About Uniting Financial Services

How to find and apply for finance for Church repairs     By Amanda Taylor Communications and Marketing Manager

Manly Uniting Church is a recent Church plant, housed in a historic neo-Romanesque Methodist Church on West Promenade, which turns 100 this year.   While the first attempted Church plant in 2020 was interrupted by the Covid lockdowns, today the congregation has a broad and diverse membership and has planted a range of mission enterprises, including a co-working space, exercise space and a social group for young families. According to Church Council Chair, Carolyn Handley, taking on the stewardship of such an old building has not been smooth sailing, with significant works required to modernise the building and its soaring tower, and make it safe for congregation members, staff and visitors. “The renovations inside of the Church were funded by money from the Northern Beaches Uniting Churches (NBUC) while we were a member of NBUC. We painted the walls and polished the floors. We also repaired the roof, which was done badly the first time and needed to be redone,” Mrs Handley says. To pay for the remainder of the works, NBUC applied for a Schofield Loan through Uniting Financial Services (UFS). The loan, funded by a bequest made in 1878, offers up to $50,000 to Uniting Church congregations in NSW/ACT for essential and approved repairs to church buildings and manse properties, at an ultra-low interest rate of 0.5% p.a. NBUC also applied for a UFS Church Loan, a specialised loan designed to fund capital expenditure on Churches, to enable Manly Uniting Church to compete the major works. “The Schofield Loan was very helpful in enabling us to carry out the various works, because of the very low rate of interest it offers. We are currently using that and the Church Loan to have the Church tower bricks repointed. Due to the sea air in Manly the grout had worn away over many years, which was making the Church tower unsafe,” Mrs Handley says. “The next job we plan to do is the eaves, which is an urgent job as one recently fell off, highlighting a safety issue.” Max Blacker, Treasurer for NBUC, worked with Manly Uniting to obtain the finance needed for the works to be carried out. “The support NBUC provided was undertaken in compliance with a Memorandum of Understanding between the two churches. The MOU included specific financial support including building rehabilitation, ministry and operational expenses,” he says. “The loan application was unusual in that funds were to be used to fund works at a site that is not under the stewardship of NBUC. However, we worked through the issues with UFS in a timely, collaborative and efficient manner.” The current renovations to Manly Uniting Church, which have involved extensive scaffolding, are due to be completed in October. “Once this stage is done, we will be able to have a relaunch and celebrate the Church’s 100-year anniversary. We are very much looking forward to having a Church that no longer looks derelict and where we can continue to build on our missional activities, which help community members to find a sense of belonging,” Mrs Handley concludes. Applying for a Church or Schofield Loan If your congregation has a Church or manse that needs repair or renovation, knowing the steps involved to apply for a loan can help to make the process of obtaining finance faster and more efficient. Before you apply, these are the things you need to know.   1. Congregations should first complete a Building Application form and return it to Synod Property. 2. Once this is approved by Synod Property, applicants should complete the UFS Loan Application Form. This form should be returned to UFS with the Building Application Form, Presbytery sign off and relevant quotes for works to be undertaken. 3. Once the loan is approved by UFS, the applicant then reviews the Loan Agreement issued by UFS, seeks Church Council approval and returns the signed loan documents to UFS. 4. Funds are disbursed by UFS, with confirmation letters provided. For more information on the Schofield Loan and Church Loan, visit https://www.unitingfinancial.com.au/uniting-church-organisations

  CallInvestments and Lending: 1300 133 673Other enquiries: 02 8267 4300

  Emailcontactus@unitingfinancial.com.auWe are here to help.

  Post P.O. Box A2178, Sydney South NSW 1235  

  AddressLevel 10, 222 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000

  Important for you to know Financial services are provided by The Uniting Church (NSW) Trust Association Limited ACN 000 022 480, ABN 89 725 654 978, AFSL 292186 (“UCTAL”) and by The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) ABN 77 005 284 605 (“UCAPT”) (together and separately “Uniting Financial Services”), for The Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of NSW and the ACT (“Synod”), under a s.911A Corporations Act 2001 (Cth.) authorisation and pursuant to APRA Banking Exemption No. 1 of 2021 and ASIC Regulatory Guide 87 and ASIC Corporations (Charitable Investment Fundraising) Instrument 2016/813 exemptions. Uniting Financial Services® is a registered trademark of UCTAL used with permission of UCAPT. None of The Uniting Church in Australia, UCAPT and UCTAL is prudentially supervised by APRA. Therefore, investments with or contributions to these Uniting Church organisations will not receive the benefit of the Financial Claims Scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth.). All financial services and products are designed for investors who wish to promote the religious and charitable purposes of Uniting Financial Services and The Uniting Church in Australia and for whom profit considerations are not of primary importance in their decision to invest. The information on this page has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances or refer to the relevant disclosure document. Loan applications are subject to credit approval. Interest rates are subject to change. Fees and charges may apply.