Frisco Church Frees Collin County Residents Of $2.2M In Medical Debt
FRISCO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - For many in Collin County, mounting medical debt will soon be erased thanks to the generosity of one Frisco church.
"In just Collin County this week we purchased $2.2 million worth of medical debt and forgave it all," Josh Craft, the executive pastor at Elevate Life Church in Frisco announced at last Sunday's service.
Applause erupted.
"It was amazing to see how our church responded," Craft said.
"It really helped fulfill.. this is what we're here on earth to do," Mitchell Chapa, who was attending church that day, said.
As each new year begins, the church selects words that will guide them throughout the year.
"One of our words for this year is transformation," Craft said. "We just want to see true life change happen with people. One of the best ways to change someone's life is to pay off their debt."
They are working with RIP Medical Debt to do this.
The national nonprofit is now in the process of identifying Collin County residents who are below twice the federal poverty line, have debts greater than their assets, or have debts greater than 5% of their annual income and will help pay off their debt with the money Elevate Life Church donated.
"It will basically just wipe the slate clean for all those different people," Craft said. "Over the next couple of months people in Collin County will be getting letters that say hey we just love you and your debt is forgiven. It's not benefiting us as a church, it's 100% for people we don't know. John 3:16, it's the most well known passage scripture in the world. It says God so loved the world that he gave and the cool thing is we get the opportunity to really find a way to just be that for people."
RIP Medical Debt estimates there's currently $740 million of unpaid medical debt in Texas.