Green Acres Baptist Church Clears Medical Debt for Local Families

TYLER –Nearly 5, 000 Smith County Families have had their medical debt retired thanks to a hand of generosity from Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, RIP Medical Debt is a nonprofit organization that allows donors and organizations to erase the debt of Americans. RIP randomly buys medical debt accounts in large portfolios. They purchase the debt for pennies on the dollar. $1 donated will relieve, on average, $100 of medical debt. Pastor David Dykes said the church donated $45,102 during the month of August.

Pastor Dykes also encouraged Smith County residents to keep an eye out for branded, yellow envelopes from RIP, stating “if you receive one, it will mean some or all of your medical debt has been canceled.” Letters will be sent out September 6. The church began donating towards the program under the KINDNESS25:40 initiative. The program’s mission is to “connect people with God’s love through acts of kindness.” The initiative is based on the passage from the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25, Verse 40: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”