Carrie Judd Montgomery

Carrie Frances Judd was born on April 8, 1858, in Buffalo, New York. She was the daughter of a well-to-do family, and she grew up with an education and a refined upbringing. As a young woman she became ill with a spinal condition and later with other ailments, and she was bedridden for long periods. She was thought to be an invalid for life. The sickness caused her great pain and discouragement, and she searched for relief in prayer and in the care of doctors.

In 1879, a friend sent her a letter about the healing of a woman through prayer. A few weeks later, Carrie read the Bible's teaching on healing and was moved to ask for her own recovery. A woman named Mrs. Edward Mix, a Christian known for her faith, came to pray with her. In answer to that prayer, Carrie said that she was healed. She rose from her bed and, to the astonishment of her family, was able to walk. She wrote an account of her recovery, and it was widely read.

She began to publish a small paper, Triumphs of Faith, in 1881, which carried stories of answered prayer, teaching on the life of faith and encouragement to the sick. It grew to be a widely read magazine and was published for decades. She also wrote several books, including The Prayer of Faith. Her writing was warm and clear. She stressed that healing was part of the gospel and that God's love extends to the body.

She became a close friend of A. B. Simpson, the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, who shared her convictions about healing. She served in his work and spoke at his meetings. In 1890, she married George Montgomery, a businessman from California. They moved to Oakland, where they established a home of rest and prayer, called Home of Peace. It became a place where sick and weary people could come for care. They also supported missionary work around the world, and they had a deep concern for the poor.

In 1908, after hearing of the outpouring of the Spirit in Los Angeles, she sought the baptism in the Holy Spirit and received it. This was a turning point. She became a leading woman in the early Pentecostal movement and a bridge between the holiness and healing movements and the new Pentecostal churches. Her gentle and careful teaching helped to calm the fears of many who were uneasy about the new experience. She joined the Assemblies of God at its founding in 1914 and later served on its leadership. She also kept close ties to Simpson's group.

She did not claim to be free of sickness, and she was open about the times when healing did not come. She wrote with compassion to those who suffered and did not blame them for lack of faith. This was a refreshing note in a movement where some made harsh claims. She lived to be eighty-eight.

She died on July 20, 1946, in Oakland. Her life spanned the great awakenings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and she was part of them all. She showed that a woman who believes can serve as a steady voice in a time of change.