Should your church choose First Citizens Bank?

First Citizens BancShares opened on March 1, 1898, in Smithfield, North Carolina, as the Bank of Smithfield. The institution renamed to First Citizens Bank and Trust Company in 1929 and moved its headquarters to Raleigh, North Carolina, by the 1970s. Today First Citizens is one of the top 20 US banks by total assets, holding roughly $230 billion as of recent reporting, with 550-plus branches across approximately 30 states. The bank doubled in size in March 2023 after acquiring the assets of Silicon Valley Bank in the wake of SVB's failure, which added substantial West Coast and innovation-banking capacity to a previously Southeast-anchored footprint.

A few things make First Citizens distinct at this scale. The bank is the largest family-controlled bank in the United States, with the Holding family retaining controlling ownership across multiple generations. Family control has historically translated to longer-term decision making than is typical at major publicly-traded banks chasing quarterly results. The bank also has an unusual record of stability: 125-plus years of continuous operation without ever failing, including through the SVB acquisition that recapitalized rather than disrupted the institution.

For churches, the relevant question is what First Citizens actually offers. The bank does not publish a dedicated church lending program. Religious organizations appear as one of six nonprofit subcategories on a generalist nonprofits expertise page, alongside educational, governmental, municipalities, and wealth endowment categories. The published copy references "competitive rates on a mortgage or loan for your congregation's goals," automatic debit donations, and Remote Deposit Capture for processing donations. The earlier ChurchLend description of a dedicated religious lending division overstated what First Citizens actually publishes; the practice is generalist commercial banking expertise that includes religious organizations rather than a specialized church-loan team.

That distinction matters in two directions. On the upside, First Citizens brings major-bank scale, FDIC insurance, treasury and operating banking services, and the resources of a Fortune 500 institution. For established churches with substantial real estate and operating cash that want one institution covering deposits, treasury management, and lending, the integrated suite is a real advantage. On the downside, First Citizens treats churches as one of many commercial banking categories rather than as a specialized lending vertical. Underwriting follows commercial banking norms rather than church-specific frameworks. For churches inside a strong denominational extension fund footprint, the denomination-aligned alternative will almost certainly price sharper and offer more flexibility on church-specific factors (giving trends, attendance, mission context).

Geographic coverage is branch-footprint dependent. The 30-state network is concentrated in the Southeast (NC, SC, VA, GA, FL, TN, MD, WV) plus West Coast states inherited from the SVB acquisition. National lending coverage for churches is not explicitly published; conservative interpretation is branch-footprint states first, with broader reach possible through established commercial relationships. The bank does not publish church loan rate ranges, maximum LTV, minimum DSCR, or term lengths. Pricing depends on credit profile, loan size, LTV, term, and the broader relationship.

Our recommendation, in one sentence: shortlist First Citizens Bank if your church is established, sits in their branch footprint, has substantial operating cash, and wants a top-20 US bank covering deposits, treasury, and lending in one relationship. Run the ChurchLend readiness assessment first so you walk into the conversation already understanding the seven factors any commercial bank will weigh, and so you can frame your loan request around the metrics commercial underwriters care about most.