What good things some churches in America are doing

 

How American Churches Are Erasing Millions in Medical Debt

—and Why It Matters

Millions of Americans are drowning in medical debt, facing delayed care and financial ruin, but a powerful movement is emerging as churches step in to make a life-changing difference.

Amber Ginter

Updated Jan 12, 2026

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Debt has been a problem for centuries, but did you know that the medical debt crisis in the U.S. has recently reached a breaking point?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this crisis impacts over 100 million Americans. Not only are high costs at stake, but these individuals have inadequate insurance, pop-up bills, and low coverage, often leading to financial ruin, delayed care, or even bankruptcy. KFF further reports that 1 in 6 Americans claims “debt,” just under half say it’s difficult to afford proper health care, and 36% say they’ve skipped or postponed getting health care they needed because of costs. Add the mess of prescription drugs into the mix, and one in five adults (21%) say they’ve not filled a prescription because of the cost.

In 2022, 4 in 10 reported debt due to mental or dental bills, but this number is only rising. And even those who are covered by health insurance aren’t immune to the burdens of these costs. But there is hope. Local churches aren’t just stepping up to proclaim goodwill towards men; they’re seeking to help individuals walk debt-free.

The Christian Daily reports that Spirit and Truth Church in Atlanta, Georgia, has cleared over $1.5 million in medical debt for those struggling in the community. Rev. Mark Moore Jr. explains that his Church is just one of several that have raised funds to help pay off medical debt over the years. As an inspiration to others, Moore notes, “Medical debt should never determine a family's future or rob individuals of dignity and peace. This Christmas, Spirit and Truth Church chose to respond with faith in action — lifting a burden that no one should have to carry alone.”

Today, other churches have joined this growing movement of biblical compassion and stewardship. Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Omaha, Nebraska, Trinity Moravian Church in North Carolina, and Saint Andrew’s Parish in Saratoga, California, are just a few examples, each raising thousands to millions spanning numerous counties.

Millions of Americans are burdened by medical debt. This is a fact that causes a disproportionate impact on low-income families. After all, medical debt is a leading cause of financial stress in most homes. But the Church can play a role.

Beyond raising funds, churches like these have partnered with nonprofits like RIP Medical Debt and Undue Medical Debt. These organizations and partnerships make it easy for donors (Churches) to make a difference in the lives of those struggling with medical debt. These processes work by using donor funds to purchase medical bills from hospitals and collectors, and then forgiving them for people in hardship. Essentially, millions are erased through collective giving.

Not only are many churches partnering with organizations like these, but they are emphasizing community, dignity, and anonymity. Because the focus isn’t on the Church or even the giving, but on God who enables them to give. And just as Jesus has forgiven us our debt, why wouldn’t we choose to forgive and bless others financially as we’re able?

In Matthew 25:35-40, we read these words: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’ “ (NIV).

Notice that Jesus didn’t just mention food, money, or clothing. He mentioned all of it. Because we are whole people who require complex care. But in every statement, we see love, compassion, and generosity—three things we’re continually called to give away today.

Medical debt relief is one form of modern-day mercy ministry that individuals can partake in. It’s the church reclaiming its role in practical compassion and living faith out in action. Today, you might not be in a church that supports these types of funding. That’s okay. You can still pray, give, and advocate, for it’s always more blessed to give than to receive.

Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Cyano66

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Poland declares itself a Christian Sovereign country

 

Based Hungary 

@HungaryBased

BREAKING: This is 300,000 Polish Patriots on the streets to declare Poland is a CHRISTIAN SOVEREIGN country. The European Union MUST take note and follow Poland's example.

https://x.com/i/status/1987950888946733083

10:30 AM · Nov 10, 2025

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497.3K

Views

Easter Miracle for elderly Chilliwack couple

 

Chilliwack couple looks back at 'miracle' survival of Easter Sunday car crash

Diane and Norm Melanson were saved in multiple ways after their accident

Jessica Peters
Apr 18, 2025 5:30 AM

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1 / 6 Norm and Diane Melanson are pictured in their Chilliwack home on April 10, 2025.(Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

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Norm and Diane Melanson know they've lived to see a miracle — or perhaps a series of miracles — and it happened last Easter Sunday. 

The Chilliwack couple was coming back from church. It had been a beautiful service, and they were on their way to meet family for dinner. Norm was at the wheel as they drove over the Yale Road overpass, when he suffered a major medical emergency. 

His heart rate sped up incredibly high, so his pacemaker stopped and he seemed to pass out.  

Diane was texting their daughter about Easter dinner and realized that Norm, a very cautious driver, was accelerating over the overpass. 

"I said 'Norm, slow down,' and I looked at him and he wasn't with me," Diane says, sitting with Norm one year later at the kitchen table in their Sardis condo. "He went to 55 to 125 in seconds. We hit the curb and then I saw where we were going." 

She "turtled" to protect herself, and the vehicle hit the curb, then a pole. That sent their car about 25 feet into the air, and when they landed, they rolled three times before stopping upside down.

READ MORE: Driver still in hospital days after rollover crash in Chilliwack

It was a terrible, violent crash, but didn't involve any other vehicles. And that was perhaps the first miracle of this story. 

The second miracle was that one of the men travelling behind them happened to be an off-duty firefighter. 

"He said to dispatch: 'Send everybody. Now.'" 

This meant the Melansons were afforded as quick a medical response as one could hope for, with five ambulances, three fire trucks and 22 paramedics.

It had been a shift change at the nearby firehall, and everyone showed up. Another miracle.

Norm's life was truly on the line, and they later learned he had died at the wheel. The firefighter could not find a pulse through the window of the crashed car, and declared him dead on the scene. But there was a valiant life-saving effort by everyone involved, with paramedics taking turns at chest compressions, several Epi-pens and three uses of an AED machine. Twenty minutes later, Norm was finally showing signs of life. 

"The doctor told our daughter that if I survived, I would never walk again and to be prepared for the worst," he says. "Well, the worst didn't happen. God made sure that everyone knew He was in charge." 

The Melansons were already a devout couple, and one year later it's still not lost on them that the crash happened right in front of the Chilliwack Salvation Army. Upon hearing the crash, the people inside ran out, and many of them prayed for the couple while they watched the first responders work. One of them called the couple's daughter, Robyn Marshall, who by chance had just finished training to be an EMT. 

That was March 31, 2024. 

This Easter, they wanted to tell their story and use it as a way to thank everyone who was there for them on the scene, and in the days and months that would follow. It's a long list, and they know they can't thank everyone. There are anonymous donors from the GoFundMe, and those would never want to be publicly acknowledged. There were former customers from when they owned Jim's Pizza, who reached out and donated to them, and their adult children's friends, and so many more. 

The Melansons want to say thank you to them all. From the passerby who pulled Diane from the car and the firefighter who reacted so quickly, to those who fed and comforted them even in the last while as they continue to recover. There are the first responders out there that came to the call, and the staff and doctors at Royal Columbian, and physical therapists and counsellors who have turned the entire ordeal from a potential tragedy into a blessing of sorts. Even the ICBC adjuster they were assigned was a kindred spirit, and they're thankful for her. 

They also want everyone to know what life is like today for them.

Norm came home in June 2024. He now walks so much, every day, that Diane can't even keep up. He uses a cane, and has a care aide who walks two to three kilometres a day with him, close to the Melanson's home. He is regaining skills as time goes by, including playing pool in their building's recreation area. But he cannot be left alone, even for five minutes, due to the effects of having a traumatic brain injury. 

In bad weather, he walks the hallways. He will never get back the time from the crash until he woke up again at the end of May. Everything he knows about that time is what's been told to him by others. 

"I having trouble right now with the idea that I'll never be able to drive a car again," he says, along with coping with the vulnerability that comes along with needing people to look after him, all the time. 

He has also come to terms with the fact that he died that day, and was saved. He has one single memory from the event, and that is meeting his mother-in-law again. 

"Clear as a bell," he says to Diane. "Just as clear as you sitting there." 

Diane was more injured than first believed, and still is in regular physiotherapy care. With the medical shock she suffered in the crash, that day was long and arduous. So stressful, she says, that nobody realized as they watched and waited for Norm's prognosis, that she had multiple injuries. They didn't even think to go across Royal Columbian to the ER for her care, until prompted by someone else. 

The day he woke up, the two prayed together. Someone snapped a photo of them, cheek to forehead, and it's a treasured moment in a sea of traumatic ones. The fact he woke up, and was still himself, was the biggest miracle of them all. 

They have told their story to the congregation at their church, highlighting even more of the ways they feel God has stepped in along the way. 

But more than anything, together, they care for each other as much as possible.