Why SMI? 'We have been bathed in love'

Bruce Hooley had just lost a job at iHeart Radio in 2019, so he and his wife, Sheryl, were shopping for health care provision for their family of five.

“We were looking for alternatives,” Bruce said. “We knew a family with six children and asked them what they did for health care. They mentioned Samaritan Ministries.

“I was intrigued because I had heard of some other health care sharing ministries and we were, like everybody, nervous about how it works but, more importantly, does this work if something catastrophic happens?

“So we prayed about it, and we reached a peace with becoming members.”

For the first few years of their membership, they faithfully sent their Shares to other members and submitted some smaller Needs of their own.

Then Bruce was diagnosed with a golf ball-sized brain tumor. His surgery and related treatment have added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, but Samaritan members have been there for the Hooleys.

“Samaritan Ministries has stepped up in a way that no health insurance company would have,” Bruce said. “Not only have we not had a single concern about being able to pay our bills, but we have been bathed in love by the people we talked to at Samaritan. They’ve prayed with us on the phone. They have assured us that everything will be shared with members, and it has been.

“Virtually every day when we receive a check from another member, it comes with an encouraging and uplifting note, or a scripture. That has just reinforced my firm belief that any authentic Christian who is tethered to conventional health care is shortchanging themselves and shortchanging others by propping up a system that is more about making money than about serving its customers.”