“The effort of St. Martin's Episcopal Church to reduce medical debt began with Rob Welch, longtime Mason resident and the founder of St. Martin's, and his wife, Karen,” says the Rev. Dr. Tom Luck, Vicar of St. Martin's. He continues, “Rob has spent many months researching the best way to accomplish this and he found Undue Medical Debt, a national organization that exists solely to reduce or eliminate medical debt. Then, he was diligent in staying in communication with Undue while they researched our particular area of Texas. With Rob's leadership, the support of all of the people of St. Martin's, their Vicar, the Reverend Dr. Tom Luck, the Reverend Betsy Stephenson, who is Regional Dean of the counties that get relief, and The Rt. Rev. Dr. David G. Read, D.D., Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, this campaign is off and running.”

 

Bishop Read shares, “I am gratified to see how St. Martin’s has partnered with our churches in the Northern Convocation to walk with love in serving the community through The Skye’s the Limit fundraiser. The impact and burden of medical debt on families can be devastating. Jesus calls on us to help our brothers and sisters in their time of need. In Galatians 6:2 we are told to Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. I encourage the members of our congregations and local communities to open their hearts and serve those in need by contributing to this worthy cause.”

 

"This is a doable way for us, the Church, to live out the gospel to care for people in our communities who struggle," states the Rev. Betsy Stephenson, Priest-in-Charge at Grace Episcopal Church in Llano and the Dean of the Northern Convocation of the Diocese.

 

"St. Martin's has a history of serving the people of Mason and our neighbors,” says James Morris, Bishop's Warden at St. Martin's Episcopal Church. He continues, “Please join us in sharing God's love for all by helping to eliminate the burden of medical debt for those that are in need of our help."

 

The medical debt the campaign is addressing is only in bundled debt from many people. It does not cover individual people who are facing new medical debts; it cannot be directed at a particular individual’s debt; and there is no individual application process. Instead, by buying up bundles of old medical debt, it stops the debt collectors from going after people whose debt is in this bundle of identified debt and who can least afford to pay this debt.