COG Living Off Three Tithes

The cost of real, abundant living as advertised (see photo, left) in the Church of God, indeed can be very high.

As the cost of the COG pyramid weighs down heavily on the bottom ranks, the COG government's effect on the families of the lowly membership can be very harsh. Nevertheless, to pay for that government ministry, the three tithes law is stringently enforced as the ministry's primary source of church income and member control. Even a small drop in wages for the lowest-paid co-workers will be seen in reduced cash donations coming in through the mails.

The current economic downturn has, undoubtedly, put many in dire financial straights. Payrolls have not generally kept pace with the real cost of living. Even the minimum wage is dropping. As one example, Colorado's minimum wage will drop in 2010 - the first decrease in any state's minimum wage since the federal minimum was adopted in 1938!

About 4 percent of the state's 1.2 million hourly workers earned minimum wage in 2008.

Colorado's wage is falling 3 cents an hour, from $7.28 to the federal level of $7.25. That's because Colorado is one of 10 states that tie the state minimum wage to inflation. As the cost of living goes up annually, the law is to protect low-wage workers from falling further behind in real income.

On the other hand, Colorado's provision also allows wage declines, and the state's consumer price index fell 0.6 percent last year, so the minimum wage is going down.

The lower consumer price index, attributed to lower fuel prices, would have forced the wage down 4 cents an hour. No state can go below the federal minimum of $7.25.

Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia will keep a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Alaska, where the cost of living is relatively high, will join them when its minimum wage rises this year 50 cents to $7.75.

Other states such as UCG's Ohio have adjustable minimum wages. Under today's rather austere economic conditions, can the ministerial executives in Milford really justify giving themselves yet another pay raise?

Also adjusting the minimum wage are Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. But the minimum wage isn't expected to drop in any other state next year. Most states that tie the wage to inflation make no provision for lowering the amount, so the minimum wage stays flat if the cost of living falls.

The 3-cent difference would amount to about $62 a year for someone who works 40 hours a week and doesn't take time off for the holy days. Notably, the decline won't affect tipped workers, such as waiters, who already have a base salary below $7.25 an hour.

In other states with adjustable wages, the cost of living hasn't dropped, or the wage is already at the federal minimum.

In Florida, for example, a declining consumer price index would drop the wage 4 cents to $7.21. But that's less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, so paychecks won't change for Florida's lowest-paid workers at the fall festivals or Feast of Tabernacles.

Given the current economic meltdown and record high unemployment rates, COG members may begin to believe it's darn near impossible to send in three tithes to the wealthy ministry class, while maintaining a decent standard of living. Thinking, how can anyone survive safely and have real, abundant living on three tithes, before taxes?