Instead Of Spending Money On Advertising, Church Abolishes $10 Million In Medical Debt For Local Residents
By Amanda Froelich Truth Theory
The Covenant Church of Carrollton, Texas, could have invested in advertising to attract more parishioners. But instead, it helped erase $10 million in medical debt for local residents.
On Easter Sunday, pastor Stephen Hayes announced the good news to church attendees. He said, “Covenant, we committed $100,000, and this week 4,229 families in our area will get a letter saying your debt is completely paid.”
Hayes explained that the church made a transaction through RIP Medical Debt, an American nonprofit that buys up then abolishes medical debt. As GoodNewsNetwork reports, medical debt can be bought by collection agencies for a fraction of what it’s worth. So, for instance, $100,000 translates to over $10 million — the exact amount that has been erased for struggling Texan families.
“I think that is amazing. Definitely something I support 100 percent,” commented one parishioner.
“I have grandparents who are veterans, too,” another congregation member said. “So just thinking about the hardship that would cause for someone. It wasn’t their choice. They didn’t go into debt because they ran up the credit card. It’s because something that happened to them. So I just love that we were able to help people where it wasn’t their choice. But we got to choose to help them. I just love that.”
Paster Stephen Hayes knows first-hand the struggle to pay off medical bills. When he was 17-years-old, he was struck by a car. For 12 days, he stayed in the ICU. Afterward, his parents were overwhelmed with medical bills. With the help of their own church congregation, they were eventually able to pay them off.
Later this week, 4,229 families and veterans will receive letters in the mail notifying them of the donation. “If you can imagine what those people this week will be feeling when they receive the letter that you sent them saying their debt is paid,” Hayes said on Easter Sunday. “I pray 100-fold that that [is how] you would feel in reading the letter He wrote to you in the book of John 19:30. ‘Hey, your debt of sin is paid. You are covered.’”
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Source: NBC News
Image credit: Covenant Church
Written by: Amanda Froelich
I'm an RHN, chef, writer, activist, and entrepreneur who lives in Colorado. I share healthy plant-based recipes at Life in Bloom and cannabis-infused recipes at My Stoned Kitchen. Read More stories by Amanda Froelich Follow on Twitter
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