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Evangelical Christians generally, and Mennonites specifically, tend to be generous givers. I know many who give more than the tithe. I know some who regularly give a double tithe and even more. They deserve our gratitude. God will give them their reward.
According to the Charities Aid Foundation, in 1993, the latest year for which these statistics are available, the average Canadian donated about $58 a month to charity, or $696 a year. That figure seems rather modest, but, in comparison to other counties, Canadians apparently rank at the top or close to it. In that same year, the average American contributed $51, the average British contributor gave $18, and the average Frenchman donated $11.
It should be noted that much of this giving is not reflected in income tax returns, presumably because the donors did not give enough to qualify for any tax reduction or because they simply neglected to report it. It should also be noted that, given the relative constancy of these figures, there is little reason to suppose that there has been significant change since 1993.
For the year 1991, Statistics Canada provides us with some further figures. The median amount contributed to all registered charities (ranging from sports organizations to boy scouts to churches) by Canadians was $130. Quebecers gave the least ($80), Newfoundlanders the most ($220). Alberta and B.C. came in at $130, Manitoba and Ontario at $140, and Saskatchewan at an impressive $200.
Median charitable donations by major cities ranged as follows: Quebec City $80; Calgary $110; Vancouver, Ottawa and Winnipeg $130; Halifax $140; Toronto and Regina $150; Saskatoon $170; and St. John's, Nfld., the lowest income city in this list, $230. Clearly, generosity does not correlate closely with wealth or ability to donate.
Apparently the urban area with the highest median donation was Steinbach, Manitoba, an impressive $980. This means that half of the taxpayers in that region gave $980 or less, and half gave more than $980 in 1991. As reporter-columnist Ken MacQueen put it, "You just have to wonder when you see a number like that....So we hit the telephone and found some interesting stuff about Steinbach, which sits 50 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg. A big part of the answer can be summed up in one word: Mennonites."
"The farming village of Steinbach was formed in 1874 by 18 families who were among several thousand Mennonites to emigrate from Russia. Its population is now almost 10,000. Even today, about 55 or 60% are Mennonites," estimates Peter Dyck, editor of the weekly Carillon newspaper.
Dyck is not surprised at the area's generosity. He's done some digging and discovered that several nearby communities, too small to be broken out in Statistics Canada tabulations, gave even more. They, too, are predominantly Mennonite. Obviously these Manitoba Mennonites, and many others elsewhere, should feel good about their generosity.
They and other generous Christians do not seek public recognition, but when the authorities and society take note, they gladly explain that their Christian beliefs influence how they use their chequebooks and that they give cheerfully for the glory of God. Their attitude incorporates the Scriptural teaching in Matthew 5:16: "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Journalist MacQueen wondered whether generosity had also affected the Mennonite corporate world. He found that it had and cited a telling example. Charles Loewen, president of Loewen Windows, a firm which employs about 700 people in the Steinbach area, informed him that the Loewen family has established a foundation to make donations, primarily through Mennonite agencies. A Nicaraguan street peddler, say, may get an interest-free loan from Loewen company profits. Loewen wouldn't say much about the foundation. He did, however, acknowledge that the company donates 20% of its profit. "The Canadian corporate average, incidentally, is barely 1%," notes MacQueen.
Canadian evangelicals, and Mennonites in particular, should feel good about the favourable reports of their giving. The public accolades should cause us to be even more faithful and diligent in our stewardship. We should feel good--but not too good. There is considerable room for improvement.
Consider the following. In 1961 only about 2.8% of families in Canada had annual incomes over $82,000 (in equivalent 1994 dollars). By 1994, that figure had risen to 16.4%. Since it seems reasonable to assume that Canadian Mennonite families, given their work ethic and shrewd ways in entrepreneurship and investment, would be at least average in family incomes, we must conclude that one-sixth of all Mennonite families in Canada enjoyed an income of $82,000 or more in 1994. And yet, per household giving, as least as recorded by some of the major Mennonite conferences, has not gone up markedly in terms of fixed-value dollars between 1961 and 1994.
Doubtless many Mennonites have solid reasons to feel good about their giving records. But let us not feel too complacent about what has been done. It is one thing to have our giving measured by government authorities in comparison to the giving of the vast majority of Canadians who apparently part with very little when it comes to doing charity. It is something quite different, however, to have God evaluate our charitable donations, not in comparison to what the masses give, but in comparison to what we are actually capable of giving. That's the more important test; that's the evaluation which counts.
John H. Redekop is on the faculty of Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C.
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