Case Studies

Refinance paves way for debt reduction

Door Creek Church in Madison, Wisconsin saved money by refinancing with CIF and is aggressively paying down the mortgage.

“Another church’s dollars helped us and now our dollars are helping other churches.”

Leigh Feldmann, director of operations, Door Creek church, madison, Wis.

Door Creek Church, an Evangelical Free congregation centered in Madison, Wis. is on a path to debt freedom which started several years ago with help from Christian Investors Financial (CIF).

The effort began with a competitive refinancing of two loans totaling $8.5 million that were used to construct a main campus addition in 2014 and a second building in DeForest, about 15 miles to the north. The church has a third location on the north side of Madison.

Director of Operations Leigh Feldmann and others from the church with more banking and mortgage experience liked CIF’s approach. “Helping other churches was really a draw for many of the people,” she said. Door Creek also became an investor with CIF.

“Another church’s dollars helped us and now our dollars are helping other churches,” said Feldmann.

Coming together to pay down debt

She has been involved with Door Creek’s “Grateful and Faithful” two-year debt reduction campaign. The church family and its leadership found there is a wonderfully clear sense that now is the time to roll up their sleeves and tackle the church’s $7.3 million outstanding loan.

Long Madison history for Christ

Door Creek was averaging about 1,250 attendees across its three campuses by August of 2025. The congregation was previously known as Bethany Church from 1906 to 1999, starting on the near east side of Madison to reach incoming immigrants with a place for all people to hear the gospel.

Feldmann said the desire here is to transform their city, loving people and being the hands and feet of Jesus to their neighbors.

In addition to its many ministries and missions efforts within each church location, Door Creek opened the Boomerangs Resale Store in 2008 and started an afterschool program, Door of Hope, in 2018.

Discussions coming for increased ministry

The church will soon have more money for ministry as the debt-reduction campaign presses forward. Unlike some of our for-profit competitors, CIF celebrates paying off church loans early, seeing these funds funneled back into ministry needs.

“Jamie (Thompson, the lead pastor) wants to do weekly payments and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun for Leigh to get up on stage and tell everybody how great it is to make weekly payments on the mortgage?’” The loan balance has been dropping steadily as extra payments are flowing in.

People here have ministry ideas for when the mortgage is paid off, she explained. “It’s really going to be a congregational discussion … we know there is so much potential.”

Saving money for ministry is an element of The CIF Difference, as part of our flexible lending solutions.

From church loan refinancing to better steward funds, to debt reduction campaigns, impactful investments and more, CIF offers Financial Services on a Mission. Contact us today!

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