***NEWS RELEASE***
Pastors Nationwide Recount the Blessings They Have Received through Samaritan Ministries Health Care Sharing Members
‘As a Pastor, I Am Used to Giving, Sharing and Encouraging Others, But I Was Not Ready for the Overwhelming Love That We Received from the Samaritan Ministries Members’
(EDITOR’S NOTE: First in a two-part series about pastor feedback regarding health care sharing and being a member of Samaritan Ministries International.)
PEORIA, Ill.—Few perhaps know what a true Biblical community feels like better than a pastor.
But many pastors who are also health care sharing members through Samaritan Ministries International (samaritanministries.org), one of the leading health care sharing ministries in America, say they were overwhelmed by how the body of Christ responds to the charge to “bear one another’s burdens,” as the Bible instructs in Galatians 6:2.
“As a pastor, I am used to giving, sharing, and encouraging others, but I was not ready for the overwhelming love that we received from the Samaritan Ministries members,” said Charles Robinson of Sabetha, Kansas. “The love of the body of Christ was very moving and we were astonished; much of the response was from members near us! It was great to feel a connection with other believers that we don’t normally get to fellowship with. We are glad to be a part of this ministry that reflects the character and priority of Jesus.”
Robinson’s experience is common among Samaritan members who may have chosen health care sharing for a variety of reasons, but then are surprised and touched by the outpouring of love and generosity from their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pastor Dexter Taylor and his wife, Maribeth, of Port Corners, New York, told how thankful they are for Samaritan Ministries.
“It is a great blessing to have others praying for us and the opportunity to pray for others,” Pastor Taylor wrote. “It is also a blessing to Biblically care for the needs of others and know that our shares are going to things and people that we can support, not to things which would violate our faith if we knew what insurance companies were supporting. Samaritan Ministries has kept us from being overcome by the burden of debt because of our needed surgeries.”
Every month, Samaritan members—nearly 70,000 households and more than 229,000 individuals—give generously to their fellow members who have qualified medical needs. Currently, this Biblical community shares about $25 million each month in medical needs, while giving a monthly share of only $495 for a family of any size. Individuals give $220 and couples give $440, and shares for members under the age of 26 are even lower.
Learn more about Samaritan Ministries International here; visit the Samaritan website at www.samaritanministries.org, or follow the ministry on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
###