WELS Church Extension Fund

WELS Church Extension Fund, Inc., (WELS CEF) provides financing through loans and grants to mission congregations so they can acquire land and ministry facilities to be used for gospel outreach in coordination with WELS Home Missions. WELS CEF also provides loans to WELS self-supporting congregations and schools for land and facility projects. The money to carry out CEF’s mission comes from investments and gifts from WELS members, congregations, and affiliated organizations.

In fiscal year 2014–15, $21.2 million of new loans and $1.9 million of new grant requests were approved. WELS CEF’s loan portfolio ended the year at $133.7 million with 206 loans to WELS congregations and affiliates.

Photo caption: WELS Church Extension Fund, Inc., provided a low interest loan to help Our Savior’s, Port Orange, Fla., increase space for its early childhood ministry, Small Steps Academy. On March 22, 2015, the congregation broke ground on the addition.