Oregon Conference president, Dan Linrud, sent a letter October 2, 2018 to General Conference (GC) president, Ted Wilson. The letter appealed to the GC administration to follow denominational tithe policy in regard to a recent (2017) extraordinary tithe return by a member of the Oregon Conference.

Subsequent to the letter, additional information came to light. During the 2018 GC Annual Council, GC treasurer, Juan Prestol-Puésan, as part of his Annual Council Finance Report, explained the history of this extraordinary tithe return, which has subsequently been reported in the Adventist Review. Included in the report was reference to a 2007 GC executive committee action that approved a variance from tithe policy for the GC in this special circumstance. Elder Prestol-Puésan also indicated that the GC administration had confirmation that the 2017 tithe return was a continuation of the earlier 2007 agreement and tithe policy variance.

We accept this explanation and thank the General Conference administration for their willingness to openly and publicly clarify this unusual situation. Through this experience, we have been reminded of the importance of consistent, clear communication across the administrative levels of the church.

Most significantly, we appreciate the faithfulness of Oregon Conference members in returning the Lord’s tithe from his blessings to them. Their tithe makes possible nearly everything we do as a church in carrying out God's end-time mission.