Paying pastors and keeping the lights on should always remain the first priority. However, rather than fully omitting the payment of the tithe from a church budget, a board should first strive to send a reduced percentage (e.g. 8, 6 or 4%) and communicate this adjustment to the Management Committee of the BOA, through the Director of Administrative Services, with a clear recognition that this decrease is for a time. When this communication is sent, the board should also include goals for how long a period will be required before returning to the full tithe. The plan can proposes stages for increasing the percentage within a set timeline. This period of grace should never exceed two years. In extreme circumstances, the church may need to completely halt all payment of the tithe to the national church. If a church remains in this state for the duration of a full year, the National Leadership Team will intervene and see what can be done regarding the church’s viability.
Churches intending to plant new churches are normally expected to be giving a minimum of 5% to the CORE ministries budget prior to launching a new church.
