Transformation Church of Pensacola has donated $40,000 to the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, which has eliminated approximately $6.5 million in medical debt for an estimated 4,400 residents of Escambia County, Florida. Founded in 2014 by two former debt collectors, Undue Medical Debt purchases medical debt portfolios at a fraction of their value and clears them for eligible individuals.
Pastor Brad Livingston announced this effort during Sunday’s service, stating that the church aims to demonstrate generosity, compassion, and a positive community impact. Executive Pastor Justin Oswald mentioned that church members were not informed about the donation beforehand, and recipients of the debt relief will remain anonymous unless they choose to share their stories.
The church has around 1,700 members and allocates 10% of its donations to mission work. The debt relief initiative is designed to support households with incomes below a certain threshold or those whose medical debt constitutes 5% or more of their income. Pastor Livingston and his wife have personal experience with medical bills while caring for their son, who passed away in 2018, which motivated them to support this initiative. Over the past decade, Undue Medical Debt has relieved more than $22 billion in medical debt for over 14 million people.
Source: PNJ