Carrie Judd Montgomery: Pioneering Contributor to Three Religious Movements

Abstract

AbstractWhen on February 26, 1879 a young woman was miraculously raised from her deathbed at the prophetic word of an obscure healer some three hundred miles away, 1 it was heralded as one of the most amazing miracles of modern times.2 Little did Carrie Faith Judd know, that as she took her first steps in more than two years, she would soon be propelled into a life of ministry that would destine her to become "one of the best known women in America. "3 No one could have predicted that a frail, sickly, timid teenager, who so narrowly escaped death, would become known around the world for her innovative leadership within three Evangelical movements. In the "Age of Enterprise," Carrie Judd Montgomery (1858-1946) symbolized the American religious leader as an entrepreneur. Her innovative ministries were born out of a deep love for God that expressed itself by seeking out and serving human need in a variety of creative forms. Montgomery was a unique mixture of gentle refinement and trailblazing pragmatism, quiet dignity and efficient promotion, tender compassion and tough-minded executive abilities. Historical amnesia, has frequently cloaked the contributions of women to the thought and life of religious movements. Regardless of that fact, Montgomery was, in her time, one of the most celebrated proponents of the divine healing message. As a gifted writer, public speaker, and religious entrepreneur, she led the way for numerous other evangelical ministries. This creative Episcopalian woman exercised a profound influence within three evangelical movements: the faith healing movement, the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), and the fledgling Pentecostal movement. Although little is remembered or known about Montgomery in religious circles today, as an evangelical pacesetter and a Pentecostal forerunner, her life and work deserve renewed reflection and serious study.