Ashleigh Montague, a passionate leader at Mount Hamilton Baptist Church and co-founder of BLK OWNED, has dedicated her life to impacting her community and uplifting Black-owned businesses. But her journey is also deeply personal—growing up, her family was one of only three Black families in their church. Despite sharing the same faith, they often faced microaggressions and unconscious biases from those unable to recognize the beauty of their cultural differences. These experiences of racism within the church family left a lasting mark.
In May 2020, after the death of George Floyd, Ashleigh’s church created space for Black members to share their stories while others simply listened. For the first time, Ashleigh felt fully seen and heard within her congregation. Over 75 members showed up, willing to learn and unlearn the harmful patterns that had been quietly present. While families, including church families, aren’t perfect, Ashleigh believes the true beauty lies in how we move forward in love—a reflection of John 13:35, “By this, all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
At TrueCity, we believe stories like Ashleigh’s are powerful. These testimonies of healing, reconciliation, and God’s transforming work deserve to be shared. Too often, they go untold, but when they’re heard, they inspire hope and action across the Body of Christ.
Explore more stories of God moving in our city at https://www.truecity.ca/stories. And may we pray: Lord, use these stories to open hearts, deepen love, and bring Your people closer together in unity and grace.
Prayer Request:
Please pray that God would continue to expand TrueCity’s reach and help transform more lives in Hamilton, Ontario, and surrounding areas.
*GCF operates on the basis of Donor-Advised Funding. It is our utmost goal to meet the Donor’s desire and intent to provide support to particular GCF projects but, ultimately, the responsibility for the disbursement and ministry use of funds is the Great Commission Foundation’s.
*You will receive an official Canadian tax receipt for all eligible donations by the end of February of the following year. Thank you for your support of the mission and programs of The Great Commission Foundation (“GCF”).
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