Apply for a Church Loan — Start Your Request with Griffin
This page is the first step of the Griffin church loan process. Submit the short form below, and a Griffin church-finance specialist will contact you the same business day to discuss your property, loan purpose, and timing — then outline what's realistic for your church and what's needed next.
There's no upfront fee, no obligation to continue, and personal guarantees are not required on most church loans.
2,000+
Church Loans Closed
$2B+
In Closed Volume
$75K–$35M
Loan Range
Since [YEAR]
Church-Focused
$0
Upfront Fees
JB
Griffin Church Loans was founded by John Berardino, who has focused exclusively on church financing for 26 years. Every conversation begins with someone who understands ministry realities, not a generic commercial-loan script.
Most churches reach out before every detail is finalized. They may still be comparing properties, weighing a refinance, planning a renovation, or trying to understand what a lender will realistically want to see. That is normal. The goal at this stage is not a perfect package — it's early clarity, so your church doesn't spend weeks on the wrong path.
01
Same business day
Initial Review
A Griffin specialist reviews your church's financing need, property situation, and goals. This is a review, not a commitment — on either side.
02
Same business day
Follow-Up Conversation
Your church is contacted to discuss the property, loan purpose, timing, and broader financial picture in more detail. Expect a working conversation, not a sales call.
03
Same business day
Next-Step Guidance
Griffin explains what may be possible, what information is needed next, and how your church can move forward efficiently. You leave this step knowing where your church stands.
The purpose of this process is clarity — so your leadership and board have a real basis for the next decision, not guesswork.
Getting Started
What you'll need to start
You do not need a full application package to begin. The first conversation works best when you have a general sense of the following — estimates are fine.
Property address or general location
Estimated purchase price or property value
Approximate loan amount you're considering
Purpose of the loan (purchase, refinance, renovation, construction)
Whether there's an existing mortgage or other church debt
General attendance, giving, and financial picture
If some of these aren't nailed down yet, reach out anyway. Griffin specialists routinely help churches clarify these points during the first conversation — it's often the reason churches call.
Qualification
Will our church qualify?
Every church situation is different, but a few factors consistently shape what's possible.
Giving and financial picture matter more than size.
Griffin works with churches across a wide range of attendance and budget profiles. A smaller church with stable giving and disciplined finances is often in a stronger position than a larger church with inconsistent inflows.
Credit history is considered, but it's not the only factor.
Churches that have faced credit challenges — a past delinquency, a tight season, or a denominational transition — may still have workable options. A generalist lender sees a credit issue and stops. A church-finance specialist looks at why it happened, what's changed, and whether the underlying financial pattern supports lending.
Property and purpose matter.
The property's use, condition, and how it fits the church's mission all factor into what a lender can offer. Purchase, refinance, renovation, and construction each have different underwriting considerations.
Personal guarantees are not required on most church loans.
This is a meaningful difference from general commercial lending and reflects how church borrowing actually works — as a corporate decision of the church, not a personal liability of the pastor or board members.
If you're unsure whether your church's situation fits, the first conversation exists specifically to answer that question. No church should assume the answer is no without asking.
Timing
How long does a church loan take?
Timelines vary by loan type and how quickly documentation comes together, but churches generally experience the following stages.
Initial conversation and review
Same business day
Term sheet
Typically within [X–Y business days] of a complete initial review
Underwriting and due diligence
Typically [X–Y weeks], depending on loan type and documentation
Closing
Typically [X–Y weeks] after underwriting is complete
Construction and major renovation loans carry additional stages and longer timelines due to draw schedules, inspections, and project review.
The single biggest factor affecting timeline is documentation readiness. Churches that can provide financial statements, giving reports, and board minutes promptly consistently close faster than those waiting on internal coordination. If timing is tight, mention it in the first conversation — Griffin can flag which documents to prepare first.
Specialization
Why church-finance specialization matters
Church financing is different from conventional commercial lending, and the differences are not cosmetic.
A church's financial picture doesn't look like a business's. Giving cycles, building use, leadership transitions, denominational structure, and stewardship commitments all shape both the need for financing and the lender's view of risk. A commercial lender applying a generic template to a church often arrives at the wrong answer — or no answer at all.
Griffin's value is not just offering church loans. It starts with a conversation built around church realities — what ministries need, how boards make decisions, what stewardship means in practice — and ends with financing structured around that reality, not forced into a commercial mold.
That is the difference between a lender who will take a church loan and a lender who understands one.
For Church Leadership
Bringing this to your church board
Church borrowing is almost never a solo decision. Most pastors and administrators bring the conversation back to a board, finance team, or denominational body before anything moves forward. That's how it should work.
If you're preparing to bring this to your board, here's a simple framework the first Griffin conversation will equip you to share:
i.
What the financing need actually isPurchase, refinance, renovation, or construction
ii.
What's realisticLoan amount range, rough structure, and initial lender feedback
iii.
What's required nextDocumentation, decisions, and timing
iv.
What the process looks likeStages, timeline, and key decision points
You do not need to commit to anything to have this conversation. Many churches use the first Griffin call specifically to prepare their board for a clear discussion — not to start a loan application.
Proof of Work
Recent closings
Specifics build more trust than testimonials. A few recent examples:
$X.XM
Purchase
[STATE] · XX-day close
[One-line context about the church and the outcome]
Answers to the questions churches ask most often before starting the conversation. Implement with FAQPage schema for AI citation.
Is this a full application or the first step?
This is the first step. It begins the conversation and helps Griffin determine whether your church loan is likely to be approved before asking for a full documentation package.
How quickly will someone contact us?
Most churches are contacted the same business day.
Do we need a full application package to start?
No. The form is designed to begin the conversation. Additional details can be provided later, after the initial review.
What types of financing does Griffin help with?
Purchase, refinance, renovation, construction, and broader church financing needs ranging from $75,000 to $35,000,000.
Are there upfront fees?
No. Griffin does not charge upfront fees.
Are personal guarantees required?
Personal guarantees are not required on most church loans. This is a meaningful difference from general commercial lending.
What credit profile does a church need?
There is no single cutoff. Churches with strong credit, moderate credit, and past credit challenges have all closed loans with Griffin. The first conversation is where the specific situation is reviewed honestly.
Can a church that's only been around a few years qualify?
It depends on the financial picture, property, and purpose. Newer churches with disciplined finances and clear plans have obtained financing. Longer-tenured churches with weaker financial patterns sometimes face more questions. Time in operation is one factor among several.
How long does a church loan take from start to close?
Most non-construction church loans close within [X–Y weeks] of a complete package. Construction loans take longer. Documentation readiness is the largest variable.
What if we haven't picked a property yet?
That's actually a good time to reach out. Griffin can help you estimate what your church may qualify for so you have a realistic working budget before property decisions are made.
Do we need board approval before applying?
No. Many churches use the first Griffin conversation specifically to prepare for their board discussion. No commitment is made by starting the conversation.
What documents will eventually be required?
The typical package includes recent financial statements, giving and attendance reports, board resolutions, property information, and articles of incorporation. Griffin provides a specific checklist after the initial review.
What if our church has faced financial challenges in the past?
Past challenges are a reason to have the conversation, not to avoid it. Griffin's specialization means credit challenges are evaluated in context — why they happened, what's changed, and whether the current financial pattern supports lending.
Start the Conversation
Start your church loan request
Complete the short form below. A Griffin church-finance specialist will reach out the same business day.
Start the conversation before every detail is finalized
Most churches that close with Griffin started the conversation before they had every detail finalized. The early call is not a commitment — it's a faster route to clarity.
