CUMMING, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Preaching the word of God is one way Cross Atlanta Church is impacting the local community, but lead pastor Josh Mayo and his congregation found a unique way to make a big difference in the lives of thousands of people.
“We’ve all been at the place where you just couldn’t pay for that bill right, you just couldn’t pay for that unexpected situation and have someone, an answer to a prayer, come out of left field and say ‘hey your debt has been erased.’ There’s nothing more like Jesus than that,” Mayo said.
During the past 10 years, their main mission has been servicing those in need.
“We want to move outside the walls of this place and not just think of ministry as some service,” said Mayo.
The Cumming-based church is relieving medical debt owed by more than 2,400 people living in Fulton and Forsyth counties.
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Through a third party, they were able to give $15,000 and negotiate more than $2.5 million dollars in debt relief.
Church member Wayne Craig said, “It’s about $10,000 per family and when you think about that my wife and I had been under medical debt our children had deficiencies in their immune system and we’ve been under medical debt and that’s a crushing burden to people.
Kim Craig said, “God has taught us that we should love our neighbors and love others and that’s what we try and do and when he tells us to do something we try and listen.”
To commemorate the occasion, the church scheduled a debt-relief ceremony with their congregation later this month.
“I think there’s not a better metaphor for the church and what Christians are supposed to be than individuals who relieve debt,” said Mayo. “Christ was a debt forgiver, and this is kind of the way we want to model our lives as well.”
Mayo said the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt will be providing financial relief. They will randomly select recipients and notify them by letter next week.
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