Tell us a bit about yourself and your church.
I co-lead Latymer Community Church in Ladbroke Grove, London with my husband Steve. It’s a non-denominational church, based on a council estate and affiliated to the Pioneer Network. Our vision is to follow Jesus, love all people and make disciples in Ladbroke Grove, and we do this through all sorts of ministries and activities: Sunday services, mid-week discipleship nights, prayer walks and meetings, kids’ outreach activities and by hosting the work of other charities serving our community.
Sounds great! What led you to get in touch with Kingdom Bank?
It’s really important to us to live among the community that we work with. Despite the fact that the church is in a low-income area of the city, owning property anywhere in London is expensive! Previously, we had been renting privately and were told by our landlord that we would need to vacate our flat. That’s when we got in touch with Mission Housing to explore the possibility of shared ownership. Mission Housing confirmed they would be happy to work with us and directed us to the banks that they partner with for mortgages, one of which was Kingdom Bank.
What made you choose us as your lender?
Having begun the application process, we found that the service that the Kingdom Bank lending team provided us with was really impressive. They were always so friendly, helpful and generous with their time, and clearly understood our circumstances. They were great at getting things turned around quickly and helping us understand the process. We were so delighted with their service that we decided that Kingdom Bank was the lender for us!
We’re thrilled to have been able to support you! How do you think your new home will benefit your ministry?
It already is! The flat that we’ve been able to purchase is bigger than anything we could have afforded to rent. This has already meant that we’ve been able to welcome people from the community with housing difficulties of their own to stay. We’ve also now got step-free access, making our home a space that’s accessible to everyone, and the rooms are bigger, so we can fit more people in for church activities. It’s also such a blessing to know that we, and the ministry that happens within our flat, won’t need to move unless we choose to. We’re so grateful for the stability this brings!
If you’re in Christian ministry and looking for a mortgage, we’d be delighted to see if we can help, including discussing shared ownership options if appropriate. Get in touch by completing our mortgage enquiry form to find out if a Kingdom Bank mortgage could be right for you, or click here to find out more.
