For more than 40 years the Christian Reformed Church Loan Fund has provided low-interest loans to Christian Reformed congregations to build new buildings or expand their facilities with minimal losses.
The fund’s founding documents limited lending to CRC congregations, but now Synod 2026 has ratified changes that allow the fund to loan to CRC-related organizations, including Christian schools. The fund only operates in the United States.
Churches’ First Building
A new program is the First Church Building Loan Program, supporting organized congregations seeking to purchase their first church homes by offering loans at 1.5 percent below the Loan Fund’s current rate. “It’s an increasingly difficult step (for them) due to rising property and construction costs,” the fund reported. The Loan Fund wrote that the initiative will catalyze growth by providing important early stage funding, give visible institutional support that builds credibility, and advance the CRCNA goals of sharing the gospel through planting and strengthening churches. Connecting this initiative to the denomination’s “Our Journey” milestones, the Loan Fund says it advances “sharing the gospel through planting and strengthening churches” and also “growth in unity and diversity by supporting a method whereby established Dutch ethnic congregations can come alongside younger ethnic-minority churches and offer support by investing in or giving to the program.”
Loan demand has dropped significantly over the past decade, and church-related projects now often involve partnerships or require more capital than the Loan Fund’s $1.5 million limit.
Planned Giving Program
One way the Loan Fund is increasing its declining portfolio is by kicking off a planned-giving program. In its report to Synod 2026, it said, “Establishing a planned-giving program will allow long-term investors to leave a legacy for future churches, providing the Loan Fund with the equity to offer lower loan rates, which could support the next generation of churches to establish permanency in their community.”
Synod 2026, the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, is meeting June 12-18 on the campus of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich. Go to crcna.org/synod for the livestream, photos, reports, and a live blog of synod proceedings and decisions. Find daily news and our video Synod Recap at thebanner.org/synod.