NEW AT SIX A TRIAD CHURCH IS ONCE AGAIN STEPPING UP TO HELP NEIGHBORS IN NEED, BUYING UP AND FORGIVING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF MEDICAL DEBT. OUR JOSHUA DAVIS IS IN WINSTON-SALEM WITH THE MOMENTS THOSE DEBTS WERE BURNED ON SUNDAY MORNING, OVER 2000 PEOPLE IN FORSYTH COUNTY HAD $2.5 MILLION OF MEDICAL DEBTS. THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST WHO FORGIVES OUR DEBTS. WE NOW DECLARE THESE DEBTS TO BE ABOLISHED, GO UP IN FLAMES. THANKS TO THE DEBT JUBILEE PROJECT OF TRINITY MORAVIAN CHURCH IN WINSTON-SALEM, TERRY BELK SAT IN THE AUDIENCE REFLECTING ABOUT HIS OWN STRUGGLE WITH MEDICAL DEBT AFTER HIS LATE WIFE GOT BREAST CANCER. EVEN WHILE SHE WAS BEING TREATED. AND I WAS BATTLING PROSTATE CANCER, WE WERE ACTUALLY SUED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MEDICAL BILL WHEN WE HAD PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE, BUT WASN鈥橳 ADEQUATE TO COVER EVERYTHING. WELL, I WAS INVITED HERE TO SEE THE DEBT FORGIVEN FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, AND I WAS GLAD TO BE A PART OF IT. AND I CONSIDER IT A PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR TO BE INVITED HERE TO SEE THAT ULTIMATELY, FOR HIM, IT WAS FORGIVEN. BUT HE WANTS TO SEE MORE MOMENTS LIKE THIS ONE. IT NEEDS TO BE A LOT MORE OF THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE TIMES THAT鈥橲 COMING UP. I THINK A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE EXPERIENCING THESE KIND OF TRAUMAS. RIPPLES HAVE GONE FAR BEYOND WHAT WE EVER EXPECTED, AND IT鈥橲 BEEN A REAL BLESSING FOR FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. REVEREND JOHN JACKMAN HAS BEEN LEADING TRINITY MORAVIAN CHURCH IN THE DEBT JUBILEE PROJECT SINCE 2022. AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE BOUGHT AND FORGIVEN ABOUT $21 MILLION IN MEDICAL DEBT FOR NORTH CAROLINIANS. HE鈥橲 WORKING ALONGSIDE OTHER CHURCHES ACROSS THE STATE, ENCOURAGING THEM TO DO THE SAME THINGS FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES. IF EVERY CHURCH WOULD JUST SORT OF TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SQUARE MILE AROUND IT. WHAT A CHANGED WORLD WE WOULD LIVE IN. IT鈥橲 GOING TO TAKE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THIS. IT鈥橲 GOING TO TAKE CHURCHES. IT鈥橲 GOING PEOPLE. IT鈥橲 GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THIS AND TO BE COMMITTED TO THIS. IN WINSTON-SALEM, I鈥橫 JOSHUA DAVI
News We Love: North Carolina church forgives millions in medical debt for thousands of people
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Updated: 7:39 PM CST Feb 16, 2025
A North Carolina church is once again stepping up to help neighbors in need, buying and forgiving millions of dollars of medical debt.On Sunday morning, more than 2,000 people in Forsyth County, North Carolina, had $2.5 million of medical debt go up in flames. It's all thanks to the Debt Jubilee Project of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. Terry Belk sat in the audience, reflecting on his own struggle with medical debt after his late wife got breast cancer."Even while she was being treated and I was battling prostate cancer, we were actually sued for the remainder of the medical bill when we had private health insurance," he said. "I was invited here to see debt forgiven for so many people, and I was glad to be a part of it."Ultimately, for him, it was forgiven, but he wants to see more moments like this one."There needs to be a lot more there, especially with these times that's coming up," he said. "I think a lot more people are going to be experiencing these kinds of traumas."The Rev. John Jackman has been leading Trinity Moravian Church in the Debt Jubilee Project since 2022."As of today, we have bought and forgiven about $21 million in medical debt for North Carolinians," Jackman said. "The ripples have gone far beyond what we ever expected, and it's been a real blessing for a lot of people."He鈥檚 working alongside other churches across the state, encouraging them to do the same things for their communities."If every church would just sort of take responsibility for the square mile around it, what a changed world we would live in," Jackman said.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A North Carolina church is once again stepping up to help neighbors in need, buying and forgiving millions of dollars of medical debt.
On Sunday morning, more than 2,000 people in Forsyth County, North Carolina, had $2.5 million of medical debt go up in flames. It's all thanks to the Debt Jubilee Project of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem.
Terry Belk sat in the audience, reflecting on his own struggle with medical debt after his late wife got breast cancer.
"Even while she was being treated and I was battling prostate cancer, we were actually sued for the remainder of the medical bill when we had private health insurance," he said. "I was invited here to see debt forgiven for so many people, and I was glad to be a part of it."
Ultimately, for him, it was forgiven, but he wants to see more moments like this one.
"There needs to be a lot more there, especially with these times that's coming up," he said. "I think a lot more people are going to be experiencing these kinds of traumas."
The Rev. John Jackman has been leading Trinity Moravian Church in the Debt Jubilee Project since 2022.
"As of today, we have bought and forgiven about $21 million in medical debt for North Carolinians," Jackman said. "The ripples have gone far beyond what we ever expected, and it's been a real blessing for a lot of people."
He鈥檚 working alongside other churches across the state, encouraging them to do the same things for their communities.
"If every church would just sort of take responsibility for the square mile around it, what a changed world we would live in," Jackman said.
