Tom and Lissa Montgomery with children Mark, Carolyn and Luke

Moises and Omar. Pastors in Tom's work. 

Some of the pastors from the Yucatan that were attending the Bible Institute . 

Below, some other pastors coming to attend the Bible Institute in Mexico City.

 
Tom spying out the land.  

 A gathering for a baptismal service.

 A Bible Institute meeting on Saturday Morning.

Tom and Daniel Chamberlin addressing one of the churches. Daniel is the pastor of Covenant Baptist Church, Tom's home church.

Tom Montgomery preaching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boXUSCtYIJM

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A Brief History of Tom's Work 

BACKGROUND AND CALL:

I was saved in my early twenties from a life of worldliness as a rock musician. My conversion experience led to a complete break with my former lifestyle, and I subsequently determined to devote my life to Christian service enrolling in Bible College and preparing to serve the Lord in any way He might lead.

I attended Bible College in Denver (BBC West) from 1975 to 1978. I received a BA in missions from BBC Springfield MO, in 1982. I served as assistant pastor at Liberty Baptist Temple in Lakewood, CO., from 1978 to 1981. I was called to the mission field while serving as an assistant pastor. Over a period of time I made several mission trips with our church young people to Mexico. The Lord used these trips to call me to Mexico City, and the present work that we are involved in. I have been a missionary in Mexico since July of 1983.

Lissa and I moved to Mexico with no knowledge of the language or culture and spend the first few years studying and attending language school here. I had the opportunity to live in Europe (4 years) and the Middle East (2 years in Iran) while growing up (My dad was career military and under contract in Iran, before the Shah was overthrown and the beginning of the Islamic revolution.) I think the adjustment to another country and culture was a little harder on Lissa than on me.

We have three children: Mark (22 yrs.), Luke (19 yrs.) and Carolyn (16 yrs.). All three live at home with us. Mark is in his forth year of college, Luke is in his first year of college, and Carolyn is still being home-schooled. Mark and Luke are converted, Carolyn is not.

CHURCH PLANTING AND MISSIONS:

Preface:

Church planting is a task that takes a minimum of 7-10 years, and in some cases 15 or 20. The great commission includes the responsibility to teach the ‘whole counsel of God’ and put into place a complete doctrinal and practical ‘package’. One of the principal shortcomings of ‘modern’ missions is the failure to teach new believers to ‘observe all things that have been commanded’. When Paul, the pioneer church planter, was able to stay in one place, he did so, and in one case remained for as long as three years (Ephesus). Many scholars believe that the studies that were held at the ‘school’ of Tyrannus lasted 4 or 5 hrs on a daily basis, (and this was for the space of two years). When Paul could not stay, he sent other workers to teach and do what he would have done, if time had permitted. When necessary, he sent a doctrinal summary of the Gospel in form of an extended discourse (Romans).

The popular view, which affirms that to fulfill the commission we are just to baptize a few believers, and then move on to fresh territory, does not hold up under biblical scrutiny. In almost all foreign missions, the converts are spiritual ‘babies’ and need time and experience to grow and mature. If the leadership and pastorate are to be filled by men from ‘within’ the new church plant, then the missionary must be patient. He will have to wait on the Lord to give spiritual growth and maturity in the candidates for future leadership. We desire the new church plant to have its own building and be self-supporting without aid or assistance from U.S. based missionaries. We do not build buildings or pay national pastors salaries with money from the States. This means that there must be enough men and financial strength to sustain the work, as well as a level of maturity to face the opposition and trials that inevitably come.

The exhortations of some modern writers, which affirm that all we should do is ‘just get them in the gates’ and quickly move on, have done more harm than good in many foreign fields. The supporting of untrained and untried national workers with money from the States (or so called ‘indigenous missionaries’; ‘more bang for the buck’ philosophies) in place of U.S. based, experienced and proven missionaries is almost always a mistake. If the work is done wrong, or built on a false foundation, it will inevitable have to be done over, with more expense and lost time. The dependence on U.S. money, power or influence has proven to be counterproductive and has sown the seeds of destruction in mission works.

Church Planting History:

In the mid 1980’s we started Grace Baptist Church in Ciudad Netza, the largest suburb of Mexico City, located on the far eastern side of town (population 7-8 million, mostly poor and lower class). This church now has its own building, parsonage and full-time pastor. It was organized in the 1990’s, and I discontinued my responsibilities as missionary co-pastor with Bro. Moises Luna in 2000.

1. We started another mission in Toluca (the capital of the State of Mexico, located an hour west of Mexico City) in 1996 and I taught there until 2000. This mission is now under the supervision of our Netza Church and various men are responsible for the preaching and teaching.

2. We began a new mission in Cuautitlan Izcalli (the northwest side of Mexico City) in 2000 and I had the primary preaching and teaching responsibilities until 2005. Bro. German is now leading this mission and will be ordained as their Pastor in the near future. This mission is still saving money to buy or build a permanent meeting place. They have seen land prices in Izcalli go up by more than 300% in the last few years.

3. I have been leading a newer mission in the southern part of the City (San Fernando) since 2003. This mission is still in the foundational stages but has a good group of upper income folks as well as professionals (doctors, lawyers, college professors and some government bureaucrats). We had worked for years with poor and lower income folks and now have many open doors into the upper class of Mexican society. The San Fernando mission is presently looking at the possibility of purchasing a permanent meeting place. The attendance averages 75-80 adults each week (over 100 with the children).

4. We presently we have 3 weeknight Bible studies in strategic points in the city. One or more of these may develop into another mission in the future.

TRAINING PASTORS AND WORKERS:

Besides evangelism and the planting of new churches our primary emphasis is on trying to influence national pastors and churches toward the Doctrines of Grace and a proper understanding of the local church and related issues. Every national pastor and worker that we can train speeds up the church planting process and multiplies the seed sown.

1. We helped in the training of a number of national pastors in the state of Yucatan. I traveled there on a bimonthly basis for 5 years in the 1990’s giving classes and holding conferences. These men have continued the responsibility of training others in the peninsula, and we provide them with books and materials. There are now churches in 5 strategic locations in the Yucatan.

2. We ran a 4-year pastor’s Institute in Mexico City from 1999-2002. We trained pastors and workers from 9 states in central and southern Mexico. These men traveled to our main church in Netza once a month for two days of intensive study and conferences. The advantage of training men, who are already serving in some capacity, is that they can immediately put into practice what they are learning. We began a new version of the Institute in 2004 based around monthly conferences open to the public. These conferences continue at present and are being held in conjunction with a Saturday morning prayer meeting that is held each week.

3. I taught the Masters course on Puritanism for 7 years at Juan Calvino seminary (1998-2004). This included basic teaching on the Doctrines of Grace as well as the Christian life based on the 1689 Confession of Faith. We taught serving pastors from central Mexico with a special emphasis on the southern State of Chiapas (an area of Marxist rebel activity, liberation theology. and great doctrinal confusion). These men came from mixed denomination backgrounds, and some of them became sound, historic Baptists through these studies. It is an important to note that denominations and church history have little or no meaning in the ‘third world’ (except, of course, for the dogmas and history of Roman Catholicism). This in turn leads to many open doors and opportunities that would never arise in the ‘first world’.

4. We have been holding a monthly pastor’s Institute in Guatemala. An average of 30 men attend each session. This Institute started in 2006 and will finish up in the fall of 2009. We are presently in the exploratory stages of planning a training Institute in Nicaragua. We have also been invited to begin Institutes in other Central American countries, but are waiting for the Lord’s timing and guidance in these decisions.

LITERATURE TRANSLATION AND PUBLISHING

We have been involved in translating and printing sound literature into Spanish since the early 1990’s and have 45-50 titles presently in print. Here is a partial list:

La Cruz de Cristo (The Cross of Christ, D.M. Lloyd-Jones)

La Iglesia Neotestamentaria (The New Testament Church, W.R. Downing)

La Regeneración Decisional (Decisional Regeneration, James Adams)

La Santificacion Verdadera (True Sanctification, Peter Masters and Paul Brown)

Una Invitacion a Vivir (Invitation to Live, John Blanchard)

El Amor y Sus Frutos (Charity and Its Fruits, Jonathan Edwards)

Caminando con Dios (Walking With God, J.C. Ryle)

Como Vencer el Mal (How to Overcome Evil, Jay Adams)

El Contentamiento Cristiano (The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Jeremiah Burroughs)

El Creyente y la Ley Moral (The Believer and the Moral Law, Tom Montgomery)

El Evangelismo y la Soberania de Dios (Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer)

El Fenomeno Carismatico (The Charismatic Phenomenon, Peter Masters)

El Misterio de la Providencia (The Mystery of Providence, John Flavel)

El Principio Regulador (The Regulative Principle, Sam Waldron)

El Reino de la Gracia (The Reign of Grace, Abraham Booth)

El Significado de la Primera Epistola del Apostol Juan (The Meaning and Purpose of 1John, Peter Masters)

El Pastor Reformado (The Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter)

La Disciplina Biblica de la Iglesia (Biblical Church Discipline, Daniel Wray)

La Doctrina de Dios (The Doctrine of God, C.D. Cole)

La Gloria de Cristo (The Glory of Christ, John Owen)

La Justificación (Justification, John Gill)

La Membresía de la Iglesia (Church Membership, Peter Masters)

La Mortificación del Pecado (The Mortification of Sin, John Owen)

La Separación y la Obediencia (Separation and Obedience, Peter Masters)

La Soberania de Dios (The Sovereignty of God, A.W. Pink)

La Union Espiritual Con Cristo (Spiritual Union with Christ, Robert Morey)

La Verdadera Experiencia (Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards)

Las Implicaciones Practicas del Calvinismo (The Practical Implications of Calvinism, A.N. Martin)

Los Cinco Puntos del Calvinismo (The Five Points of Calvinism, W.J. Seaton)

Los Rasgos Distintivos (The Distinctive Traits of Christian Characater, Gardiner Spring)

Que Es lo que Esta Fallando con la Predicación (What Is Lacking in Preaching Today? A.N. Martin)

Que Hay Detras... (Behind a Frowning Providence, John J. Murray)

Remedios Preciosos (Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices, Thomas Brooks)

Sobre la Tentación (Temptation and Sin, John Owen)

Una Defensa Del Calvinismo (A Defense of Calvanism, C.H. Spurgeon)

Vida Por Su Muerte (The Death of Death, John Owen)

Our home church (Covenant Baptist in Okalahoma) sends out many of these books free of charge to pastors and workers all over Latin America.

Bro. Allan Roman has been involved in the Spurgeon sermon translation project for some years. He now works full time at this and has over 300 sermons translated and available for download on the Internet. We have published a commercial version of Spurgeon’s book on ‘THE GOSPEL’ (through Pilgrim Publications in TX.), as well as three small volumes of Spurgeon on ‘THE TRIAL, JUDGMENT AND DEATH OF CHRIST’. Since suffering a serious illness 3 years ago, Bro. Allan has dedicated himself completely to the translation ministry. He is supported by our churches in Mexico and receives some help via love offerings from the USA. In Oct. 2009 he will begin receiving a full retirement pension from Mexican Social Security and will not longer need support from the churches.

RADIO AND INTERNET:

We have maintained a Sunday morning radiobroadcast in Mexico City since 2000. This medium has given us a formal evangelistic outreach in the City and valuable contacts and visitors. The Spurgeon audio sermons are being used by the Bible Broadcasting Network on more than 70 radios stations in Central and South America. We began uploading mp3 audio to our Internet sites in the spring of 2007. These sites now include many preaching series as well as Spurgeon sermons read by Bro. Allan. This outreach has been a great success with sermons downloaded in every Spanish-speaking country in the world. Our sites averaged more than 10,000 mp3 audio downloads per month for the last 3-4 months of 2008.

www.spurgeon.com.mx

www.graciaaudio.com

www.spurgeonaudio.com

FUTURE PLANS:

We hope to plant more churches and missions in the metro area. Mexico City has a population of over 30 million people, so there is a need to start as many new works as possible. We are beginning a new tract distribution plan and hope to distribute 500,000 tracts over the next few years. We were able to distribute a number similar to this (in the 1990’s) on the east side of the city via our Neza church. The Spurgeon translation project hopes to have 500-600 sermons available before its conclusion. We also have numerous other translation projects that still need to be done. Our desire is to see biblical awakening and revival come to Latin America and a great harvest of souls.

BY GOD’S GRACE,

Tom Montgomery

Mexico City

Jan. 2009