Church Loan Readiness Self-Check
This self-check is for information only. It is not a credit decision, an offer, or a prediction that any lender will approve a request. Lenders set their own criteria and review their own documents, and there is no guarantee that any fund will lend to you.
How this is scored
The score is out of 100. It adds up seven factors, each worth the points shown below. For each factor, your answer earns a share of those points, from none to all. The weights are our own editorial choices for a general self-check. They are not any lender's formula, and a lender may weigh things differently or look at things this check does not.
Debt service coverage: up to 24 points
Lenders look first at whether regular income can cover loan payments with room to spare. This carries the most weight.
Loan-to-value: up to 18 points
The less you borrow against the property's value, the more cushion a lender has. Not knowing the figure scores lower because lenders need it.
Cash reserves: up to 14 points
Reserves show a congregation can absorb a slow month or an unexpected repair without missing a payment.
Giving trend: up to 14 points
Giving is the main source of repayment, so a rising or steady trend matters more than any single year.
Existing debt: up to 10 points
Current obligations compete with a new loan for the same income. Late or restructured payments are a concern for any lender.
Capital funding plan: up to 10 points
Money raised from the congregation reduces what must be borrowed and shows the project has support.
Congregation stability: up to 10 points
Time established, pastoral continuity, and attendance together say something about how steady the congregation is.
Congregation stability combines three answers (years established, lead pastor tenure, and attendance) into one factor. Denomination, property status, loan purpose, and amount requested are not scored. They are used only to list funds and to give context.
Readiness bands
- Early: 0 to 39
- Building: 40 to 69
- Ready to explore: 70 and above
What happens to your answers
The questions run in your browser only. Nothing is sent to CEF Core or anyone else, and we do not collect a name, email address, phone number, or address. If you copy the results link, your answers are saved in the link itself as short codes, so anyone you give the link to can see them.
Important information
CEF Core publishes this directory for information only. It is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security, and it is not investment, legal, tax, or lending advice. We are not an offeror of securities, a broker-dealer, or an investment adviser. Details come from each fund's own public pages. We have not independently verified them, and they may be incomplete or out of date. A listing is not an endorsement, rating, or recommendation, and listings appear in alphabetical order. Church extension fund notes are generally not FDIC or NCUA insured, and offerings may be available only in certain states and to certain investors. Confirm all details with the fund and read its current offering circular before you invest or apply.
Directory information only; not an offer or advice.
CEF Core sells software to church extension funds. Our relationship with a fund does not affect whether or where it appears in this directory, and listings are alphabetical.