are.”
