Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Helps Clear More Than $2.2 Million in Medical Debt Across Political Divides

Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a politically diverse membership that includes conservative Republicans, liberal Democrats, and supporters and critics of former President Donald Trump, according to a report by The Assembly NC. Rev. John Jackman, the church’s pastor, described the congregation to Upworthy as “definitely a purple congregation.”

Jackman proposed that the church take up the problem of medical debt, and according to The Assembly NC, the congregation showed no division over the proposal. The church’s Debt Jubilee Project, its main initiative on the issue, is now in its eighth year.

Upworthy reported that the church’s first fundraising campaign, in 2022, aimed to raise $5,000 to erase about $500,000 in medical debt. Jackman told Upworthy that donations often come in small amounts, but that the campaigns have been remarkably successful. Members of differing political views working toward one goal reflect the value of unity (Psalm 133:1).

The two reports differ in some details. The Assembly NC reported that the project has helped retire more than $2.2 million in debt and that its most recent campaign raised over $17,000. Upworthy reported that the church has erased over $2.2 million in medical debt for local residents. Neither report gives a figure for the total raised across all campaigns.

The Assembly NC also cited an estimate that about 100 million American adults carry some form of healthcare debt. That figure comes from the report and was not independently verified for this article.

Upworthy profiled two members. Catherine Coe, a hospital accounting department employee who identifies as conservative, said medical debt unites people regardless of their political beliefs. Terri Mabe, a former construction worker, described struggles with job insecurity and medical debt.