Behind the Scenes:
Tithe Remains Covenant Cornerstone

Each Habitat affiliate is "born" when it signs a covenant with Habitat for Humanity International, pledging, among other things, to tithe to the international work of the organization. The tithe is a covenant cornerstone, resulting in millions of dollars for thousands of building projects around the world.

Yet the actual dollar amount is secondary to the spirit in which the tithe is given. No matter their location, their length of affiliation or their resources, affiliates are expected to contribute at least 10 percent to house building elsewhere, whether that means designating the tithe for work in a particular country or sending the money to the general "tithe pool" at HFHI, where 100 percent is then distributed to Habitat's worldwide work.

Most affiliates view their tithe commitment not as a burden but as a privilege, a guiding principle that furthers Habitat's work everywhere.

The Habitat affiliate in Beaver County, Pa., sees the tithe as an opportunity to "expand our boundaries" and build with families beyond the immediate community.

"Everyone here ... feels the tithe is an important thing to do," says executive director Linda Swaney. "The tithe helps us extend ourselves and our efforts beyond our backyard by working internationally. The way I see it is that God's love doesn't confine itself to one boundary, and neither should our compassion extend only to the families in our immediate area."

To date, the 10-year-old affiliate--which builds between two and four houses per year--has tithed more than $75,000, primarily to Latin America and Mexico. The location, however, is not what is paramount, says Swaney. It's the tithe commitment itself.

Across the globe in Cluj, Romania, Habitat staff and volunteers echo the same sentiment. The 3-year-old Cluj affiliate tithed in 2002 to Habitat in Armenia, and that has been a "blessing," according to Cluj HFH executive director Delia Popa.

"I know how much it means for a young affiliate to receive funds from a tithe, because we are so grateful to the Orange County [Calif.] affiliate, which is sending us the tithe on a regular basis," she says. "In tithing to [Armenia], we had the feeling that we are contributing to the local economic development of that country and also that we are helping friends."

While the important mark remains the faithfulness in the tithe offering, some affiliates, like HFH of Charlotte (N.C.), have reached substantial tithe milestones. This affiliate, for instance, surpassed the $1 million mark during 2001. Not only is there the measurable difference of building new houses with tithe dollars, according to Bert Green, affiliate executive director, but many intangibles surface as well.

"Our commitment to the tithe has been strongly endorsed by our board and our staff," Green says, "with encouraging leadership from board members who have participated in trips to our tithing partner in El Salvador."

So, in addition to the money that results from the tithe, relationship building between affiliates is an invaluable component, according to Bonnie Watson, HFHI's affiliate tithe manager.

"I feel the tithe program has been a big enhancement to Habitat's international work," Watson says. "Since I started working with this program in 1989, it has grown tremendously, monetarily as well as relationship-wise."

--Shawn Reeves