2025 Annual Report > A Letter from the President
A Letter from the President
Published on June 10, 2025
This past year revealed the strength of what we have built together. It is a strength grounded in trust, shared purpose and faith.
Like cords woven together, we are strongest when we support one another through moments of tension and change. Strength is not found in standing alone, but in the relationships, trust and commitments that hold us together and move us forward.
Even amid economic pressures, financial uncertainty and a shifting political and policy environment, the work of our ministry continued without pause. Throughout it all, the Mission Investment Fund remained focused on supporting ministries with strength, stability and care.
What we have built together held. The Mission Investment Fund remains strong and well positioned to serve the church.
The installation of Bishop Yehiel Curry as the new presiding bishop brought renewed emphasis on connection and shared responsibility across the ELCA. He reminds us that the work of the church is shared: “It is not mine. It is yours. It is ours.” His message reflects the trust, collaboration and shared commitment that continue to guide the Mission Investment Fund and the ministries we serve across the church.
Throughout the year, we saw those values reflected in how our customers faithfully serve their communities and respond to the needs of their neighbors.
At Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minnesota, a need for accessible eye care became the catalyst for a new clinic, created through partnership and a commitment to serving neighbors with dignity and compassion.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Mara Lutheran Church established its first permanent home, creating a welcoming space for worship, belonging and the next generation of ministry.
And through our partnership with the ELCA Deaconess Community, we are reminded that faithful financial stewardship can help sustain a legacy of service rooted in compassion, justice and care for the neighbor.
Together, these ministries reflect just a few of the ways participation in the Mission Investment Fund continues to make ministry possible across the ELCA and beyond. Through the partnership of more than 9,900 individual and ministry investors, MIF supported more than 700 ministry borrowers in 2025. These investments help congregations, social ministry organizations and other ministries respond faithfully to the evolving needs of the communities they serve.
The growing collaboration between the Mission Investment Fund and the ELCA Federal Credit Union reflects a shared commitment to serving the church. I believe this partnership will continue to create new possibilities for members and ministries by expanding access to trusted financial services that strengthen and support the communities they serve.
As I prepare to conclude my service as president and chief executive officer of the Mission Investment Fund on February 28, 2027, I do so with deep gratitude and great confidence. I have long been compelled by the theology of the ELCA, not simply as an idea, but in how it is lived through action, leadership and service. It is a theology that calls us to care for our neighbors, seek justice and make space for all, building communities rooted in dignity and trust.
I am profoundly thankful to our investors, borrowers, partners, church leaders and staff, as well as those serving through affiliated ministries across the church, for the ministries you lead, for the commitment you bring and for what has been the most meaningful work of my career.
I am especially grateful to the members of the Board of Trustees, past and present, whose faithful leadership, discernment and partnership have helped guide the Mission Investment Fund through seasons of opportunity, challenge and growth.
I am also deeply confident in the future leadership of the Mission Investment Fund under Linda Norman, president-elect, whose steady leadership, sound judgment and deep commitment to this ministry have helped position the organization well for the future.
I leave this work with gratitude, knowing the Mission Investment Fund is strengthened by enduring relationships, guided by capable leadership and well positioned to continue serving the church with strength, steadiness and purpose for years to come.
With gratitude and confidence,
Eva M. Roby
President and CEO