I know you might not want to even think about this, but it might be worth saying: churches rely upon tithing from their members to sustain their existence--to pay the salaries of the pastors and staff, to pay the overhead, the utilities, the materials for classes, vacation Bible schools, etc. They also need that money to fund building projects, missions, and more. On top of the tithes, they often initiate money-raising programs for building, special programs, missions, etc., and they request special offerings in addition to the expectation of the tithing.
As a result, many churches require, or almost require, their members to tithe. You may well find out that as a practical matter, they don't want to allow individual exceptions to their policy. If they tell Jerry that because he is caring for his mother, he won't have to tithe, then what do they tell Mary when she says she lost her job and is relying on unemployment, especially when she says, "Well, you told Jerry he didn't have to tithe... what about me?"
This could be why you haven't heard anything back from your queries. While you would hope the church would extend consideration for special circumstances, they may feel their hands are tied.
I don't want to diminish your view of your pastor here. I'm just saying that there is a difficult decision that will be very tough to make.
