Executive Summary
This report examines the current landscape of church-led debt buying in the United States as a ministry model. By contrasting recent data on the efficacy of existing models with the theological motivations expressed by faith leaders in a national series of interviews, we situate church involvement in both Medical and Payday loan erasure within the broader policy landscape. We pay particular attention to how mediacoverageand non-profit rhetoric frameand shape perceptions of success. Our analysis compares a variety of political advocacy and financial intervention strategies across existing church models.As we compare medical debt erasure with faith-based payday loan alternatives, we assess how differences in erasure models correspond to, or diverge from, the theological motivations expressed in interviews, including sentiments like outreach and community restoration. Building on this comparison of limited models, we propose a new model of church-sponsored payday debt relief. This model integrates the most salient aspects of previous approaches, aiming to make debt erasure both a more effective ministry and a more theologically intuitive practice for those involved.