Victory Life Church Abolishes over $3.89 Million in Medical Debt
We all live with that fear: We're one illness or accident away from crushing medical bills that can wipe out years of savings. The only thing worse that worrying about it is when it happens to you. Medical debt contributes to two-thirds of bankruptcies according to the American Journal of Public Health.
3500 individuals in Calhoun, Barry, Branch, Eaton and part of Kalamazoo Counties have had that burden lifted by the generosity of the people at Victory Life Church.
This Sunday, September 29, members of Victory Life Church heard the good news. It was announced in all services, that the church was able to clear $3.89 Million of medical debt for over 3500 people. Families received a letter last week stating their debt was paid in full by Victory Life Church, no strings attached. The letter stated "you owe nothing! This was made possible by the strategic partnership of RIP Medical Debt and the generosity of the people at Victory Life Church."
"Victory Life Church’s heart is to “bring a message of hope – every week we see people’s lives changed and transformed, people giving their lives to Christ," said James Sunnock, Senior Pastor of Victory Life Church. "Victory Life Church is a community of people from all different backgrounds connecting together in their spiritual journey – whether they are just beginning it that week or they have followed Christ their entire lives. We are here to take the words of Jesus in John 10:10 where He says, ‘I have come to give you life, and life more abundantly.’ We want to encourage people to discover that indeed, there is more to life.”
Paying off this medical debt is an extension of Victory Life Church’s heart. Pastor James said, “We were praying for a way to truly impact our community. There are so many people with no hope, looking for a miracle in their life. For these 3500 people, God used us to be a part of that miracle. Each week we see marriages restored and lives changed through the love and truth of Christ.”
RIP Medical Debt: When a person can’t pay a medical bill, that debt is often packaged with other people’s debt and sold to bill collectors for some fraction of the total amount of the bill. RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization based in New York, buys debt portfolios on this secondary market, and instead of collecting the debt, RIP forgives it. To be eligible for repayment from RIP, the debtor must be earning less than twice the federal poverty level (about $25,000 a year for an individual), have debts that are 5% or more of their annual income and have more debt than assets.
Victory Life Church is located at 6892 D Drive North, Battle Creek, MI 49014