“Aslan is on the move, I always say,” remarks Mishal Montgomery, referencing C.S. Lewis’ classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia. “God is making it spring in Narnia again. He’s bringing about his kingdom, and we are to be obedient to his call. To me, Christianity Today is vital in helping Christians understand this very thing.”
For Mishal Montgomery, this biblical mandate to seek the kingdom has guided her vocation as a policy advisor and public servant. As someone who has dedicated over thirty years to local government affairs in Southern California, Mishal has seen it all when it comes to facing the issues that plague our cities and navigating the political upheavals of local government.
Rather than becoming cynical about political divisiveness and the slog of bureaucracy, her unwavering optimism is rooted in a deep-felt conviction that civic engagement is not only important, but that every citizen—Christians in particular—should roll up their sleeves to work toward solutions rather than complaining when problems inevitably arise.
As an undergraduate business major at Biola University, Mishal had a professor who was serving on the local city council. He told her about his work and encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree in public policy. Her interest was piqued, and she soon earned her degree and began working as a policy advisor for elected officials in Los Angeles County, the largest county in the country, followed by several years serving the city of Anaheim.
“You can get things done in local government that you can’t at the state and national levels because it’s non-partisan,” she says. “Most city council members are part-time and only earn a few hundred dollars a month, so they’re there to do good. It just really appealed to me.”
Mishal and her husband Len met as students at Biola University, becoming friends through a bible study, and later dating and marrying several years after graduation. After starting a family and becoming a mother to three sons, Mishal decided to move from LA county into the Mayor’s office, serving in multiple roles, including Chief of Staff. Her public-facing career, spanning five Presidential administrations, has taught Mishal how to navigate multiple challenges and cultural shifts.
Today, Mishal runs her own consulting firm as a government affairs expert, using her in-depth knowledge of policy and municipal operations to help businesses and nonprofits navigate complicated departments. While she admits that trying to fix problems can sometimes feel like a game of whack-o-mole, she’s also witnessed first-hand how the concerns of regular citizens can lead to significant positive changes for communities.
“I’ve had opportunities to work on behalf of a couple of companies that are trying to bring really smart solutions for both temporary and permanent housing to those who were impacted by the fires in LA County,” she explains. “Seeing how solutions manifest at the local level is very satisfying. But it can also be frustrating because the source of so many societal challenges are rooted in brokenness and the human condition. Government can’t and perhaps shouldn’t always be the solution to the problems we confront. What I love about Christianity Today is that I am reminded, in story after story, how the gospel transforms people and societies.”
Mishal and Len give to Christianity Today because of its trustworthiness and because they believe that “CT is helping the Church be reminded that we are a global movement, and that biblical orthodoxy matters.” Mishal explains, “While there are many perspectives from across the Christian community represented through CT, and I don’t always agree with every emphasis or opinion, I do believe that there is an earnestness and a sincerity that drives the writers at Christianity Today to be biblically faithful.”
“When I read Christianity Today, I learn about what God is doing around the world: about the church in Japan, in Albania, in tiny provinces in China, in urban Birmingham, Alabama. In all these different places, the Church is alive! It’s like an organ that’s moving. Or like an army that is marching. I’m picturing The Lord of the Rings,” she says with a laugh, reiterating how the allegories of J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, and others have deepened her understanding of the kingdom of God.
Mishal explains that just as we as citizens have a responsibility to take care of our communities through public engagement, we are accountable as Christians in how we see and respond to and love the people around us. “We are the Church, so we need to be kind, thoughtful, and generous in our spirits.” Even though some Christians may avoid civic engagement because politics can be distasteful, she says that by being passive or ambivalent we may actually be contributing to the problem; instead, Mishal encourages everyone to do their part. “When you get frustrated with potholes or broken sprinklers in the park, sometimes it’s as simple as calling your public works department and explaining the issue,” she says.
For Mishal, Christianity Today reminds her that we are “one body with many parts,” and she appreciates that CT offers a global perspective on how God is always moving around the world. Both Mishal and her husband Len were raised as “missionary kids.” Len’s parents had a missions ministry in the Philippines, and he grew up reading CT at home, while Mishal, who is Indian-American, grew up immersed in her parent’s ministry equipping pastors in South Asia.
While Mishal is devoted to local public policy work, in many ways her path has been influenced by the faithful example of her parents who founded their own ministry working to train Indian nationals to reach others in India with the gospel. Mishal and her siblings as well as Len and their young adult sons continue to carry on the work in India, which has grounded her faith and profoundly shaped her perspective as a follower of Christ. Although it’s easy for us as Americans to get caught up in the political and culture wars in our social media feeds, she says that CT helps her to be mindful that the global Church is alive and well, even amid persecution in places like India.
“We are all part of this great universal church of those who have gone before us, those who are present today like you and me, and then future generations. If the Lord tarries another 50 years, 100 years, or hundreds of years from now, there’s going to be other iterations of Christ-followers building the movement.”
Mishal shares that the Testimonies section of the magazine has been particularly meaningful to her over the years. The testimony written by CT’s South Asia Editor Surinder Kaur, which appeared in the September/October 2024 issue, struck a chord with her because of her family’s background and long-time ministry in India. “So often, when I think of sharing the gospel with unbelievers I think, ‘They’re not going to listen to me.’ But hearing about everyday men and women in an article, I realize, they’re just like me. They’re sharing their testimony so I can do it too.” Mishal regularly shares CT articles with family and friends both as an encouragement to fellow believers and as a way to share the gospel with nonbelievers who may be searching for truth.
“When I went through a lot of political drama and trauma in one city where I worked, the mayor’s wife would always say, ‘We gotta keep on keeping on.’ And that’s what Christianity Today does. It helps us keep on keeping on. CT helps me think, ‘I’m part of this bigger movement and I can do this.’ I can keep going because Aslan is on the move.”
