Churches Mutual Credit Union offers access to credit union savings and loans for eligible members of the Church of Scotland. This includes ministers, elders, central and local church and presbytery employees and trustees, and employees and trustees of church charities such as CrossReach.
The credit union is a co-operative and mutual society owned and run by its members. It aims to provide a simple and painless way to build up a nest egg either by regular deduction taken from stipend or salary for employees of participating organisations (such as The Church of Scotland or CrossReach) or by standing order from the bank.
Churches Mutual also provides access to affordable and ethical credit when it is needed—again there are advantages to repaying through payroll, it is easy to set up, and attracts the lowest rates of interest, however it is possible to repay through the bank if payroll is not an option. You do not have to be a member to apply for a loan (but you do have to be eligible to join once your loan is agreed).
Being an ethical co-operative you always know what your savings are doing, and any profit made goes back to the members that is the people you work and worship alongside every week.
As a nationwide organisation Churches Mutual can be accessed online from anywhere in the country but there is a human voice at the end of the phone every morning if you need to speak to someone.
It’s easy to get started—just follow these three steps:
- Open your account via the online form at www.churchesmutual.co.uk
- Once we have approved your membership, send us your completed payroll deduction form or set up a standing order with your bank.
- Use your membership details to register for the online members’ area to manage your account and watch your savings grow.
Our Members speak for themselves:
Like many people, it took Jennifer Adams a while to start saving but now she’s watching her savings grow:
“As a Church of Scotland minister in my first charge in the North East of Scotland, I was aware of the CMCU from the early discussions with the Church of Scotland Church & Society Council, and then from their sharing of its launch. Eventually I overcame inertia to open a regular savings account, which allows me to tuck some money away every month, for inevitable rainy days. It was easy to open and set up, I can check the balance and make changes easily online.”
Brian Smith found having moved from South Africa to be Minister of West Mearns Parish in the Church of Scotland put him at a disadvantage when he needed to buy a car to enable his ministry around the parish:
“As a Minister from another country, trying to find my way through the maze of setting up a bank account, registering for all sorts of things and securing finance for a vehicle, the experience of the process at CMCU was a refreshing change. I cannot recommend them too highly—the staff are well informed and very helpful – I felt like I was dealing with a friend rather than an official, the application process is dead simple, the administration and communication is quick and reliable, the costs are extremely competitive with some and better than most, plus the repayments are deducted at source so easy to manage—so for me using the credit union is a ‘no brainer’!”
Contact Churches Mutual
You can find out more information about the credit union in the following ways:
Contact Details: www.churchesmutual.co.uk
Email: admin@churchesmutual.co.uk
Telephone: 01452 930 360