 |
| Dr. Montgomery and his wife Lanalee; he is world famous for his apologetics and his work as a lawyer defending the rights of Christians. |
In the 1970s, I wondered what was so wrong about the Lutheran Church - and it was not Lutheran doctrine.
I received boxes of books from an ex-pastor, ones he threw out. One was edited by John Warwick Montgomery. Not only that, the book included an essay by a missionary I knew, one I heard preach at Salem in Moline. That began our family exodus from mainline apostasy. Happy 82nd Birthday, Dr. Montgomery. God's blessings upon your work.
The two-volume set was - Crisis in Lutheran Theology: The Validity and Relevance of Historic Lutheranism versus Its Contemporary Rivals, two volumes, Baker Book (Grand Rapids), 1967, 2nd edition, Bethany Fellowship, 1973.
The set explained the departure from teaching Biblical inerrancy, and it included an essay by African missionary Faust, who preached at my home church. Faust was related to a long-time friend, Snortin' Norton, whose son went to Augustana College with us.
http://www.jwm.christendom.co.uk/
Montgomery was ordained in the LCA and moved over to the LCMS. but Missouri was still quietly embracing what he imagined he was leaving behind - much like today's WELS-ELS-LCMS.
He served as a librarian, professor, book author and editor - and he became a lawyer, founded a school for Christian apologetics, entered the realm of international law, etc.
My wife and I met Dr. Montgomery at the Chicago Inerrancy conference, about 1978, so I told him about his book's influence. Later he was kind enough to buy all my books as they came out, which was quite encouraging.
He could have played it safe in the Lutheran Church, one more capon strutting about, but he dealt with issues and ideas - both forbidden in the stygian darkness of mainline churches.
