Zion United Church of Christ
Solar Powered from the Parking Lot
Zion United Church of Christ is a community-minded church in Marion, Illinois. Their meal programs feed hundreds of city residents of all ages annually. Roughly five years ago they wanted to advance their Creation Care commitments by installing solar.
NEED
Zion UCC saw its electricity bills triple in the past several years. In the interest of saving money and caring for the Earth, they needed funding to install a solar canopy over part of the church's parking lot.
CALLING
Zion UCC is called to Creation Care initiatives because of their concern for the earth, lower energy bills, and wanting to demonstrate the ease of clean energy installation to their city.
"Our tradition teaches that caring for creation is a sacred trust," church leadership said in a statement. "This project is one way our congregation seeks to honor that calling by reducing our environmental footprint and contributing to a more sustainable future for our community and our world."
God Math
The Cornerstone Fund’s Creation Care loan for $273,000 helped the congregation install a solar canopy over part of its parking lot. The project continues their Creation Care commitments; it will lower church energy bills and demonstrate the power of clean energy to all of Marion.
Learn more about Zion’s solar project in these articles:
“Zion UCC to Dedicate Solar Array”
“Churches Turn to Solar Power to Support Ministry”
Click here to learn more about our Creation Care Investment and Loan Program.
“When utilities spike, it directly affects what we can offer our community,” Holst said. “We serve meals every Sunday. We host programs, community events, support groups. Solar helps ensure we don’t have to choose between keeping the lights on and keeping our ministries alive.”
– Rev. John Holst, pastor of Zion United Church of Christ, from this article.
Community Congregational Church UCC
Creation Care in Action
Community Congregational Church UCC in Benicia, California, wanted to demonstrate their commitment to Creation Care — and to its energy savings — so they wanted to switch to solar power and energy storage.
NEED
Community Congregational UCC saw its electricity bills rising steadily as well as its congregation's commitment to Creation Care. They decided to install solar panels and a Tesla Powerwall energy storage system.
CALLING
Community Congregational UCC is called to Creation Care initiatives because of their concern for the earth, lower energy bills, and wanting to demonstrate the ease of clean energy installation to their city.
God Math
The Cornerstone Fund’s Creation Care loan for $63,122 helped the congregation install solar panels on the building’s roof. They’re now saving thousands of dollars and are averaging 72% solar-powered electricity since February 2026. The Tesla Powerwall is also allowing them to keep energy in storage in the case of emergency outages.
Click here to learn more about our Creation Care Investment and Loan Program.
“Thank you to the Cornerstone Fund for all your help in securing the approval of our application and in facilitating the timely disbursement of the loan funds for our solar panel project at Community Congregational Church UCC of Benicia. We are truly grateful for your responsiveness and efficiency in bringing this project to fruition. We are especially appreciative of the Creation Care Loan program and Cornerstone Fund’s support of environmentally conscious faith communities.“
– Dale Olm, Community Congregational UCC church treasurer
Congregational United Church of Christ
A Lasting Legacy Thanks to Covenant and Collaboration
When the Congregational United Church of Christ of Arlington Heights, Illinois was deciding on its future several years ago, the church found itself with few options. Members of the church were discerning that it was perhaps time to consider closure, but they were also discerning how best to honor their legacy as a faithful and generous congregation.
As a new church start in the late 1950s, the congregation’s identity was deeply rooted in community and missional support. “We’ve been mission-focused throughout our history,” said church board member Jeff Pattee.
The church property was situated on 2.5 acres next to a large hospital complex, which had used the church parking lot for years and then bought the property in April 2024. During the time it took for the sale to be completed, the congregation met numerous times to discuss the future.
In addition to considering legacy, the logistical process of closing a church is complicated and can often feel overwhelming. “Closing is a very difficult and emotional time for church leadership and there are many details to attend to,” said Rebecca Perera, Vice President and Chief of Credit for the Cornerstone Fund.
Thankfully the United Church of Christ financial ministries are able to help. First, the congregation reached out to United Church Funds and then the Cornerstone Fund for support.
“UCF was originally approached by the church through referral based on UCF’s previous experience guiding churches through the process of creating a legacy endowment,” said Matt Wagner, UCF’s Vice President of Institutional Relationships. “In consultation with church leadership, a portion of the legacy endowment would be invested in Cornerstone Fund’s term notes at the discretion of UCF and in alignment with the asset allocation plan in the legacy agreement.”
Additionally, the church was concerned about the continuing financial obligations it would have through the closing process, especially given that they were involved in a major commercial real estate transaction with a large entity. The church was relieved to learn that the Cornerstone Fund could provide a line of credit to the church which could be used to pay for utility bills, legal fees, and other final costs, giving the leadership peace of mind and the ability to manage the church’s affairs without the stress of wondering how to pay. “Cornerstone is ready to support churches in all phases of the church life cycle,” said Cornerstone Fund’s Rebecca Perera.
In the end, due to the sale of the church being moved closer to their closure date, Congregational UCC ended up not needing the line of credit, but knowing it was available relieved a great deal of stress.
Relieved of the logistical stress, the congregation could turn all of their attention to considering the distribution of their assets and the legacy they would leave. “We weren’t going to merge with another church, so we decided to build a legacy endowment with a 20-year life cycle,” said Pattee. “We decided to use half of our assets for immediate grants to agencies we’ve long supported – 23 agencies received that support — and we wanted to use the other half to build an endowment for long-term funding of those agencies.”
This type of endowment, offered by United Church Funds and the Cornerstone Fund, was exactly what the congregation wanted. Rather than giving a one-time donation to the organizations they support, they worked with UCF and Cornerstone to structure a legacy plan so that their preferred agencies get gifts every year for 20 years.
UCF and the Cornerstone Fund also solved one of the church’s first worries about the function of their endowment.
“Most places we researched (to manage the funds) required involvement from a church member as a trustee of the funds,” said church board member Tom Harris. “We were looking to separate and not have that responsibility – as we were also in the grieving process of saying goodbye of our beloved church.”
UCF and the Cornerstone Fund would manage the funds for the full cycle, requiring no long-term involvement from former church members.
Pattee, Harris, and the entire congregation loved that feature, but the first reason was that their values aligned with UCF’s and the Cornerstone Fund’s. The congregation appreciated that their remaining funds would help other churches and faith-based projects create change in their communities via Cornerstone Fund lending.
“We especially like how Cornerstone Fund investments can support new church starts – that’s what we were back in the 1950s,” said Pattee. “If we can use our money to help someone start a new church, what better legacy is that?”
United Church Funds (UCF) is the leading provider of socially responsible, values-aligned investment management services to United Church of Christ churches and ministries, as well as all faith-based organizations. They offer customized investment portfolios and prudent investment strategies that provide competitive returns while also reflecting their clients’ values in seeking to achieve a just world. UCF also offers endowment governance consulting, planned giving programs and superior, personalized service from their dedicated Client Services team. Learn more at www.ucfunds.org.
The Cornerstone Fund is a non-profit financial institution that offers faith-based and socially responsible investments – which allows them to offer loans directly to churches and faith-based, non-profit organizations to create change in their communities. Their investing program offers an opportunity for individuals and organizations to take part in projects ranging from worship space renovations to transitional housing developments and everything in between.
The Cornerstone Fund offers resources when deciding your legacy, or the legacy of your church. Learn more: cornerstonefund.org/legacy
Start Right Community Development Corporation
Building Homes for Neighbors in Need
Start Right Community Development Corporation is an off-shoot of the Start Right Church in the Caledonia neighborhood of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The organization assists the neighborhood by addressing hunger and housing. Its Good Neighbor housing rehab program has renovated 11 homes to date, with 7 properties currently under renovation. The organization is continuing with its Caledonia Homes program, which builds new homes as in-fill projects in the long-neglected neighborhood.
NEED
Start Right CDC plans to build more homes in the neighborhood, but their latest home build ran into an issue when federal funds were redirected to its Good Neighbor program instead.
CALLING
Start Right CDC is building new homes to create affordable housing for current residents of the Caledonia neighborhood.
God Math
A line of credit with the Cornerstone Fund is allowing Start Right CDC to move ahead with its housing construction. The organization aims to build more than 20 additional homes in Caledonia in the coming years.
Shiloh Temple House of God
Expanding Worship and Community Outreach
Shiloh Temple House of God in Cleveland, Ohio is a church offering numerous services for its congregation and the surrounding community, including after-school programs, summer youth programs, food distribution, and healthcare guidance in partnership with nearby hospitals. Some 40% of neighborhood residents live below the line.
NEED
Shiloh’s congregation was outgrowing its building both in membership numbers and in community services. They needed space for a growing congregation to worship and help the neighborhood.
CALLING
The congregation’s dream was to build a bigger facility next to the current building to house a much larger sanctuary and allow them to continue offering critical services to the neighborhood.
God Math
Thanks to Cornerstone Fund investors, a loan of $5,215,000 helped Shiloh Temple House of God build the new facility – which boasts a large sanctuary, library, and offices. The old church building was transformed into a banquet hall and rooms for community and church use.
“(The Cornerstone Fund) understood where we were coming from….It was absolutely wonderful working with them and I would recommend them to anybody.”
— Apostle Steven L. Best, Sr., pastor of Shiloh Temple House of God.
Hoyleton Youth and Family Services
Helping Kids In Need
Hoyleton Youth and Family Services in Fairview Heights, Illinois, is a residential treatment program for children and adolescents as well as a transitional living for older adolescents with developmental disabilities who may also have severe emotional and behavioral problems. The organization is the single largest residential care provider in the state for children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Hoyleton can attest that given the right care, even children in worst case scenarios can experience remarkable growth and recovery.
NEED
Hoyleton’s five residential cottages were grossly outdated. The oldest cottage was built in 1915 and the newest in 1995. While the cottages have been maintained and updated (roofs, flooring, etc.) they were largely in their original form—outdated and not built for their current use.
CALLING
Hoyleton’s facilities were unable to accommodate Illinois Department of Children and Family Service’s need for more therapeutic beds for this population of youth. The organization saw the need for updated and safe facilities for their patients and dedicated themselves to building six new cottages.
God Math
A Cornerstone Fund loan of $5.5 million helped Hoyleton meet the need and build the new cottages. These new buildings that are suitably designed for children and adolescents will lead to a shorter stay in therapeutic care. With the new facilities, Hoyleton expects to reduce the average stay from 17.5 to 12 months or less, and the anticipated result is that more than 70 children will be served on an annual basis.
“Cornerstone’s guidance and assistance were instrumental in transforming a long-held dream into reality. I can’t envision a more ideal partner to have worked with.”
— Chris L. Cox, President and CEO of Hoyleton Family and Youth Services.
West Concord Union Church
Creation Care in Action
West Concord Union Church is a historic United Church of Christ congregation in Concord, Massachusetts, that strongly supports a range of social justice causes. To demonstrate their commitment to Creation Care, they knew it was time to invest more in “greening” the church.
NEED
After installing solar panels on their roof several years ago, WCUC wanted to update the church’s oil-fueled HVAC system (pictured on the right). It was old, inefficient, and expensive. The system generated more than 140,000 pounds of greenhouse gases annually.
CALLING
West Concord Union Church was called to increase their commitment to Creation Care by installing a more efficient and less expensive heat pump HVAC system. With a total project cost of $1.3 million for the HVAC construction, West Concord Union Church was prompted to look outside of the congregation for the necessary financial solutions.
God Math
The Cornerstone Fund’s Creation Care loan, which came with a reduced interest, was put to work to finance the new HVAC project’s $1.3 million price tag.
Thanks to an effective capital campaign, revenue from various church tenants, notable property assets, and the Cornerstone Fund loan, the congregation updated its HVAC system. The new system is expected to save the congregation $30,000 to $40,000 annually. And thanks to this new HVAC system, the church is now carbon neutral.
“Our community believes that God calls us to care for the earth. Transforming our energy use is an expression of our beliefs and aligns of our practices with our faith.”
– Rev. Hannah C. Brown, pastor of WCUC.
Cornerstone Fund Disaster Care Program Helps Florida Church Rebuild After Hurricane Helene
On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene came ashore as a Category 4 storm in the Big Bend area of Florida. A year later, the congregation of Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church in Pass-A-Grille, Florida is remembering the disaster and its effects on the whole area.
"Our church is on a barrier island—one side is the Gulf of Mexico and the other side is Tampa Bay," said the Rev. Dr. Angela Wells-Bean, senior pastor of the church. "The island is maybe two miles long and very narrow. We're very vulnerable.
"Helene's storm surge flooded our whole campus with almost three feet of water."
The church's sanctuary, narthex, commons, offices, nursery, thrift store, and first floor education wing were devastated. The sanctuary's damage also prohibited any services.
"Where were we going to worship? Our pews had been floating in three feet of water," said Rev. Wells-Bean. Thankfully they were able to hold services at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in nearby St. Petersburg.
The community pulled together quickly for the recovery and rebuilding. Thanks to a United Church of Christ Ministry Capacity Rebuilding Grant, PAGCBC was able to restore its thrift store.
On top of that, a Disaster Care Program loan from the Cornerstone Fund continues to assist in the rebuilding and disaster mitigation projects. The congregation's weekly worship services returned to the repaired sanctuary in late January of this year. The rest of the building’s repairs continue – from drywall replacement to new electrical wiring and more.
"It's been amazing to work with the Cornerstone Fund," said Rev. Wells-Bean. "We're grateful for how supportive and understanding you are."
The Cornerstone Fund's Disaster Care Investment and Recovery Program launched in late 2024 in response to the increasing number of natural disasters each year. Cornerstone Fund leadership collaborated with the United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries and the United Church of Christ Insurance Board in planning the program, which provides loans at a lower interest rate than would otherwise be available to churches that have experienced destruction.
The Southern California – Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ saw the critical need for this program and made the first generous investment. The conference leaders know that these low-rate loans are made possible because the individuals and institutions that invest in Disaster Care willingly accept lower investment rates.
To recover after disasters, these loans help United Church of Christ congregations undertake projects such as:
- Repairing or replacing roofs
- Repairing or rebuilding worship and fellowship spaces
- Installing facilities to support incoming recovery volunteers
- Improving facilities to mitigate future disaster impacts
Pass-A-Grille Community Beach Church's Disaster Care loan also requires disaster mitigation projects, so the church purchased door barriers to prevent water intrusion in the future.
As the rebuilding continues for the church and the surrounding community, the congregation will hold a First Anniversary Service of Healing and Remembrance on September 28 with Church of the Isles UCC, which was also damaged by Hurricane Helene.
"That service is on the beach to recognize that this is why we're all here," said Rev. Wells-Bean. "The beach is the magnet that pulls us all here, but it is also the source of our destruction. How to do we wrestle with that – how do we name our gratitude of the ocean, but at the same time, acknowledge that it's also incredibly powerful and destructive?"
Learn more about the Disaster Care Investment and Loan Program
Cornerstone Fund Helps Break Ground on New Housing Center
Jubilee Housing and King Emmanuel Baptist Church
In March, Cornerstone Fund President and CEO Maria Coyne attended the ground-breaking of the Jubilee Housing’s King Emmanuel Baptist (KEB) Project in Washington, DC. The Cornerstone Fund is thrilled to be one of the lenders, which is a redevelopment of a historic Black church, King Emmanuel Baptist, into 18 units of housing for justice involved individuals (people returning home from incarceration).
“Taking this historic church property and transforming it into something in service to the community really brings our mission to life,” said Coyne at the event. “We are so grateful to be a part of this effort, we are excited about the impact on the community and really appreciate all the parties involved.”
Jubilee Housing leadership feels the same way about working with the Cornerstone Fund.
“From the moment we met with Cornerstone, we recognized a shared sense of mission, values, and a deep commitment to preserving community,” said Jim Knight, President and CEO of Jubilee Housing.
“We were genuinely excited to get to know them and learn more about the important work they’re doing. When one of our original lenders withdrew from the KEB project, Maria and her team stepped in without hesitation—finding a way forward and ultimately serving as the lender for both the construction and permanent phases. That’s what Cornerstone does: they help finance the development of churches, and they do it with compassion, sincerity, and reliability—which I deeply admire. I’m grateful to know Cornerstone and honored to call them a partner in bringing KEB to life.”
The KEB project is adjacent to another Jubilee Housing development, Ontario Place, that is also intended to house justice involved people as well as provide housing for residents with low incomes. Ontario Place will have solar panels and include an aquaponics farm that will produce food for residents and to sale.
According to Jubilee Housing, “Ontario Place will be DC’s first aquaponics farm tied to affordable housing and workforce development. The farm is expected to produce approximately 13,000 crops per month, with a portion of the fresh produce used in the KEB community kitchen, which will serve Jubilee residents.”
Jubilee has been working in the Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods for over 50 years, with a current portfolio comprising 13 housing projects serving 1,000 plus people. The organization is steadily growing and has several projects in stages from predevelopment to construction.
Photos and artist rendering images courtesy of Jubilee Housing.
