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The Loan Program of the Georgia United Methodist Foundation delivers advanced faith-based lending solutions that elevate the mission of and ministry of your United Methodist church or agency. 

Whether you wish to refinance debt, build, expand, or renovate facilities to sustain ministry, there are many advantages to partnering with the Georgia United Methodist Foundation on your loan. As a connectional ministry that specializes in loans to Methodist churches and agencies, we have your best interests at heart. We understand the challenges involved with financing and provide the leadership and expertise to help your ministry thrive into the future.

To learn more, view our Mission-Focused Loans with the Foundation brochure here or watch our brief Loan Program video here.

Thanks to investments in the Certificate Program, the Georgia United Methodist Foundation served 65 Methodist-affiliated entities and had a net loan portfolio valued at $31.8 million in 2021. Jim Pope, senior advisor to the president and director of lending, and Lori Tucker, loan administrator, help pastors, board chairs, and financial committee leaders achieve their property and facility financing goals. Four lending partners share how the Foundation’s Loan Program impacts lives.

The Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Cruz
The North Georgia Conference Central East District Superintendent and The Nett Church Lead Pastor, Lawrenceville
“The Foundation helps churches think outside of the box. In my experience, the brainstorming of ideas and the sharing of the product, it’s not what benefits the Foundation the most but what enables the local church to do what local churches are called to do, which is transforming the world. The Foundation puts our mission as the priority, which is different from other financial institutions where profit is a priority.”

The Rev. Leon Matthews
Warren Memorial UMC Senior Pastor, Atlanta
“The professionalism of Jim Pope (Foundation senior advisor to the president and director of lending) and his thoroughness in walking us through the process was invaluable. This is not my first building project, but it’s the first time I felt my desires as a minister and what I want for the church where everything has been God-centered. I would encourage any congregation, faith-based organization, or 501(c)3 looking to advance God’s kingdom while reaching your financial and construction goals to make the Foundation your first call. It will be your last call.”

The Rev. Jun Namkoong
Atlanta Bethany UMC Senior Pastor, Buford
“We took out a construction loan with the Foundation to renovate the gym into a multipurpose space for worship and sports. This is our second loan with the Foundation. I believe this renovation is God’s plan for us, and the Foundation, the Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Cruz, our district superintendent, the North Georgia Conference, and our church members helped. I am so thankful for the Foundation, which has supported us in many ways. They are a project partner, along with a prayer partner. The Foundation plays a crucial role for the local churches. I hope other churches get help from the Foundation like us.”

The Rev. Tommy Odum
Centerville UMC Lead Pastor, Centerville
“Working with the Methodist Foundation was a no-brainer. We received a lower interest rate and lower mortgage payment, saving us over $2,000 per month. In addition, unlike our former lender, GUMF does not have balloon maturities, which would require the church to pay additional fees to refinance the loan. Conservatively speaking, we’re saving about $150,000 over five years. The Foundation worked hard for us and set us up for the success of our church financially in the future. Our church is in the best financial position we have been in for the past 10 years.”

The Georgia United Methodist Foundation can help you make a gift to support your United Methodist church or a charity close to your heart. Talk with your financial advisor or an estate planning attorney to decide what you want to give and how you want to give it. Then contact Mathew A. Pinson, Foundation president and CEO, at 770-449-6726 or mpinson@gumf.org or Dr. Rick Lanford, Foundation regional vice president, at 478-256-7130 or rlanford@gumf.org to complete the gift. 

To learn more, view our Ways to Give with the Foundation brochure here.

From Legacy Ministry Training and Wills Clinics to a special website (gumfplannedgiving.org) and weekly e-newsletters, the Georgia United Methodist Foundation offers a wealth of planned giving resources to elevate and advance the mission of the church. Read on to discover how the Foundation helps congregations, organizations, and individuals leave a lasting legacy.
 

Bill Coffeen
Due West UMC Legacy Ministry Committee Chair, Marietta
“Due West UMC enrolled in the Foundation’s Legacy Ministry Training Program to increase the likelihood of success in building an endowment of lasting value. Using the videos and related support materials helped us as a committee to stay on track. While the concept of an endowment is quite simple, creating the framework to sustain it is far more complex and requires thorough due diligence. The Foundation’s tools and readily available phone consultations greatly benefited our church as it would any other Methodist community of believers.”

The Rev. Dr. Deborah S. Holloway
Headland Heights UMC Pastor, East Point
“Headland Heights UMC hosted an Estate Workshop with Mathew Pinson, Foundation president and CEO, Attorney Angelia M. McMillan, and Racine Rikard, Primerica Financial Services regional vice president. Our goals were to educate the congregation on wills and trusts, beneficiary designations, power of attorney, directives for medical care, leaving a legacy to the church, and ways to give. The Foundation helped Headland view themselves individually as church members and how collectively they could help the church financially through legacy gifts.”

Neal Moore
Planned Giving Donor, St. Marys
“My late wife, Linda, loved the boys at The Methodist Home and loved helping people and animals. I established a charitable gift annuity with the Georgia United Methodist Foundation in her memory because she deserves to be remembered. I know this is what Jesus wanted me to do because He says to love your neighbor as yourself. After I’m gone, the remaining funds will support the causes she cared deeply about: The Methodist Home, the Camden Community Crisis Center, and the Humane Society of Camden County.”

Alison Evans
The Methodist Home President/CEO, Macon
“For many years, Neal Moore and his wife, Linda, have supported our Home for boys in St. Marys and other charitable causes. After Linda passed away, Neal wanted to ensure their annual giving to these entities remained strong long after his death. While the Georgia United Methodist Foundation can assist churches and organizations like The Methodist Home in many ways, one of their major strengths is working with individual donors to help them reach their charitable giving goals. I introduced Neal to Dr. Rick Lanford (Foundation regional vice president), who I knew could help make this happen. The Georgia United Methodist Foundation proved to be the right partner.”

When a donor establishes an endowment fund with the Georgia United Methodist Foundation, they can rest assured their gift given to support an organization’s mission or a cause they strongly believe in will endure, even beyond their lifetimes. These donors share the reasons behind their gift and the lasting impact they hope it will make on current and future generations.
 

The Rev. Karen Elaine Webster Parks and Kenneth D. Parks, Scholarship Endowment Donors, Atlanta
“We have been blessed in abundance with families who always gave back to God and community. We grew up with the Scripture, “to whom much is given, much is expected.” We are strong believers in giving back and would love to see more people of color have the opportunity to be philanthropists. When we created the scholarship endowment fund with the Foundation, it was a double win. We could say specifically it is for a student at Clark Atlanta University, which has an African American heritage and is a Methodist university. A lot of people get out of school with huge debt. We want to soften that blow and create philanthropists who understand the need to give back, especially to communities that don’t normally have that opportunity.”

Bill and Linda Daniel
Scholarship Endowment Donors, Savannah
“We established the Rev. James and Mavis Trice Scholarship Endowment with the Georgia United Methodist Foundation to honor his memory and their ministry together. For about eight years, Jim and Mavis were our pastoral family at Isle of Hope UMC. The scholarship is available to Georgia students in local Methodist churches who want to attend Methodist colleges and universities, giving a preference to students attending LaGrange College. LaGrange is where Jim and Mavis met and began their lives together. We think it is important to recognize young people’s gifts, graces, and talents at the local church level. The Foundation’s investments are well managed and consistent with our Methodist values and philosophies. By placing the funds in the Foundation, we are assured the impact will last forever.”

The Rev. Dr. D. B. (Dee) Shelnutt Jr. and Kandy Jackson Shelnutt
Campership Endowment Donors, Gainesville
“It was important to us to establish an endowment with the Georgia United Methodist Foundation that will fund camperships in perpetuity for young people through North Georgia Camp and Retreat Ministries. Because Camp Glisson is very dear to our hearts, we wanted to help ensure that those who wanted to attend but could not do so because of lack of funds could still be eligible, so they did not miss out on life-changing experiences. We are United Methodists and always want to use the UMC organizations for our missions. We know the history of the Foundation and trust it completely. Many of the Foundation’s leaders are dear friends and people of utmost integrity and highest morals. We have witnessed firsthand the numerous ways GUMF has helped churches expand their ministries.”