Submitted by Disciples Church Extension Fund
Churches in New York and Florida needed emergency roof repairs. A congregation in Mesa, AZ upgraded its HVAC system. A California church cut utility costs by installing solar panels. A Des Moines congregation remodeled its chancel. And timely loans from Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF) helped make it all happen.
For 135 years, DCEF and its predecessor organizations have been the primary Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) ministry to provide congregations with building planning and capital funding services. In part, this has been done through loans for new construction, renovation, repair, accessibility improvements, “green” initiatives, special facility projects, relocation, and more. DCEF’s mission is to partner with congregations as they create, re-create, fund, and use/re-use their Holy Places as instruments for connecting with God; places to gather as Christians who are called to love and serve each other and their neighbors, inside and outside church walls.
“We are a real-world ministry that exists to serve the needs of Disciples of Christ congregations,” says Erick D. (Rick) Reisinger, DCEF president. “As such, we have always been able to do what banks and savings and loans simply can’t – to operate in a way that supports the shared values of Disciples throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
For the second consecutive year, the number of churches seeking loans for capital projects and facility purchases increased in 2018. After deferring routine maintenance and delaying facility improvement for nearly a decade of recession, many congregations now appear to be feeling more confident about the future. For this reason, DCEF needs to significantly increase investor participation in 2019 to fund this growth in Disciples loan demand. As part of this effort, DCEF has introduced a 33-month term note that pays 3% interest on new investments of $3,000 or more.
“You can attract more flies with honey,” laughs Reisinger. “We’ve always paid competitive rates on our investments, but this one is especially attractive,” he notes. “We’re hoping that it inspires people to partner in our ministry. There’s just no better way for Disciples to help Disciples…and themselves.”
DCEF investors benefit their Church by providing the funds that make loans to Disciples ministries possible, and benefit themselves by earning good rates of return. For more information, call 800.274.1883 or visit the DCEF website.