Assemblies of God lending guide

Assemblies of God Church Loans

Roughly 13,000 Assemblies of God churches operate nationwide, inside a lending world built around your affiliation. As an AG church you have something most congregations do not: a denominational extension fund created specifically to lend to you.

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13,000+

Assemblies of God churches in the U.S.

$1.6B+

AGFinancial loan portfolio

5.5% to 7.5%

Typical extension-fund rate

The lenders that fit

Lenders that serve Assemblies of God churches

Not a directory dump. These are the only lenders whose underwriting, terms, and denominational understanding actually fit a Assemblies of God congregation, ranked by relevance.

Best fit for Assemblies of GodAG extension fund

AGFinancial

AGFinancial is the lending ministry of the Assemblies of God and the natural first call for any AG church. It has lent to churches for more than 75 years, runs a loan portfolio north of $1.6 billion, and serves roughly 4,000 ministries. Because its capital comes from AG member deposits and is lent back to AG churches, it offers patient capital that stays open when commercial banks tighten. Its preferred terms are built around AG affiliation, so non-AG churches do not get the same treatment, and loans below $250,000 are usually not a fit.

Built for AG churches, with denomination-aligned rates
Patient capital that keeps lending when banks pull back
Best for loans of $250K and up; plan on 60 to 90 days

Loan range

$250K to $25M+

Rate range

~5.5% to 7.5%

Lender type

AG extension fund

View AGFinancial profile

AdelFi

Christian credit union

AdelFi is the largest faith-based credit union in the United States, formed through a 2025 merger, and it lends to Christian churches of any denomination. It has funded more than $1 billion in ministry real estate loans and its deposits are NCUA-insured. For an AG church that wants insured deposits and a full ministry-banking relationship alongside a loan, AdelFi is a useful complement to the denominational extension fund. Becoming a member is one extra step beyond a standard bank application.

NCUA-insured deposits plus a full ministry-banking suite
Lends to AG churches with no affiliation requirement

Loan range

$100K to $10M+

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CDF Capital

Church-lending fund

CDF Capital is a church fund that has financed congregations since 1953 and lends to evangelical and Pentecostal churches of any affiliation, which includes AG churches. Its deep expertise in construction and first-building projects fits the ambitious facility programs AG churches often take on. A standout feature is that its construction loans convert to permanent financing at no extra cost, which simplifies a multi-phase build. CDF is investor-funded rather than FDIC-insured, so churches should understand that distinction.

Deep construction and first-building expertise
Construction loans convert to permanent at no extra cost

Loan range

$250K to $20M+

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Griffin Church Loans

Broker

Griffin Church Loans is a broker rather than a direct lender, with more than $1 billion and over 1,000 closed church loans behind it. For a large AG building program, a multi-site campus, or a complex purchase where several lenders need to be compared side by side, a broker widens the field. You trade a broker fee for breadth of options and help navigating a more complicated transaction. It is best suited to projects of $3 million and up.

Compares multiple capital sources in one process
Best for $3M+ or multi-source transactions

Loan range

Varies by lender

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Overview

Understanding Assemblies of God church financing

The Assemblies of God is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States, with roughly 13,000 churches and a strongly growth-oriented, mission-driven culture. AG churches plant aggressively, build campuses, and take on ambitious facility projects, which makes financing a recurring and important question for AG pastors and boards.

The single most important fact about AG lending is that your affiliation gives you a built-in lender. AGFinancial, the denomination own extension fund, exists specifically to finance AG churches. The real decision is usually not whether to use your denominational fund, but whether to complement it with a credit union or broker for a particular project.

How Assemblies of God polity shapes lending

Governance affects your borrowing options

The lending landscape

AG churches sit inside a cooperative fellowship that built its own lending infrastructure. AGFinancial anchors it at national scale, and many state districts run their own revolving loan funds for local churches. These AG lenders understand the fellowship natively and lend member deposits back to member churches, often beating commercial rates. Independent or non-AG charismatic churches that lack this access turn instead to a credit union like AdelFi or a broker, but for an AG church the denominational fund comes first.

Governance & polity

Assemblies of God governance is cooperative: local churches are self-governing and own their own property, but they affiliate with district and national councils, and the AG credentialing system holds pastors accountable to the wider fellowship. In practice the senior pastor often carries significant vision-setting authority, reflecting a leadership-driven culture. Lenders read this two ways: pastor-led clarity can move a building project quickly once the board approves, but heavy reliance on one senior pastor creates key-person risk a lender will weigh. Because the local church owns its property without a denominational trust clause, the collateral itself is usually clean.

Typical loan profile · Assemblies of God church

Average loan size

$600K to $5M

Common purpose

New construction or major expansion

Average term

15 to 25 years

Typical LTV cap

70% to 75%

The honest assessment

Strengths and challenges for Assemblies of God churches

Financial strengths

AG churches have a dedicated, deep-pocketed extension fund built specifically for them.
Fast-growing, mission-driven congregations with energetic giving cultures that lenders view favorably.
Local church property ownership without a trust clause means clean collateral and relatively straightforward underwriting.
Strong, vision-driven senior leadership can carry a capital campaign and building project with momentum.

Common challenges

AGFinancial typically will not lend below $250,000 and runs 60 to 90 day timelines, so smaller or fast-closing needs require another lender.
Heavy reliance on a founding or senior pastor creates key-person risk that lenders weigh carefully.
Rapid, growth-fueled expansion can outpace stable giving history, making some ambitious projects harder to underwrite.
Extension-fund investments are securities, not FDIC-insured deposits, which churches and members should understand.

Actionable guidance

Assemblies of God church lending tips

Start with AGFinancial

It is built for AG churches and offers denomination-aligned rates. Get a quote there first, then weigh your district fund before approaching a commercial bank.

Mind the floor and the timeline

AGFinancial generally will not lend below $250,000 and takes 60 to 90 days from application to funding. If your need is smaller or your closing is fast, line up a credit union like AdelFi in parallel.

Document a stable giving runway

AG churches often grow fast, but lenders underwrite proven, sustainable giving rather than projected growth. Three years of clean, trending-up giving data strengthens your file more than a forecast.

Plan for leadership succession

Because so much momentum rests on the senior pastor, a clear succession plan and multiple authorized signers reduce the key-person risk a lender sees.

Get a second quote for big projects

On a $3M+ campus or a complex purchase, get a quote from a broker like Griffin Church Loans alongside your extension fund. Comparing sources can save real money.

Common questions

Assemblies of God church lending FAQ

No, but it is usually the best starting point. AGFinancial is the denomination own extension fund, funded by AG member deposits and built around AG affiliation, so its terms are hard to beat. You can complement it with a credit union like AdelFi or a broker like Griffin for a particular project.

AGFinancial runs a loan portfolio north of $1.6 billion serving roughly 4,000 ministries, so it has the capacity for large building and campus projects. The practical floor is around $250,000, and you should plan on 60 to 90 days from application to funding.

For many AG churches, the extension fund is enough. But a credit union like AdelFi adds NCUA-insured deposits and full ministry banking, CDF Capital brings deep construction expertise, and a broker like Griffin can compare multiple sources on a large project. Getting a second quote on a big build is rarely wasted effort.

Somewhat. Lenders value the growth and energetic giving culture of AG churches, but they underwrite proven, sustainable giving rather than projected growth, and they pay attention to how much depends on a single senior pastor. A clear succession plan and three years of stable giving address both concerns.

Extension funds like AGFinancial typically want loan-to-value at or below roughly 70 to 75 percent and debt service coverage at or above 1.25 times, meaning your giving should comfortably cover the proposed payment with room to spare. The remaining equity usually comes from a capital campaign or existing reserves.

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Sample readiness score

74/ 100

Solid candidate

Above the lending threshold

Collateral (LTV)84

Debt-service coverage72

Cash reserves69

Giving trend66

Governance readiness61