So you want to work for the SBC? Be a Real Estate Loans Consultant for NAMB!

A reader sent Baptist Report editors a job post recently requiring a bit of scrutiny. The post that caught the reader’s eye is about an opening at the North American Mission Board (NAMB), the domestic mission entity of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The post is reprinted below:

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Job Title: Real Estate and Loans Consultant
Team: Real Estate and Investments Team
Division and Group: Financial Services               
Location: Hybrid - Alpharetta Office        
Reports to: Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives   
Exempt/NonExempt: Exempt      
Southern Baptist Required: Yes

SUMMARY

This position will support NAMB’s objectives in Sharing Christ, Starting Churches, and Sending Missionaries and Volunteers by performing loan review, real estate operational management, bill payment, and reporting and administrative duties. This position will ensure compliance with loan guidelines as set by NAMB’s Loan Review Committee, ensure operational efficiency for NAMB Real Estate Owned, adhere to timely and informative reporting requirements, and coordinate document management.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions

1. Loan Reviewing, Underwriting Documentation, and Closing:
- Collect and review due diligence items to prepare for loan closings.
- Coordinate with borrowers, escrows, and other lenders to confirm that conditions are met to close loans, including adherence to assigned limits and approvals for final loan digest.
- Maintain loan files and monitor loan covenants and compliance, including: Reporting, insurance requirements, property tax exemptions, and other requirements.
- Work with team to ensure accurate loan servicing records, collection of loan payments and disbursement of funds for closing/construction draws.
- Work with loan officers to obtain and track updates pertaining to each construction loan.

2. Real Estate Management, Processing, Bill Pay and Recordkeeping:
- Coordinate document management, payment, and expense reporting for Property Taxes, HOAs, and Utilities.
- Ensure accurate occupant information, documentation, and informational requests.
- Coordinate with Legal Department to submit claims to carriers as well as work with insurance carriers to obtain the best claim resolution.

3. Data Management, Reporting, and Administrative Tasks:
- Prepare and maintain various spreadsheets and/or databases of loan and housing characteristics, performance, and expenses.
- Prepare timely and accurate reports for Real Estate and Investments Team, Financial Services, Internal Partners, and Executive Leadership.
- Continually evaluate current processes and identify opportunities for increased operational efficiencies.
- Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a preferred concentration in business or finance.
- Minimum of two years of significant and proven loan servicing and real estate management.
- Prior experience in real estate processing, payment processes, loan document organization, and strong organizational and follow up skills.

COMPETENCIES

- Analysis and Analytical Skills
- Detailed Oriented
- Strong written and verbal communication skills

CHRISTIAN WALK 

- Evidence of a mature and growing Christian walk characterized, by Paul, in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
- Personal wisdom and sufficiency are grounded in Christ and the word of God, with a life submitted to God’s authority in all things.
- Models a daily soul-winning lifestyle.
- Can effectively lead others in prayer.
- Gives regularly and generously to the work of the church.
- Readily applies scripture to personal and professional situations.
- Can articulate Baptist theological understandings on a range of issues.
- Conducts ministry in keeping with the principles and spirit of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.

PERSONAL QUALITIES 

- Enjoys healthy, affirming relationships with spouse (if married), family, neighbors, and friends.
- Exhibits integrity in professional and personal life.
- Modest in dress and deportment and makes a favorable first impression in both bearing and manner.
- Aware of personal strengths and shortcomings, potential, psychological needs, biases, and prejudices, and actively solicits and benefits from constructive criticism.
- Personal finances are in order, with no oppressive burden of consumer debt.
- Is a member of a local Southern Baptist church and takes an active role as time permits
- Demonstrates a high level of energy, with a bright, positive affect, warmth, and genuine interest in people.

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Reaction and Questions

A Baptist Report team member responded when seeing the posting sent via email, “So what’s unusual about that? The SBC has designed churches and extended loans to build churches for years.”

Prompting another team member to answer, “But I thought the old Sunday School Board Church Architecture Department (now LifeWay Architecture) was in charge of church buildings and loans?”

Therein lies the rub. Why does NAMB need someone to manage its real estate holdings?

Reform NAMB Now (reformnambnow.org) has done extensive research into this subject of the SBC entity’s real estate dealings and found that since Kevin Ezell became president in 2011 NAMB has purchased millions of dollars in real estate as a part of its church planting strategy.

“Recently NAMB has aggressively purchased real estate as a part of its church planting budget. And while we believe most are justified, there were a few that have raised concerns,” Reform NAMB Now posted on its website.

NAMB’s involvement in real estate appears to have a dramatic impact on its bottom line. Baptist News Global reported in 2022 that NAMB had “nearly tripled its investment income in 2021 compared to 2020, according to the latest financial reports published in the SBC Annual 2022.”

A summary of the extensive research by Reform NAMB Now was printed in SBC NEWS, a mock newspaper published by Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention, as a part of his campaign for SBC president at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting in Nashville.

In part, the SBC NEWS article stated “The agency’s Send City strategy is used to justify defunding some state conventions with the intent of redirecting those funds to focus on U.S. population centers, it appears that something very different is happening. Using the search tool at sbc.net, Reform NAMB Now found that only two of eight church planting properties were located in a Send City location, and others had a resident that was not working for an SBC church.”

In conclusion, NAMB’s new style church planting strategy – fueled partly by real estate acquisitions and sales – may necessitate a staff Real Estate and Loans Consultant. If your spiritual gift is real estate apply here.