GOD IS WITH US
August 15, 2025
God is with us!
DEAR FRIENDS,
Over the past 26 years the Baptist Church Loan Corporation (“BCLC”) has supported the Southern Baptist Convention, Denominational Investors and Loan Administrators, Southern Baptist Convention of Associational Leaders, International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Tennessee Baptist Convention, North Carolina Baptist Convention, Alabama Baptist Convention, Baptist General Convention of Texas, Truett Seminary, Southern Baptist Business Officers Conference, North American Mission Board (NAMB), and Acts 29 Network.
Our ministry efforts provide financial opportunities for those churches that need gathering facilities. Most of the entities shown above have given us the relationships we need to serve our churches. God is with us!
In 2001, the BCLC provided loan funds for a new type of church. The name of the church is Cowboy Church of Ellis County. Over the next several years we continued to serve over 110 cowboy churches in Texas. God is with us!
In 2007, the BCLC hired Bob Gage and Landon Yeager to help grow our ministry. Both men have been very successful in serving our churches and managing our financial needs. The BCLC is grateful, and God is with us!
In 2009, the BCLC changed its ownership structure in a manner that allowed us to serve churches outside of Texas. This change gave us the opportunity to help some churches outside our state. God is with us!
In 2012, the BCLC believed that we might be able to help NAMB with its church planting. After a few meetings with NAMB, we agreed to help purchase loans from NAMB. In 2017, the BCLC purchased a second round of NAMB church loans. God is with us!
In 2022, the BCLC began working with The Summit Collaborative, a church planting network started by J. D. Greer, pastor of the Summit Church in Raleigh–Durham, North Carolina. They were very helpful in our effort to serve more churches. God is with us!
Without God’s guidance we would not be able to spread our ministry. Thank you, Lord, for the men and women who give their time to serve on the BCLC Board of Directors and for the churches that we are privileged to serve.
To God Be The Glory,
Gerald R. James, Jr. President / CEO
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
—Psalm 46:1
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
—Matthew 1:23
Wherever we go and whatever we do, always God is with us.
This truth echoes across all time. It is no passing comfort or utterance of hope; it is a promise woven throughout Scripture.
From the beginning, God has chosen to seal this promise with covenants— formal, faithful commitments that have bound us to heaven—book after book, time after time.
GOD IS WITH US
With Noah, God promised to never destroy the Earth by water again, sealing his covenant with a rainbow. With Abraham, He promised descendants as numerous as the stars. He appeared to Moses as a burning bush unconsumed before promising deliverance for His people. To David, he promised an eternal kingdom.
And in Christ, God established a new covenant—one of grace, hope, and indwelling presence within each of us.
BCLC draws deep from the well of these divine patterns. Our work in church planting and expansion transcends the transactional. What we do is relational; it is covenantal. Each agreement we enter is a leap of faith shared with a budding church, working toward one mission: expanding His kingdom “in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Just as God binds Himself to His people, we too walk alongside His servants in partnership. Together, we listen. We pray. We advise. We commit. And in so doing, we mirror the structure of covenant itself: mutual trust, enduring presence, and a forwardlooking hope.
Just as the rainbow, the bush, and other signs revealed God’s presence, so too do churches rise in the horizon as living signs of His nearness. Each new sanctuary is greater than the bricks and mortar that comprise them. They are living theophanies: moments when God is made visible, perceptible—undeniably present. They are testaments to His presence concretized in spaces where the unseen becomes seen. They remind us that we are not alone, even in exile or uncertainty.
This year’s report reflects the living evidence of Immanuel, prophesized by Isaiah and fulfilled in Matthew.
In each featured church, we see God’s presence not just hoped for, but confirmed—sometimes through buildings, sometimes through light and witness—refracted through the lives of His believers and the communities they serve. Every project pays witness to God’s continued attendance, so evinced by and through our work and the work of all His people. In every new congregation, in every community reached, we see not just progress but promise and presence. That’s what makes our work distinct. It is not only financial; it is formational. Just as God binds Himself to His people, we bind ourselves—practically, prayerfully, purposefully—to those called to expand His kingdom. He is here: in every covenant made, in every church planted.
Everywhere and eternally, God is with us!
MISSION OUR
BCLC exists to assist churches in their efforts to spread the Gospel by providing affordable real estate– related loans.
In fulfilling this mission, our priorities are to:
• Focus on the long-term spiritual and financial health of each church we consult.
• Provide our churches with straightforward terms, rate options, and underwriting guidelines.
• Serve as many churches as feasible, regardless of their size, longevity, or ethnicity.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Board of Directors
Philip Price
BCLC, Chairman of the Board Irving, Texas
Jamye Cappadonna Helotes, Texas
Ryan Gibson Abilene, Texas
Kelly McBrayer Richardson, Texas
Glenn Gaines
BCLC, Vice Chairman Carrolton, Texas
Jan Cason Woodway, Texas
Bret Hefton Dallas, Texas
Josh McKee Dallas, Texas
Mark Dyer Dallas, Texas
Susan Hogan Dallas, Texas
Matt Sibley Dallas, Texas
CORPORATE OFFICERS
Gerald James, Jr. President/CEO
Landon Yeager Senior Vice President/CFO
Bob
Gage Senior Vice President
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
—Joshua 1:9
College Station, Texas
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF COLLEGE STATION
Pastor Dr. Troy Allen
For over 100 years First Baptist Church–College Station (FBCCS) has faithfully shined the light of the Gospel in College Station. From her humble beginnings on the campus of Texas A&M, to its first permanent location in Northgate, to their current location in the heart of College Station, FBCCS has sought to show and share the love of Christ to her neighbors and the nations. What started in 1923 continues today.
FBCCS has long sought to go beyond the walls of the building. For nearly 60 years they have partnered with other local Baptist churches to provide a safe place for international women to find community, learn American culture, and hear about God’s love through the Discovery Ministry. For over 20 years, FBCCS has served a small South Texas community in one of the poorest counties in the nation through construction projects, Vacation Bible School, sports camp, and Gospel outreach. Additionally FBCCS has planted four churches in the local community, and supported church-planting efforts in the Pacific Northwest, Japan, the Middle East, and is currently partnering with a church in London as well. FBCCS also hosts one of the largest food pantry ministries in the Brazos Valley serving 150 families each week.
FBCCS is committed to becoming and developing disciples of Jesus who are learning to live and love like Him. Forty years ago FBCCS relocated to her current location with a distinct vision to reach young families. In that time, the vision has not changed. FBCCS remains committed to seeing families come to know and serve the Lord. To that end, and in partnership with BCLC, they are currently constructing a 26,000-square-foot Family Ministry Building to provide a safe space for children and their families to learn and grow in Christ. The guiding vision for this project is explained by their pastor, Dr. Troy Allen: “We believe that the primary place of discipleship is in the home and we want to partner with parents to help them become the primary disciplers of their children.”
As FBCCS embarks on its second century of ministry, the mission and vision remain the same—to make disciples who make disciples, every generation, every neighbor, every nation.
“We believe that the primary place of discipleship is in the home and we want to partner with parents to help them become the primary disciplers of their children.”
—Pastor Allen
Pastor Dayton Hartman
REDEEMER CHURCH
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
How far Redeemer Church has come in just 12 years. Founded in summer of 2013 as a weekly, in-home Bible-study group, the church quickly outgrew the living rooms where they met. By September of that year, the church began holding weekly worship services at Faith Christian School. Within five years, their numbers surpassed 300, prompting them to construct a facility in 2019 with the help of BCLC.
This is a mission-minded congregation, one that supports churches across the globe. Redeemer has made a Gospel impact in places as far as Africa, India, Thailand, and South America. Back home, they have partnered with over 20 church plants and have planted two churches out of their congregation. They also run a theological education initiative called Redeemer Institute (RI). RI offers accredited classes for those who seek to mature in their faith. Indeed, these courses qualify for undergraduate credits with The College at Southeastern and graduate credits at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Over the last few years, Redeemer has continued to grow and has once again needed a new facility. Partnering with BCLC for a second time in 2024, Redeemer purchased and began renovating their new facility, a former Lidl grocery store. Constructed in 2017 by global supermarket chain Lidl, the 36,000-square-foot building that Redeemer now occupies was vacated just a few years later before being repurposed with BCLC’s support to meet the church’s current worship needs. Redeemer’s very first spring in their new facility, they witnessed the congregation grow to over 1,000 people on Sundays.
The project marks another turning point in the life of the church: a physical step toward even greater impact, built on the same Gospel foundation that’s sustained it since those first few living-room meetings.
Led by Pastor Dayton Hartman since its inception, the church is entering its ministry’s next phase. “We want to be a hub for ministry and sending for our city and region. We just want to remain faithful to the Gospel, make room for others like Jesus makes room for us, and trust Jesus with whatever comes next. Our new facility gives us room to grow and resources to go to our neighbors and the nations.”
“We want to be a hub for ministry and sending for our city and region. We just want to remain faithful to the Gospel, make room for others like Jesus makes room for us, and trust Jesus with whatever comes next. Our new facility gives us room to grow and resources to go to our neighbors and the nations.”
—Pastor Hartman
Pastor Jeremy Lively
THE SUMMIT CHURCH
Little Rock, Arkansas
The Summit Church started with a simple but bold vision: reach younger generations for Christ. That clarity of purpose, propounded by founding pastor Bill Elliff, has carried the church since its founding in 1998, and it shows no signs of slowing.
Since 1998, The Summit has expanded to a family of churches with five locations across Arkansas, including its original site in Little Rock, and others in Conway (2014), Saline (2017), Valonia (2020), and Bentonville (2021), respectively. Each campus is multigenerational, yet still deeply shaped by the founding call to engage younger people in central Arkansas. Today, the Conway campus is the largest of the five, and the church continues to plant new congregations throughout the state, having cultivated 13 to date.
Today, Pastor Elliff’s vision is being carried forward by a new generation of leadership. Jeremy Lively, executive pastor of operations, is part of a multi-campus team helping guide the church into the future. With help from BCLC, the church is constructing a new $14-million worship facility in Conway to accommodate remarkable growth, especially among the young adults who attend the nearby University of Central Arkansas. “Conway is a big part of our vision of reaching the younger generation,” says Lively. “We know we have a calling to be there and reach those kids. And God has blessed our work tremendously there.”
Lively maintains their success couldn’t be possible without BCLC. “Before we started the expansion process, we prayed: Lord, could you give us a partnership? That’s when BCLC showed up. They’ve been good friends and awesome partners, and we feel blessed knowing that they have a kingdom mindset as a pillar of their organization. You just can’t say the same about other banks.”
It’s easy to look at the numbers and miss the heart. But behind each new building, each outreach effort, and each worship service is the same unshaken conviction that wherever we go, God is with us. It’s that presence, lived out in community, that can change everything.
“Before we started the expansion process, we prayed: Lord, could you give us a partnership? That’s when BCLC showed up. They’ve been good friends and awesome partners, and we feel blessed knowing that they have a kingdom mindset as a pillar of their organization.”
—Pastor Lively
MORE CHURCHES, MORE KINGDOM IMPACT
From 2023 to 2025, we've walked alongside more than 500 churches—from their first inquiry through to the submission of full applications.
From 2023 to 2025, BCLC approved
$198.5 million in loan funds for churches.
Every loan we provide fuels a greater mission— empowering churches to reach their communities with the Gospel.
BCLC has supported ministries with loans ranging from $50,000 for essential repairs to $15 million for large-scale expansions—all with the goal of advancing Gospel impact.
BCLC's top 10 states reflect the largest investments in Gospel-centered growth from 2023 to 2025.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
—Isaiah 41:10