Michigan United Methodists can make student debt relief a missional priority by considering a variety of ways to help make higher education more affordable and aid young people with personal finances.

REV. ELIZABETH HURD
Chair of the Board of Young People’s Ministry

The 2022 Michigan Annual Conference passed a resolution, presented by the Board of Young People’s Ministry, in which we committed ourselves to advocate for the partial cancellation of federal student loan debt. It also called for the Michigan Conference to make student debt relief and affordable higher education missional priorities.

In light of recent news about student loan relief, it might be good to pause and ask these questions: “What does this mean for the church? Where do we go from here?” But perhaps it is best to start with why we should talk about student debt in the church. Why should the church involve itself with a secular issue?

Quite simply, debt relief is biblical. Throughout the Old Testament, we find scriptures about treating those who need to borrow money fairly, including calls for a Jubilee every seven cycles of seven years and commands not to charge interest on loans. We also find calls for economic justice in the ministry of Jesus, especially in his parables. One such parable is the Revised Common Lectionary’s Gospel selection for September 18, 2022: Luke 16:1-13, the parable of the dishonest manager. This parable culminates in a lesson about not being able to serve God and money and reminds readers to find just ways to act in unjust systems.

Acting with faith, the Board of Young People’s Ministry put out a call asking for reactions to the recent news of student loan relief. While there are many voices yet unheard on this subject, we did receive a few responses.

Rev. Alice Fleming Townley, Mission and Justice Coordinator for the Michigan Conference, is the mother of two college-aged children. She has seen the cost of college outpace income over time: “My mom paid her way through Michigan State by working as a waitress in the summers. I greatly benefited from seminary scholarship funds, including those from my home churches. The costs of putting my kids through college at the same time are more than my annual salary as a part-time pastor, let alone their summer wages.” Townley adds, “The conversations around college costs and debt draws us to remember our interconnectedness, privilege, structure, access, and sustainability. I am grateful for the recent student debt relief announcement and hope it will be part of an ongoing movement of prayerful discussion, support, and restructuring.”

Dennis Homminga, Jr., a young adult who works in finance, says, “I am lucky in the fact that I will have my remaining student loans forgiven.” As for what this means for other borrowers, he admits, “I think this is a wonderful first start.” Homminga, Jr., believes that we can continue to advocate for more solutions, particularly those aimed at making higher education more affordable for all students.

Jarell Wilson, who has received both a bachelor of arts and a master of divinity degree, says it is “a small measure of grace shown to a class of people who dedicated themselves to higher education.” Wilson goes on to say that we, as Methodists, should “find ways to replicate this grace in our own communities.”

So, how can we replicate this sort of grace in our communities? How can churches advocate for debt relief, help make higher education more affordable, and aid young people with personal finances? Here are a few ways:

• • Talk openly and honestly about debt, particularly student debt. Don’t be afraid to share your student debt story. Don’t be afraid to ask for stories. Pastors and church leaders can preach about debt forgiveness. Cultivate a time of gathering and sharing stories.
  • Hold a scholarship weekend for your congregants continuing their education. Help those in your congregation who are about to go off to college or graduate school find, write for, and apply for scholarships. There are plenty of online directories to connect students with available scholarships, such as this helpful website. Browse the list of United Methodist-specific scholarships on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s website. Look for local scholarships in your area as well.
  • Offer finance management courses for young people. Saving Grace: A Financial Guide to Well-Being is an excellent course that looks at financial management through a Wesleyan lens. It gives practical advice on creating a money plan, saving, and paying off debt.
  • Share helpful personal finance resources with young adults in your congregation and community. Rev. Sherry Parker-Lewis, Director of Church Relations for the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan, recommends the following:
    • Khan Academy’s course on personal finance: A free, video-based course that covers a wide range of financial topics from figuring out how to pay for college to filing taxes to saving for car expenses. You can engage with this resource at your own pace.
    • MichiganX’s Finance for Everyone course from the University of Michigan: A six-week course that talks about financial decision-making and gives tools for people to work with finances in both a professional and personal setting. You can take the free audit track, or for $49, take the verified track (with graded assignments and a certificate of completion at the end).
    • Podcasts on financial topics: The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan has a curated list of podcasts, all of which deal with personal finance.
  • Find established organizations that work for debt relief and partner with them. One such organization is the Debt Collective Rolling Jubilee Fund. This fund helps buy up debt and pay debt collectors. Though not solely focused on student debt, it does help students pay off their debts.

It is the Board of Young People’s Ministry’s distinct hope that student loan debt continues to be a missional priority for the Michigan Conference and that we find ways to faithfully engage in this conversation and act to ease the burden of debt for those in our congregations and communities.

Last Updated on October 31, 2023