Alex Montanando thought he was a Christian—after all, since early childhood he’d missed Mass only once. Then a college professor invited him to a Bible study. When he learned about sin and the need for forgiveness, Alex felt the Holy Spirit’s conviction that he’d never truly repented.
Photograph by David Hogsholt
On finding out, Alex’s dad beat him and threw him out. But as a new creation, Alex felt empowered to forgive. The two eventually reconciled, and the older man grew to accept his son’s choice—even when Alex went a step further and became a pastor.
Now, decades later, the faith he found as a young adult has been passed on to the next generation. Alex’s adult children join him in ministry work. And though they each struggled at times to make the Christian faith their own, they’re grateful for their father’s example. “What really had the deepest impact was Dr. Stanley’s teaching on forgiveness. It helped me to be healed spiritually and emotionally,” recalls Alex.
When it comes to training young leaders, Alex puts the focus on Scripture. He knows that reaching others for Christ is about far more than leadership and influence. The main factor is that the trainees themselves have tools to “understand and teach God’s Word.”
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