Northview Church of Carmel, Indiana
While we are always hearing about so-called evangelical “mega-churches” as well as the opulent lives of their multi-millionaire pastors, we do not hear too often about the frequently good deeds of churches.
Now, though, an Indiana church has raised the bar of community service for congregations across the United States after it helped to wipe out $7.8 million in medical debt for about 6,000 families across the state.
Northview Church of Carmel, Indiana, partnered with RIP Medical Debt to use its more than $40,000 in donations to eliminate the unpaid medical bills of families across ten communities in Indiana, according to IndyStar.
RIP, based in New York, helps families that suffer from poverty or whose debt amounts to five percent or more than their income. Beneficiaries are informed through the program that their debt is wiped out with no strings attached.
When people can't pay off their medical bills, the bills are typically transferred to collections agencies, and the debt continues to grow. However, when RIP Medical Debt steps in, they negotiate with hospitals, doctors, and investors to purchase debt at mere pennies on the dollar.
The church, that's seven campuses across the state, had initially announced that they'd abolish $2 million in debt for 2,500 families in these communities. However, when they announced their plan to wipe out the debt in June 2019, various other churches chipped in to help the cause.
Soon, the donations more than doubled as Northview congregants clamored to continue the movement. These donations doubled the effect of the debt relief plan.
In some cases, entire cities’ medical debts were entirely wiped out, the church claims.
And this is not a case of a charity only promising to help those that convert or “join the flock” – according to church leaders, many of the recipients aren't connected in any way, form, or shape with Northview and will get a pleasant surprise once they are informed that the debt has been canceled.
We don’t serve others to convert them. We serve others because we have been converted.
— Steve Poe (@pastorstevepoe) September 16, 2019
COMMENTS