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About LCEF

Our Mission

To support the Church in fulfilling its mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ by being a Christ-centered servant partner of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, ensuring that funds and services are available now and in the future.

Our Guiding Principles
  1. LCEF is a ministry.
  2. LCEF serves congregations and a host of other Synod-related organizations.
  3. LCEF is a partnership between investors, congregations, and the church at large.
  4. LCEF’s investors are fellow Christians who support our ministry.
  1. God has richly blessed LCEF through the ministry of volunteers.
  2. LCEF’s actions are based on the question, “Will this decision make a difference and further the Great Commission?”
LCEF History
LCEF Today

Over A Century of Service

The year 2000 marked 100 years of Church extension in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. In some districts, church extension has been around longer, but the Synod became directly involved in 1902 when members of several congregations pooled their funds together and raised $400 for a new church.

LCEF, incorporated in 1978, is a continuation of the Synod CEF serving the entire LCMS. In fiscal year 2007, LCEF helped more than 403 congregations build or remodel their facilities with demand for loans topping $293 million.* LCEF partners with nearly 70,000 investors, and the organization’s total assets topped $1.6 billion. For more than 100 years, God has truly blessed the ministry of church extension.

* New loans disbursed in fiscal Year 2007.

LCEF Continuing to Support the Ministry

LCEF provides a wide array of investment opportunities including savings certificates, term notes, growth certificates, congregational investments, IRAs, gifting opportunities, and more.

LCEF provides funds, consultation, capital funding services, strategic ministry planning, and demographic services to help new and existing congregations buy land and build and improve facilities for more effective ministry.

LCEF works with Synod congregations, seminaries, colleges, universities, and elementary and high schools; partner churches around the world; and Recognized Service Organizations. Many of these ministries would not be possible if LCEF support was not available.

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Have a question?
Contact your local LCEF District Vice President, contact LCEF directly at Contact Us, or call the Lutheran Church Extension Fund at 1-800-843-5233, 7:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m., CT, Monday through Friday.