Try the readiness score
Free · 15 minSolid candidate
You're likely to qualify with most denomination and credit-union lenders.
Every Kind of Church Loan
What loan do you need?
We cover every church financing situation, from a first building purchase to a multi-site bond program.
Construction Loans
Ground-up sanctuary, addition, or expansion. Funded in stages against milestones.
Real Estate & Acquisition
Buy an existing building, a conversion property, or land for a future project.
Refinance
Lower your rate, free cash flow, or handle a maturing balloon. Two refi paths.
Renovation
HVAC, accessibility, sanctuary remodel. Smaller scope, faster close.
Capital Campaigns
Pair member pledges with a loan. Boost your readiness score by up to 5 points.
Bridge & Specialty
Bridge to permanent, sale-leaseback, or specialty bond financing for complex deals.
The 7 Factors That Decide Your Loan
The numbers, defined.
Every church lender evaluates these seven factors. Once you know each one, the rest of the conversation, calculators, rates, lender selection, makes sense.
DSCR
Debt Service Coverage Ratio
Net operating income divided by annual loan payment.
Proves you can afford the payment with margin.
LTV
Loan-to-Value
Loan amount divided by appraised property value.
Gives the lender an asset cushion.
Tenure
Organizational Stability
Years of continuous operation under the same entity.
Lenders avoid early-stage volatility.
Pastor
Senior Pastor Tenure
Years the current senior pastor has led.
Pastor change is the #1 predictor of giving decline.
Giving
Giving Trend
3-year trajectory of unrestricted giving.
Giving is the lender's repayment source.
Reserves
Liquidity Reserves
Months of operating expenses held in cash.
Cushions short-term shocks.
Debt
Existing Debt Load
Total annual debt service divided by revenue.
Limits combined obligation post-funding.
Same 100-point scale lenders use internally
Lender Types & Current Rate Estimates
Who lends to churches, and at what rate
Four categories of lender compete for church loans. Each has different rate ranges, requirements, and risk appetite. Estimates based on the current 4.49% 10-Year Treasury yield plus typical spreads.
Denomination Extension Funds
LOWEST RATESMission-driven, members of the denomination. Best rates available.
Examples: AGFinancial, LCEF, Solomon Foundation
Today's range
5.74% to 7.49%
Faith-Based Credit Unions
NO AFFILIATIONNCUA-insured, open to all church types. Competitive and digital-forward.
Examples: AdelFi, America's Christian CU
Today's range
6.24% to 7.99%
Regional Banks
RELATIONSHIPHigher rates but possible relationship pricing for existing clients.
Examples: Regional and national banks
Today's range
7.24% to 9.99%
Specialty Church Lenders
MAX FLEXIBILITYShop your deal across multiple lenders. Strong on complex situations.
Examples: Griffin Church Loans, Church Capital Resources
Today's range
6.74% to 8.99%
Rate estimates updated weekly from the Federal Reserve. Your actual rate depends on your readiness score. See all rate ranges →
Run the Numbers
The numbers, before the meeting.
5 free calculators that compute the same metrics your lender will. Each ties back to one of the 7 factors above.
Payment math
Loan Payment
Try a payment scenario at any rate or term.
Open calculator
#1 · DSCR
Debt service coverage
Confirm net operating income covers debt service.
Open calculator
#2 · LTV
Loan-to-value
Check loan-to-value before the appraisal arrives.
Open calculator
#5 · Giving · #6 · Reserves
Affordability
Maximum loan your church can responsibly support.
Open calculator
Refinance math
Refinance Savings
Break-even on a refinance with closing costs included.
Open calculator
All 7 at once
Or get your full readiness score
15 minutes scores you across all 7 factors at once. No account.
National Coverage
Church loans in every state.
ChurchLend works with vetted lenders across all 50 states. State laws on religious property, zoning, and lending vary, our guides cover the specifics where you are.
Hover a state to preview its lender count, then click to open its state-specific guide.
50 states · vetted lenders nationally · Hover or click for details
Partners & Programs
Work with vetted lenders. Understand church loans.
Lender Directory
Church-friendly lenders, in one place.
A vetted directory of denominational, credit union, and specialty lenders. Compare side by side on rate, requirements, and speed.
Open the directory
Church Loans
Church loans, explained.
Lender types, current rates, the 7 qualification factors, and the full path from inquiry to funded loan — in plain language.
Explore church loans
Library
Plain-English church financing education.
COMPLETE GUIDE
Church loans, explained.
The end-to-end pillar guide: lender types, products, rates, qualification factors, and the application-to-funded process.
Read · 23 min
QUALIFICATION
The 7 factors lenders evaluate
Every church loan decision comes down to the same seven factors. Here is what each one means and how to strengthen yours before applying.
Read · 18 min
STRATEGY
How to choose the right church lender
Denomination extension funds vs. credit unions vs. specialty brokers vs. banks. The trade-offs and how to pick.
Read · 14 min
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Everything pastors, Boards, and finance committees ask first.
Most lenders cap total debt service at 30% of unrestricted annual revenue. A church giving $600K per year can typically support a $1.9M loan at 7% over 25 years. Run your own numbers with the affordability calculator, or take the readiness assessment for a personalized estimate.
Depends on lender type and your readiness score. Denomination extension funds: roughly 5.8% to 7.6%. Faith-based credit unions: 6.3% to 8.1%. Specialty brokers: 6.8% to 9.1%. Traditional banks: 7.3% to 10.1%. Your score determines where in each range you land. See live ranges on our rates page.
No. Most lenders work with churches scoring 65 or higher on the 100-point readiness scale. Below 65, you may need to strengthen one factor (often reserves or DSCR) before applying. Scoring below 50 typically means waiting 12 to 18 months and improving fundamentals first.
Roughly 60 to 120 days from application to funded loan, depending on product. Refinances tend to be fastest (45 to 75 days). Construction is the longest (90 to 150 days). Clean financials and a complete document package shave 2 to 3 weeks off either end.
Yes, 100% free, no credit pull, no sales call, no email required to see your score. We earn revenue from referral fees when we connect you with a partner lender, only if you choose to engage. Editorial scoring and lender rankings are independent of those relationships.
Free · 15 minutes · No account
Get the same number your lender will compute, before they do.
Score your church on all 7 factors lenders evaluate. See where you stand, where you can strengthen, and which lenders fit your profile.
No credit pull · No follow-up emails · No spam · Free forever