By: Gerald R. James, Jr. President / CEO
The Rock of Gibraltar is a famous promontory located on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. This impressive 1,400-foot high chunk of white limestone rock has been admired and respected for thousands of years. The Phoenicians used this rock as a landmark for their initial sailing expeditions into the Atlantic. The Greeks incorporated this rock into their mythology by calling it one of the “Pillars of Hercules.” In modern day, Prudential has been using the Rock of Gibraltar’s image of strength and endurance as their corporate logo for over a hundred years.
The rock of Baptist Church Loan Corporation (“BCLC”) has always been God and our faith that He will guide us in our service to His churches. For sixty years, BCLC has provided affordable real estate related loans to churches based on the solid banking principles of cash flow, equity, and leadership. These solid banking principles have also helped BCLC achieve a FYE 2013 capital ratio in excess of 80% for the first time in our history.
Although the world views financial success as its Rock of Gibraltar, a characteristic of strength and endurance, BCLC has always understood that any success we have is a blessing from God and our faith in His continued leadership. This faith, or rock, can best be summed up in the following refrain of the famous hymn, The Solid Rock:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
We continue to be grateful for the hard work of our efficient staff and the twelve-member board of directors who donate their time and expertise to guide the policy-making decisions of BCLC. We are also grateful for the help of our Texas Baptist friends who communicate our ministry to local churches.
“Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 62:6
