Why Is Giving Declining? What the Data Reveals About Generosity and Discipleship
Giving among evangelical Christians has declined significantly since 2020, but the numbers tell a much bigger story than dollars and percentages. In this episode, Leo Sabo talks with Ron Sellers of Grey Matter Research about declining giving and tithing, common assumptions about volunteering and political giving, and the strongest predictor of generosity: spiritual engagement. Their conversation reveals why stewardship cannot be treated as an isolated church program and why generosity must be understood as part of the larger process of forming faithful disciples of Jesus.
Key Takeaways
Giving among evangelicals has declined across virtually every measure since 2020.
Fewer evangelicals are giving to churches and charities, and those who do give are contributing a smaller percentage of household income.
Only about 10% of evangelicals meet the study’s definition of tithing, even when tithing is measured generously as giving 8% or more of gross household income.
Tithing becomes less common among younger evangelicals, falling to about 5% among those under 35.
The research doesn't support the idea that people are substituting volunteering for financial giving: 98% of evangelical volunteers also give financially.
Political giving doesn't appear to be replacing church or charitable giving either; only about 12% reported giving to a political candidate, party, or cause.
Spiritual engagement is the strongest predictor of generosity. People who regularly pray, study Scripture, worship, and participate in Christian community are significantly more likely to give and volunteer.
Stewardship teaching is less effective when it is isolated into an occasional sermon series, class, or giving initiative instead of integrated into a person's overall spiritual formation.
Financial inability is not the primary barrier to giving for most people; relatively few donors describe their giving as a significant financial sacrifice.
Churches may need to rethink how they communicate about tithing, generosity, and percentages, particularly as fewer people naturally think about their finances in percentage terms.
When stewardship is treated primarily as a precursor to asking for money, people can understandably interpret the conversation as fundraising rather than discipleship.
The larger opportunity for churches is to make stewardship and generosity a normal, healthy part of following Jesus, rather than a separate financial subject.
Resources
Grey Matter Research - greymatteresearch.com
Connect with Ron Sellers - ron@greymatterresearch.com
Become a CSN member - https://membership.christianstewardshipnetwork.com/
Learn about the Christian Stewardship Network - https://www.christianstewardshipnetwork.com/
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