Disciples Congregation Eliminates 2.1 Million in Medical Debt for Low-Income Families

Responding to God’s call to do justice, Washington Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Elyria, Ohio, has abolished an estimated $2.1 million in medical debt, specifically for Lorain County and Ohio residents. 

Through a partnership with the national nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, based in New York, Washington Avenue Christian Church in Elyria, Ohio, has retired medical debt in an amount equal to more than six times its annual operating budget. RIP uses donated funds to purchase medical debts in large bundled portfolios for a fraction of their face value. It notifies recipients by mail if one or more of their debts has been purchased and erased. RIP only abolishes debt for those in financial hardship (those 400 percent or below the federal poverty level or who have a debt that is 5 percent or more of their annual income). 

In June, the church had plans to attend the Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls. Last-minute travel complications prevented church members from making the trip. Instead of going to D.C., the church live-streamed the event in its building. Following the broadcast, congregants decided to distribute the $2500 that had been designated for bus tickets in support of local, state, and nationwide organizations that are addressing the same concerns. As a result of this gathering, the church used $1,000 to eliminate $100,000 in medical debt throughout the United States. 

Upon hearing the news of $100,000 in medical debt being canceled, members asked if forgiving more medical debt was possible. Washington Avenue’s Outreach Committee accepted this prompting and set a goal of raising $5,000 that would be used to abolish an additional $500,000 in medical debt. Before this initiative was publicly launched, the church met its $5,000 goal. Inspired by the energy surrounding this effort, the church doubled its goal to $10,000 to retire $1,000,000 in medical debt. The Rev. Nathan A. Russell, senior pastor, announced this drive in his sermon on Sunday, July 3. Russell said, “Let’s tell the oppressed their medical debt has been erased and that this is the year of the Holy One’s favor.” 

Though this was primarily a congregational initiative, the church invited everyone interested to join in making this medical debt cancellation a reality. People from Ohio to Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf of Mexico made gifts online, mailed checks to the church, or gave during in-person worship. The church’s efforts were featured in local print media, ABC-News Cleveland, Spectrum 1 News Ohio, and Good Faith Media. 

Rev. Russell reflecting on the work of his congregation and community “In setting this goal to abolish medical debt, we were surprised and encouraged by the community’s response. People from Texas, Maryland, Michigan, and Indiana contributed in this effort. One person said, “This is why I still believe in the Church.” In a world in which the Church does not have the best reputation, we’re seeking to embody Jesus’ mission as Disciples of Christ. We’re showing that the Church is not dead but vibrantly alive and doing the work of the gospel.”

Washington Avenue Christian Church, a historic Disciples of Christ congregation, has been part of the Elyria landscape since 1881. As witnesses to the very best, most beautiful gospel-good news of Jesus Christ, the church strives toward the future God wants and ultimately will have.