Canceled medical debt is a demonstration of “a perfect real-world parable for what God does for us.”
Canceled Medical Debt, Nearly $3.3 Million
Winston-Trinity Salem’s Moravian Church has covered approximately $3.3 million in unpaid medical debt, the church said this week. Residents in Davidson, Davie, and Yadkin counties are having their medical debts covered.
Trinity Moravian’s pastor, Rev. John Jackman, said, “It’s a perfect real-world parable for what God does for us.”
The church plans to have a debt-burning ceremony as part of its worship service, Sunday. Additionally, burned is a list of the debts. The confetti and the church bell will sound along with it.
“A stay in the hospital can send a family into poverty or bankruptcy,” Jackman added.
Nearly $3.3 Million in Medical Debt
Furthermore, in the last three months, the church’s Debt Jubilee Initiative reported raising $15,047.
Based in New York, the charity organization RIP Medical Debt helped Trinity Moravian buy medical debt. Those that were being offered for sale to third-party collection agencies for pennies on the dollar.
3,355 families received letters from RIP on the church’s behalf. It was stated that their medical payments had been forgiven and were no longer collectible.
“We’re setting people free from the slavery of medical debt,” Jackman said.
Forgiving rather than collecting
On the official Facebook page of Trinity Moravian Church, the caption stated:
“It was announced today that the recent Davidson County campaign was able to purchase and forgive $3,296,863.64 in medical debts.
Davidson County: 3,133 individuals totaling $2,988,937.45
Davie County: 155 individuals totaling $192,815.53
Yadkin County: 67 individuals totaling $115,110.66
The average medical debt forgiven was about $1,000.
When poor families cannot afford to pay their medical debts, after initial collection attempts, the debts are often sold off to third party debt collectors for a penny on the dollar or less in a practice called factoring. The third party collector then has the legal right to demand the entire amount. Some use very aggressive tactics. This is where our Debt Jubilee Project, working with RIP Medical Debt, can intervene and purchase the debts – but we forgive them rather than collecting. Watch out for the next Debt Jubilee campaign!”
This is such an amazing show of God’s love. Many people lost their source of income during the pandemic, and some are just slowly recovering from it. Because of this initiative and God’s favor and grace, many people will receive not just financial freedom, but also the freedom of knowing Christ.
To God be the glory!
Header image: Burned dollars [Jp Valery]. Unsplash, 8 April 2019, https://unsplash.com/photos/mQTTDA_kY_8
Reference: Independent Tribune