KINGSVILLE (MBF) – When Elm Spring Baptist Church in Kingsville was finally within reach of completing its new sanctuary, church leaders found themselves at a familiar crossroads. The project had been years in the making, built on prayer, planning, and the collective faith of a congregation with a vision. But finishing well required the right financial partner.
Local banks made loan offers, and the numbers were reasonable; yet for Elm Spring’s leadership, this decision carried more weight than a typical loan. A sanctuary is not just a commercial investment; it is the place where a community of believers gathers, worships, and grows in faith. After prayerful consideration, they turned to the Missouri Baptist Foundation and became the first congregation to receive a loan through MBF’s newly launched church loan program.
“Our church partnered with the MBF as we sought funding to complete our new sanctuary, desiring to work with an organization that shares a Kingdom-focused mission,” church leaders said. “Unlike traditional bank loans, where interest primarily benefits the institution, a loan through the MBF enables them to reinvest in and support other churches’ building projects. The entire process was seamless, and they provided a variety of flexible loan options tailored to our needs. Additionally, the terms they offered were more favorable than those available from our local banks. We wholeheartedly recommend the MBF to any church seeking financing for a building project.”
That kind of experience was exactly what MBF President Neil Franks had envisioned when he moved to offer church lending services directly through the Foundation, rather than referring Missouri Baptist churches to outside lenders. To lead the effort, he recruited Russell Jones, who brought 17 years of church lending experience from Provision Financial Resources, the lending arm of the NC Baptist Foundation.
“It is a privilege to work with Neil and MBF to assist Missouri Baptist Churches with their borrowing needs,” Jones said. “Churches can sometimes find it difficult to borrow from a traditional lender, so it is important to provide alternative options for financing. Knowing the market and understanding how churches operate make MBF an excellent choice for Baptist churches.”
The program covers a broad range of financing needs, including new construction, renovation, land purchases, and refinancing of existing debt, with loan amounts generally ranging from $50,000 to $2,000,000. Real estate-secured loans offer amortization periods of up to 25 years and fixed interest rates. For churches still in the early planning stages, MBF also provides free consultative services to help congregations assess their borrowing capacity before any commitment is made, without pressure.
What distinguishes MBF from a conventional lender, though, goes beyond competitive terms. Funds are drawn from investments made by Missouri Baptist church members and affiliated organizations, and returns cycle back into loans for other churches. One congregation’s project helps fund the next, a model rooted in shared mission rather than institutional profit.
For Elm Spring, that reality made all the difference. Their new sanctuary will stand not only as a testament to their own faithfulness but as part of something larger, a network of Missouri Baptist churches building, growing, and investing in one another.
If your church is exploring a building project or seeking guidance on financing options, the Missouri Baptist Foundation welcomes the conversation. Contact MBF through their website, mbfn.org/loans, or call (573) 761-0717.