In 1954, Leonard E. Wedel, director of Human Resources came to the conclusion that employees of the Baptist Sunday School Board needed a credit union. Dr. James L. Sullivan, president of the Sunday School Board at the time, worked with Mr. Wedel and several other individuals to create what we know today as Koin Credit Union.

Baptist Sunday School Board, which became Lifeway Christian Resources in 1998, the media publishing organization of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.

Back in the day, Lifeway Christian Resource employees would take their paycheck downstairs to the basement and deposit their checks in the credit union. It was small and personal in every sense of the word, and it instilled a sense of trust and loyalty we maintain to this day. With time comes changes, and Lifeway Credit Union experienced a lot of them. We emerged from those changes with a fresh perspective and renewed sense of purpose – and so the new Koin Credit Union was born.

Doug Clinton is named Chief Executive Officer of Lifeway Credit Union.

Lifeway Credit Union became Koin Credit Union on Oct. 1, 2022

It also moved its central office from Nashville to Brentwood on Oct. 11.
The choice of the new brand name, Koin, is rooted in the Greek word “koinonia,” which is used throughout the Bible’s New Testament to describe fellowship and community among Christians.

What started out as a desk in human resources with a single employee has grown into so much more than I’m sure Mr. Wedel would have dreamed. We’re proud to carry on the legacy of those who’ve gone before us and laid the foundation to grow the mission and vision of Koin Credit Union.