Jump directly to the Content

WHAT THE BANKER WANTS TO KNOW

A year of prayer and searching had finally born fruit. Our congregation had found a building of the right size, location, and price—we thought.

One exciting Sunday morning we raised 15 percent of the cost. It was beautiful to see the sacrificial giving of young marrieds and singles, with their relatively low incomes. When the total was announced, we joined in thanksgiving to God for bringing us this far. Our four years of renting would soon be over.

But now we faced a hurdle: convincing a bank, savings and loan, or some other agency to lend us the rest of the funds. We knew we were an honest bunch, had good credit with bookstores, utilities, our landlord, and were fervently committed to the project. That, we discovered, was not enough. Bankers have a fear of the unknown, and there is plenty of that in a small, new church.

In making a loan, lenders are primarily concerned about getting their money back with interest on a timely basis. We had to convince them of our ability and intention ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Defying the IRS
Defying the IRS
How should churches understand their relationship to the government?
From the Magazine
I Hated ‘Church People.’ But I Knew I Needed Them.
I Hated ‘Church People.’ But I Knew I Needed Them.
As I attended my second funeral in three weeks, two Christians showed me a kindness I couldn’t explain.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close