$8 Million Act of Faith: Church Wipes Out Medical Debt

In Johnson City, Tennessee, a church took a bold step to live out its faith by wiping out $8 million in medical debt for local families. The Altar Fellowship, under the leadership of pastor Mattie Montgomery, partnered with RIP Medical Debt to make this possible. For just $50,000, they bought and consolidated the debt from six surrounding counties.

Montgomery, an evangelist and author, shared the inspiration behind the act with The Christian Post. His dream was simple yet profound: to free people from the crushing weight of medical debt. The wheels were set in motion when he shared this vision with a friend.

“We became the collection agency for $8 million of medical debt,” Montgomery explained. But instead of collecting, they did the opposite. They sent letters to those burdened by the debt, informing them it had been completely erased. The message was clear: “Jesus loves you, we love you. And it’s our privilege to cancel this debt entirely.”

The gesture has led to a ripple of gratitude and disbelief across the community. One story that stood out involved a teenager who regularly attended the church alone because his parents were not believers. His father, shocked by the letter canceling his medical bills, asked his son why the church did this. It opened a door for the young man to share his faith with his father.

Montgomery sees this as just the beginning. He hopes this generosity will inspire others in the church, both locally and globally, to step up in times of crisis. “I want people to know that in a moment of need, the church is the place to turn,” he said.