Promise Keepers return

News and Observer ^ | June 16 06 | Yonat Shimron

[churchillbuff]

Promise Keepers, the evangelical Christian men's conference, is returning ... .

The theme of this year's conferences is "Unleashed: Releasing the Raw Power of Your Heart." What's it all about? Promise Keepers began as a wake-up call for men to take spiritual leadership in their families. The event features testimonies from men who have undergone a life-changing event. It urges men to get serious about their relationship with Jesus and the people in their lives. Expect loud rock music and lots of video clips.

To whom does the event appeal? The base is Christian evangelical men of all ages. The group is committed to racial diversity, but most conference events are still predominantly white.

How many conferences are scheduled? There are 19 planned this year, in places such as Atlanta, Dallas and Kansas City.

How many times has the event been held in Raleigh? This will be Promise Keepers' third Raleigh event. The organization was here in 2002 and 2003.

Who's on this year? The guest speaker is Bob Reccord, who resigned as president of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board in April. Musical performances include the group Big Daddy Weave.

How did the movement get started? Promise Keepers was founded by former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney in 1990. At its core were seven promises, including honoring Jesus through worship and prayer, pursuing relationships with other men and practicing sexual and moral purity. The high point of the movement was the 1997 gathering on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The organization soon faced financial trouble but is solvent once again.

[proudpapa]

The group is committed to racial diversity, but most conference events are still predominantly white.


Umm. Anyone feel like the writer is trying to paint PK's as racist.

Especially considering that America and even the democratic party are predominantly white.

Did I mention Clinton's predominantly WHITE cabinet?

[elcid1970]

Yonat Shimron. Hmmm... another Jewish writer suspicious of evangelical Christians?

Evangelicals who are among Israel's strongest allies (I'm one)?

[Lutheran Loft II]

So let me get the whole Promise Keepers thing strait. After reading the Bible, which refers time after time to man's enmity toward God and deadness in sin and no one being righteous, they have determined that men need to become keepers of promises. This is similar to Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber asking the girl he loves whether they will ever get together. Paraphrasing here: "What are the chances of the two of us hooking up? One in a hundred?" She responds, "More like one in a million." With a smile on his face, he comes back and says, "So, you're saying there's a chance!"
What part of the Law, which shows that man is totally depraved and cannot please God, do the Promise Keepers not understand? If we could keep promises then Christ died for nothing. What men need is rescue from the sin of not being the promises keepers they should be but aren't and never will be. This rescue is the death and resurrection of Christ, and it's the greatest motivation to keep the promises we make and should keep to the families God has given us. The fruits of the Gospel are not what saves us. The Gospel does. Thoughts?

[agere_contra]

Christians are empowered to make promises in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit when they marry or take holy orders, or have a child baptised.

We can do this stuff. Even Pagans could keep promises in "the name of the everliving Gods" - how much more can we do so in the Name of the True God?

[Jemian]

I don't think the organization, Promise Keepers, would have no difficulty in your statements of belief, i.e. the basic sin nature of man, the need for a redeemer, the inerrancy of Scripture, Salvation through Christ alone by faith alone. I have not gotten the message that these men are attempting to keep their promises on their own merit but are calling for a deeper and closer relationship with the Father in order for them to keep their vows.

I think you could easily go to the PK websites and find their doctrinal statement. This believer thinks it refreshing that the men of PK are committing to keeping their vows.

[Jemian]

CORRECTION:...would have no difficulty in... = ...would have no difficulty in...

[RoadTest]

" "Unleashed: Releasing the Raw Power of Your Heart.""

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jertemiah 17:9

[AppyPappy]

I think you are trying to hard to ignore the obvious.

[Dick Vomer]

It's a gathering of men who believe in Christ. Attend a rally before badmouthing it.

A friend invited me to one and I went. It's funny because I'm a hypocrite, drunk (in the past), liar, cheat, foul tempered,violent and uncharitable man that found a message that has shown me how far I am from the Lord and the need to place all that I have and ever will have in his hands.

Am I a "Christian"? Yes, a very bad one.....I might not do the right thing, but I know the difference. Maybe that's the start of my journey.

Self righteous prigs however know everything about the bible, yet know nothing from my experience.

I think we're all in flux either becoming Christians or moving away from his message of love and charity towards our brothers. Maybe these fellows aren't your cup of tea, but maybe the ability to have several thousand men gather without alcohol, violence, sexual stimulation or flinging a ball/puck around in order to honor Christ isn't such a bad thing...

[Lutheran Loft II]

I can honor Christ while I drink my homebrew and puff on my pipe. I also honor Christ by holding to His teachings, especially the forgiveness of sins. Thinking that what we do for God and our neighbor is equal to or greater than what God has done in Christ is not Christian. I'm not saying this is what Promise Keepers promotes. It seems that way from their liturature. As for being Christian, setting up grades of Christians is not so good a thing to do. One either is or is not a Christian. When the idea that some are better than others is promoted this can only lead to pride or despair. Just my thoughts.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt!

You make excellent points my friend!

[Dick Vomer]

not grading Christians... just some are finding their way towards Christ that haven't been Christians... and some "Christians"...losing their way.. such as those that lack charity...etc..

The Promise Keepers was described to me as a "buffet"...take some ideas, leave others, but realize that you're being fed... I thought it was a nice way of looking at things.

I'm sure I was the designated sinner in our group... it helped me and I figure that anything that brings you closer to Christ can't be all bad....

[George W. Bush]

So let me get the whole Promise Keepers thing strait. After reading the Bible, which refers time after time to man's enmity toward God and deadness in sin and no one being righteous, they have determined that men need to become keepers of promises.

No, they say that Christian men need other Christian men to help them keep their promises to their wives and children and to God. This is only one of the extermely unscriptural doctrines (yes, doctrines) of Promise Keepers.

Does anyone know if they've repudiated the thing about how Christian men want to worship God with their penises? That's found in the book written by Hicks (The Masculine Journey) and distributed to every man at all the early events they sponsored. I know men who have this book on their shelves but don't grasp its meaning. Personally, I would not attend any church whose leadership is affiliated with PK.

Promise Keepers & PsychoHeresy

Many people are unaware that PK is essentially a charismatic movement controlled by a loose coalition led by the Vineyard churches. The original Promise Keepers plan was that every evangelical and charismatic and even Catholic church in America would have a secondary leadership of one or more men attempting to sway them toward PK's (and the Vineyard's) philosophies and doctrines. They were setting up their official point men in all the churches to attempt to influence them and to gather information about their membership and organization. They also held seminars to indoctrinate clergymen which were pretty strange.

At some of the later events before their implosion, they had a native American on stage offering prayer to the Great White Father and they were trying to bring in Mormons with orthodox Christians. There was also some significant homosexual infiltration at many of their later events according to some reports but the extent to which the Metopolitan Community Churches (sodomite churches) organized this is unclear nor was there any evidence that PK invited them in specifically.

I think the same snake-oil salesmen are back for another round, hoping the gullible have forgotten and that there's a fresh flock of sheep to be sheared.

[napscoordinator]

Promise Keepers scare me. Too much of a cult. I really only witnessed them scaring people into the group. One friend went to see what was up and was scremed at to be saved or something like that. They have these Tee Shirts that they make their members wear. Real strange. No thanks I will stay Catholic.

[Dick Vomer]

I guess I missed that meeting. The one I went to in Tampa was like a revival, with music, prayer, religious speakers and a call at the end to "witness" for Christ.

I'm a Catholic and wasn't pressured into joining anything. I just saw some good speakers that made speeches about the wonder of God in all our lives and one or two music acts, one or two skits(kinda hokey) and a video of a Christian Young Life camp.(not very subversive)

As far as homosexuals infiltrating.....I wouldn't doubt that they would try to be associated in order to discredit or somehow crap all over the organization.....That's what they do to everything they join...whatever they can't eat they sh#t on..just like the cockroaches they are...

It's been about 5-6 years since I went and maybe it did change. It just was a neat experience for me....oh well.

[Lutheran Loft II]

Dick,
My point is that anyone who thinks his amount of charity is good while others lack the same is getting into self-righteousness. According to the Bible, no one has anything to boast about when it comes to charity, even the biggest giver in church. It's all filthy rags. As to PK being a buffet where you can "take some ideas, leave others, but realize that you're being fed," I very much have a problem with this. This sounds like a perfect description of the modern ecumenical movement which is more interested in outward unity than docrinal agreement. If this is what those who attend PK are "being fed" count me as not only not interested but against.

[Larry Lucido]

The vast majority of Christians don't misinterpret scripture as you do, so they aren't likely to defer to your opinion on this.

[Larry Lucido]

I can honor Christ while I drink my homebrew and puff on my pipe.

Now that I agree with 100%!

[DJ MacWoW]

Promise Keepers encourages men to strive to be the men that God wants them to be. Keep your promises,hinor God, be a man of your word, be a moral and ethical example to your family and be accountable to other Christian men. It's about encouragement.