Disciples Church Extension Fund
Disciples Church Extension Fund is a non-profit financial ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), providing loans, investment notes, capital campaign consulting, and disaster response services to congregations across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1883
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Disciples Church Extension Fund does
Disciples Church Extension Fund (legal name: Board of Church Extension of Disciples of Christ Inc.) is a private, non-profit faith-based financial ministry founded in 1883 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It operates as the formally designated general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), providing financial, building, and ministry services to congregations, camps, and retreat centers across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The organization is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors and employs 11-50 staff, including a regional network of bilingual Building and Capital Services Advisors who deliver in-person consultation. The technology stack is a faith-based financial platform for managing church investments, loans, and ministry services, without public APIs, SDKs, or AI capabilities.
DCEF's core product surface spans Investment Notes (a denomination-aligned deposit-like product paying 3.75% as of October 2025), Building Loans (construction, property purchase, renovation, refinancing), Capital Fundraising Campaign consulting, Building Disaster Response (free, in partnership with Week of Compassion), and the proprietary New Beginnings assessment process. Add-on programs include the Accessibility Loan Fund, Holy Places Grant, Annual Manna Fund, and an Interest-Free Loan Fund. The business model combines a subscription/recurring component (investment-note liabilities and recurring charitable gifts), a transaction-fee component (loan interest and origination), and professional-services revenue (capital campaign consulting). Go-to-market is relationship-led: lead flow originates through Regional Minister referrals and General Assembly participation, then converts via direct field advisory engagement rather than digital self-serve.
Since 2021 the organization has executed a leadership renewal — appointing Belinda R. King as the first African American and first woman President, expanding the C-suite with new CFO, Chief Relationship Officer, and Chief Administrative Officer roles (2023-2024), and announcing Rev. Dr. Courtney Stange-Tregear as the next President and CEO effective March 2, 2026. Cumulative loan approvals surpassed $1 billion in December 2020, with record annual loan closings above $26.7M and record investments above $25.8M during King's tenure, alongside a Board-approved operating budget increase to $11.65M (from $8.67M) under a new three-year strategic plan.
Disciples Church Extension Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Disciples Church Extension Fund
- Legal name
- Board of Church Extension of Disciples of Christ Inc.
- Website
- https://disciplescef.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1883
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Disciples Church Extension Fund is a non-profit financial ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), providing loans, investment notes, capital campaign consulting, and disaster response services to congregations across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Disciples Church Extension Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Faith-Based Financial Services for Congregations
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (81311), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)
Keywords
Where Disciples Church Extension Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Disciples Church Extension Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Investment Notes: DCEF accepts investments from individuals who earn a return while their capital is used to fund church loans. Investors receive interest payments reported on IRS Form 1099-INT.
- Loan Interest: DCEF provides loans to congregations for construction, renovation, property purchase, and refinancing. Interest payments on loans constitute a primary revenue stream.
- Capital Campaign Services: DCEF offers capital fundraising campaign consulting services to help churches raise funds for projects, charging fees for campaign guidance and implementation.
- Charitable Gifts: The organization receives charitable donations through various mechanisms including the Annual Manna Fund, planned giving, stock donations, IRA rollovers, and donor advised funds.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Building Disaster Response - Free service to qualifying congregations |
| Freemium | One time/ perpetual license | New Beginnings Assessment - Free initial engagement |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Capital Campaign Consulting - Custom pricing based on project scope |
| Subscription | Monthly | Great Commission Partnership - Investment with charitable giving option |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Disciples Church Extension Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Disciples Church Extension Fund is a faith-based financial ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that provides loans for church construction, renovation, property purchase, and refinancing, while accepting investment notes from individuals who earn a return on funds lent to congregations. It also offers capital fundraising campaign consulting, free disaster response services, and ministry planning assessments to help congregations maximize their people, property, and finance resources.
Product overview
Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF) offers a comprehensive suite of financial and ministry services for congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The core offerings include Investment Notes for individual investors, Building Loans (construction, purchase, renovation, and special projects), Capital Fundraising Campaign consulting services, Building Disaster Response assistance, and New Beginnings assessment for congregations. Additional programs include the New Church Ministry for church planting, Accessibility Loan Fund, Holy Places Grant, Annual Manna Fund, and Interest-Free Loan Fund. The organization operates as a unified ministry platform where these services work together to help churches maximize their people, property, and finance resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investment Notes Financial investment products that provide a competitive rate of return (3.75% as of October 2025) while supporting church ministry work across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Investors receive interest payments reported on IRS Form 1099-INT, and can designate portions of interest as charitable gifts through the Great Commission Partnership.
- Building Loans Comprehensive loan services including construction loans, property/building purchase loans, renovation loans, and special projects loans for church facilities. Available to Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations seeking to build, renovate, purchase property, or refinance existing debt.
- Capital Fundraising Campaign (CFC) Services Expert consultation and guidance for faith communities to plan and execute capital fundraising campaigns, helping ministries meet or exceed their fundraising goals. Lay-led model that engages broad congregation participation; majority of churches exceed their goals.
- Building Disaster Response Service Free service provided in partnership with Week of Compassion to help churches recover from natural disasters including tornado, hurricane, flood, earthquake, or fire damage. The service helps congregations assess immediate challenges, secure damaged facilities, navigate insurance claims, and plan reconstruction.
- New Beginnings Assessment Hands-on consulting service that guides congregations through assessment of ministry, resources, and community needs to clarify their future direction and develop a Future Story. Over 1,000 congregations have engaged with 99% finding clarity; 60% chose to re-envision mission and growth, 35% chose to redevelop their congregation, and 5% chose to close and leave assets as legacy gifts.
- New Church Ministry Denomination-wide program overseeing new church planting and development for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), supporting new church development initiatives.
- Accessibility Loan Fund Special low-interest rate loans to help churches remove physical barriers and improve accessibility for all people.
- Holy Places Grant Grant program to help new congregations purchase or build their first church facility.
- Interest-Free Loan Fund No-interest repair loans to help ministries move forward after disaster strikes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% of congregations find clarity after New Beginnings assessment
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Disciples Church Extension Fund
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Disciples Church Extension Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Disciples Church Extension Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)coreDCEF is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), providing financial and ministry services on behalf of the denomination. The organization oversees New Church Ministry for the church and receives referrals through denominational leadership.
- New Church MinistrycoreDCEF oversees New Church Ministry, a denomination-wide program supporting new church development efforts. This partnership positions DCEF as the primary resource for church planting within the Disciples movement.
- Week of CompassioncoreDCEF partners with Week of Compassion to provide disaster response services to congregations affected by natural disasters. Week of Compassion is the disaster response ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
- National Benevolent AssociationminorNBA provides Mission and Ministry Grants to congregations, including some that partner with DCEF. Grants have supported initiatives like the WHOLE Initiative at Mosaic Christian Church.
- OSF HealthcareminorPartnered with Memorial/Mosaic Christian Church to provide mobile clinic services including school physicals and dental exams from the church parking lot.
- Wesley HousingminorWesley Housing partnered with First Christian Church of Falls Church to develop 95 affordable housing units for older adults on church property.
- Hope Partnership for Missional TransformationminorHistorical partnership since 2012 providing leadership development and congregational revisioning services. Restructured in 2019.
- Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc.minorStock brokerage firm used for accepting gift of stocks, bonds, and securities donations. DTC code: 0226, Account ID: C4W 605 565.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Disciples Church Extension Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Christian Church Foundation: A related Disciples of Christ organization offering long-term investment services, planned giving, and endowment management to congregations. Highly comparable as a sibling financial ministry serving the same denomination, often partnering with DCEF on joint client engagements.
- Church of the Nazarene Foundation: The Church of the Nazarene's charitable giving and planned giving foundation serving Nazarene congregations and institutions. Comparable as a denominational foundation providing investment products, planned giving, and grants to support member church projects.
- American Baptist Foundation: American Baptist Churches USA's affiliated foundation providing investment and planned giving services to ABCUSA congregations. Comparable as a mainline denominational financial services entity supporting church capital and ministry needs.
- UCC Cornerstone Fund: United Church of Christ's affiliated lending ministry providing building loans, capital campaign support, and investment opportunities to UCC congregations and related ministries. Directly comparable in mission, customer base, and product mix.
- Wespath Investments: The United Methodist Church's general agency providing pension, health, and investment services, including faith-based investment funds serving clergy and church institutions. Comparable as a large denominational financial services entity offering investment and lending solutions to faith-based clients.
- Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program: The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation's program providing investment products and loans to congregations for property, building, and capital projects. Directly comparable as a denomination-affiliated financial ministry offering loans and investment notes to member churches.
- ELCA Mission Investment Fund: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's faith-based lending and investment ministry, offering building loans, investment opportunities, and grants to congregations. Directly comparable as a denominational financial services arm serving church property and capital needs.
Regional players
- Church Loans & Investment Trust (CLINT): A UK-based faith lending and investment trust providing loans to churches and Christian organizations for property projects. Comparable in mission and product (faith-based lending) but operates in a different geography (UK) than DCEF (U.S./Canada/Puerto Rico).
Broad incumbents
- Week of Compassion: The disaster response and humanitarian aid ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), DCEF's established disaster response partner. Comparable mission focus on humanitarian relief for faith communities, though Week of Compassion specializes in disaster response rather than lending or capital campaigns.
Emerging players
- National Benevolent Association: A Disciples of Christ-affiliated organization providing grants, programs, and support for innovative ministries. Comparable as a sibling Disciples general ministry that partners with congregations on mission initiatives (e.g., the WHOLE Initiative grant at Mosaic Christian Church) that DCEF also finances.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Disciples Church Extension Fund social profiles
Digital presenceDisciples Church Extension Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Disciples Church Extension Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Disciples Church Extension Fund subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Disciples Church Extension Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Disciples Church Extension Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Disciples Church Extension Fund
What does Disciples Church Extension Fund do?
Disciples Church Extension Fund is a faith-based financial ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that provides loans for church construction, renovation, property purchase, and refinancing, while accepting investment notes from individuals who earn a return on funds lent to congregations. It also offers capital fundraising campaign consulting, free disaster response services, and ministry planning assessments to help congregations maximize their people, property, and finance resources.
Is Disciples Church Extension Fund a public or private company?
Disciples Church Extension Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Disciples Church Extension Fund founded?
Disciples Church Extension Fund was founded in 1883. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Disciples Church Extension Fund based?
Disciples Church Extension Fund is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Disciples Church Extension Fund make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Investment Notes are the primary driver. The others are loan Interest, capital Campaign Services and charitable Gifts.
Who are Disciples Church Extension Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Christian Church Foundation, Church of the Nazarene Foundation, American Baptist Foundation, UCC Cornerstone Fund, Wespath Investments, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program and ELCA Mission Investment Fund. Church Loans & Investment Trust (CLINT) is listed as a regional player. Week of Compassion is listed as a broad incumbent. National Benevolent Association is listed as an emerging player.
Does Disciples Church Extension Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Disciples Church Extension Fund.
What industry is Disciples Church Extension Fund in?
Disciples Church Extension Fund's product category is Faith-Based Financial Services for Congregations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAF, Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries, with a secondary code of BPAGAJAE, Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International). Its NAICS code is 81311 and its SIC code is 6162.