Promise Keepers Invites Women to Anniversary Event

By Lillian Kwon|Christian Post Reporter

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For the first time ever, Promise Keepers is opening the door to women for its 20th anniversary event in Boulder, Colo.

The evangelical men's organization, which has drawn more than 5.5 million men to its conferences since 1990, is inviting wives, daughters, mothers and sisters to the July 31-Aug. 1 "A Time to Honor" event at Folsom Field at the University of Colorado.

"We expect men to invite thousands of women to 'A Time to Honor.' This will be powerful," said Bill McCartney, who was recently called back to lead Promise Keepers as chairman. "We want to honor women in a profound way at this event."

"We need to rally around women and raise the bar for what it is to be virtuous," he stated, noting that many teen girls are having sex outside of marriage. "The next generation must have a true model for womanhood."

The anniversary conference is the only planned event for Promise Keepers this year and the first major event since McCartney returned to the helm of the ministry in September.

Promise Keepers has typically held numerous events across the country throughout the year, drawing tens of thousands of men. But with declining attendance and revenues, the ministry scaled down the number of stadium-size events in recent years and began hosting smaller local church events.

Following that move, McCartney, who founded Promise Keepers, was brought out of retirement and announced as the new CEO and chairman, replacing Dr. Tom Fortson, who resigned the week before.

"I'm deeply honored to have been called to Promise Keepers," McCartney says in a video promoting the upcoming conference. "The time is right."

Plans for the ministry under the new leadership were not outlined until Monday's announcement about the anniversary celebration. The July event will also serve as the springboard for the "re-launch" of Promise Keepers, according to McCartney.

"I'm excited to let you know that God has called PK on an extraordinary journey of change in 2009," McCartney said in a statement. "I believe we'll see the beginnings of the greatest move of God in our lifetimes – a move God showed me recently after a five year pursuit to learn his will. It has brought me back to PK."

In addition to celebrating 20 years and honoring women, this year's day-and-a-half conference will serve to honor the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith and to catalyze men to serve the poor, the oppressed and needy through their local church.

Speakers include Jane Hansen Hoyt, president and CEO of Aglow International; Dr. Tony Evans of Dallas, Texas; relationship expert Gary Smalley of Branson, Mo.; Rabbi Jonathan Bernis; and Rabbi David Chernoff, among others.

Promise Keepers president Raleigh Washington told The Associated Press that the multi-city format will return next year.

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microbug33 »

Fri May 22, 2009 10:38 pm Agree: 0 Disagree: 0

As a member of the Promise keepers movement in the 1990's, I can only say that I am excited to see the PK is being revived. It is time for America's men of Faith to come together, to be reconciled to each other and to our heavenly Father, so that we can be the men of Faith that God has called us to be. We desperately need to be the Godly influence in a culture that has abandoned God, we need to be the men who are willing to stand in the gap, to be busy in our local churches, to be the men that God is calling us to be, servant leaders.

Servant leaders, do we really understand what that is about? Can we as Godly men, reclaim the ground and the turf that God has called us to take? Or are we willing to be defanged, to be declawed, to be neutered, in the great fight for our generation and the generations yet to come?

We are born for such a time as this, are we ready to take the call to obedience? Will you join us? Carpe Diem!
rolln4him »

Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:31 pm Agree: 0 Disagree: 2

Flagged as inappropriate. show Believer - As always, a great analysis. Kudos to you for bringing your men. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. We had various churches pull together, unite, and pull off a great men's movement in our area. In fact, we were so inspired of God that we formed an outstanding music group that mimicked the PK Band and ordered the songbooks and whole kit and caboodle. For a year, we held that group together (members coming from black church, indian church, white church) and we went around to any church that would invite us. Sadly, this movement ended up squabbling over who should be leader, a few members (one was an outstanding bass player and our lead soloist) were in and out of jail for parole violations (going to PK and band practice when they should have been with their counselor) and blah blah blah. I confess, that I was so excited that I don't really recall praying and fasting for the leadership to arise. I've moved from that area since then and do keep in contact with a few of the men. I feel as you do though, it was a great movement - no doubt a movement of God, but can it be resurrected? We'll see. hide
believer »

Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:58 pm Agree: 2 Disagree: 1

rollin, I agree, the Promise Keepers of the 90s was indeed a powerful movement of God, but when the primary focus went to racial reconciliation I think they forgot what God's vision was for Christian men, I feel they gave up the best and settled for the good. Plus, the ultimate goal of Promise Keepers was to send men back to the local church and their homes and be the men that God desired them to be in their homes and churches and what seemed to happen was the stadium events became the ends as opposed to being the means to the end. I used to take the guys from my church in Upstate New York to Promise Keepers Canada in the Toronto area every November and while we were blessed and challenged I saw very little lasting change in my guys walk with the Lord. I think as I said they saw the event as the ends and not a means to the end. And I wholeheartedly agree Promise Keepers needs to return its roots and God's original vision for Promise Keepers and Men's Ministry.
rolln4him »

Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:26 pm Agree: 1 Disagree: 0

"We expect men to invite thousands of women to 'A Time to Honor.' This will be powerful," said Bill McCartney, who was recently called back to lead Promise Keepers as chairman. "We want to honor women in a profound way at this event."

Hopefully and prayerfully, as one who had attended the great PK events in the 90's, that McCartney is truly doing this as a result of his "five year pursuit to learn [H]is will" and not doing it as a means to save the ministry from financial ruin and extinction.

The PK he seems to be envisioning is certainly a stark contrast from what the original vision had been. Personally, I feel that PK should return to its roots. Men were berated during those years of prime PK and backed down to the constant bad mouthing of what PK was trying to do. I may be totally wrong here, but I see PK flopping in the next few years, because nobody has been able or willing to handle the worldly pressure to keep PK original vision. Men must be leaders for any revival to occur. Women are to be helpers, but not leaders in the sense God has called.

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