Church Loan Requirements

Loan Qualifications

BCLC accepts loan applications from Baptist and like-minded churches, which cooperate with their local Baptist association or their state Baptist convention, and from BCLC Supported Churches as defined in our Vision, Mission, & Core Beliefs.

Rates

Please call 844-273-7713 for our current 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year fixed interest rates. Rates are fixed for the elected term and will adjust to BCLC’s current rate on the adjustment date. Although the rate adjusts on the adjustment date, the loan is not due until the maturity date (i.e. the loan balance will be paid off over a 20-year period).

Supported Project Types

BCLC provides loans for new construction, remodeling, parking, land, facilities, and refinancing. Most property-related projects qualify as projects that BCLC supports. BCLC will use the property as collateral for the loan.

Liens/Collateral

BCLC takes a first lien on all church land and improvements. The maximum loan to value permitted is 75%. This is typical of most church lenders and means that the requirement for a church loan is a 25% cash injection by the church into the project.

Loan Sizes and Terms

The minimum loan amount for church renovation projects varies by state, ranging from $50,000 to $250,000. Please contact us for your state’s minimum loan amount. The minimum loan amount for a church construction loan with BCLC is $500,000.

New loans are fully-amortizing, 15 or 20-year term notes that adjust according to the interest rate option that was selected by the church at loan closing (one-year, three-year, and five-year rate options available).

Church Loan Requirements

Loan approvals are not based solely upon financial ratios. The BCLC also looks at other areas such as: leadership, ministry impact, commitment of the members, growth potential, and church location when reviewing loan requests.

States We Serve

BCLC was founded in 1952 with the purpose of serving Texas, Baptist churches. Over the next 50 years, BCLC was able to help many churches within Texas borders. But beginning in 2013, God put it on the heart of our leaders to help churches outside of the state. In 2014, BCLC officially expanded to all states in the Southeast region. God opened another door for BCLC to expand again in 2017, and now BCLC serves Baptist and like-minded churches across 34 states.

More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Loan Qualifications

FULL LOAN APPLICATION