Tithing estimated numbers....

[Portland Ute]

EJ - ask clackamas he's apparantly in the know. If you figure 200 million to run the wards, 500 mil to BYU (this per Time) another 500 million to CES for Seminary/Ricks, etc, 600 mil for payroll/buildings, using my figures you still have a billion per year in excess. Those are some crazy large figures.

Religion is big business, regardless of the god you worship.

[UtahDan]

Everyone likes to talk about how rich the church is but no one yet has been able to answer one question: if the church has that big of a surplus, where does it all go?

Surely the leadership isn't getting it since they all still wear suits from 1980. The motab hasn't upgraded their dresses for decades and thankfully the men finally rid themselves of the 1970 tuxedos. I know of no church employee who is living high on the hog. We've been told the church isn't using tithing funds to rebuild downtown slc. So where does it all go?

My personal guess is real estate. I think the church has vast, vast real estate holdings all over the world. The church is like some of my farmer clients. For the most part they live in humble houses, wear humble clothes, drive old pick up trucks and when they make some money they buy the property next door and the next and the next and the next. Many of then have net worths well into the eight figures but you could never ever guess it form their lifestyles (well, you might be able to guess from the litigation budgets of a few of them).

Maybe it has been discussed, but is there a stated reason that we are not transparent? Please no analogies to the corporate world; we are not a business. I'm wondering if there has been a statement telling us why. Maybe there is a really good reason, I'm just very ignorant in this area.

[wuapinmon]

Oh the research projects that this place has spawned.

Isn't that a Dr. Seuss book?

[Fiyero]

I honestly don't even know what the cumulative amount for my own ward is. I know I could look it up, but I've never been inclined to.

And thanks to CUF, now you are. Oh the research projects that this place has spawned.

[Moliere]

EJ - ask clackamas he's apparantly in the know. If you figure 200 million to run the wards, 500 mil to BYU (this per Time) another 500 million to CES for Seminary/Ricks, etc, 600 mil for payroll/buildings, using my figures you still have a billion per year in excess. Those are some crazy large figures.

You forgot about byu Hawaii, visitors centers, historical buildings, mission president homes, travel expenses for apostles and seveties, stake budgets, etc.

Those are big numbers but not that big when you are talking about an organization that has 13 million members of which maybe half have some level of activity.

[fusnik]

EJ - ask clackamas he's apparantly in the know. If you figure 200 million to run the wards, 500 mil to BYU (this per Time) another 500 million to CES for Seminary/Ricks, etc, 600 mil for payroll/buildings, using my figures you still have a billion per year in excess. Those are some crazy large figures.

[creekster]

Everyone likes to talk about how rich the church is but no one yet has been able to answer one question: if the church has that big of a surplus, where does it all go?

Surely the leadership isn't getting it since they all still wear suits from 1980. The motab hasn't upgraded their dresses for decades and thankfully the men finally rid themselves of the 1970 tuxedos. I know of no church employee who is living high on the hog. We've been told the church isn't using tithing funds to rebuild downtown slc. So where does it all go?

two possible places:

1. the secret underground complex in Switzerland that only GAs and their families know about

2. to pay for the energy to heat the great outdoors when Sister Van Wagoner's primary class leaves the window open (again) after primary.

[Moliere]

Everyone likes to talk about how rich the church is but no one yet has been able to answer one question: if the church has that big of a surplus, where does it all go?

Surely the leadership isn't getting it since they all still wear suits from 1980. The motab hasn't upgraded their dresses for decades and thankfully the men finally rid themselves of the 1970 tuxedos. I know of no church employee who is living high on the hog. We've been told the church isn't using tithing funds to rebuild downtown slc. So where does it all go?

[fusnik]

Shouldn't have even done the math just read the Time article, 5.2 billion in tithes in 1997 with 4.9 coming from America.

[beelzebabette]

beelzeb - I lost the gift years ago, marriage did me in. Jay - I forgot about the Times article, I'll have to read that again.

Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It was rude.

[jay santos]

beelzeb - I lost the gift years ago, marriage did me in. Jay - I forgot about the Times article, I'll have to read that again.

Time article I mean, not Times.

[fusnik]

beelzeb - I lost the gift years ago, marriage did me in. Jay - I forgot about the Times article, I'll have to read that again.

[scottie]

Just my opinion; but, man, you're a boring troll.

fusnik's posts are among my faves.

[jay santos]

So I've been thinking about this and everybodys input is appreciated. There are roughly 2800 stakes in the church (I don't have ward figures...for my calculations I estimated 7 per stake 19600) I know of tithing figures from 4 stakes in Utah in different parts of the state and they averaged 5 mil per stake in tithing per year. Roughly half the members in the church are in the states so roughly 10k wards or 1400 stakes. Let's cut our numbers and say conservatively an average US/Canada stake pays 2mil per year in tithing = 2.8 bil. Let's give every ward in the church 10k = 196 mil. So a difference of over 2 billion not including international wards, these numbers seem realistic based on your experience?

The Times article about ten years ago estimated $6B per year. I heard BYU gets $500M from the church in tithing money. Your number sounds reasonable.

[fusnik]

Creek - curious and bored. Well now that I've been threatened by a church employee maybe I can turn this into some tithing rebate situation! Blessed Friday!