Promise Keepers Draws The Line
Pastor Dennis Costella
©FOUNDATION Magazine Editorial, September-October 1997
The promise keepers movement
made itself known across the nation on October 4, 1997, as hundreds of thousands of men
gathered in the nation's capital to pray, worship and confess their sins before God. While
some secular media applauded this movement for its good intentions, other news media and
political groups have condemned the movement as a threat against women and political
freedom. But what should Bible-believing, fundamental Christians think about the Promise
Keepers movement in light of its recent rally? No true fundamentalist can remain silent or
indifferent to the Promise Keepers' absolute rejection of biblical separation. The
movement is boldly repudiating what Bible-believing fundamentalists have stood for
throughout the years and insisting upon an unprecedented ecumenicity that is an affront to
Bible truth. Fellow fundamentalist, the Promise Keepers have drawn the line. What will be
our response? What must the response be according to God's Word?
While the majority of the goals and aims of the Promise Keepers movement are moral and
scriptural, this evangelical movement completely ignores God's biblical command to be holy
even as Christ is holy. Promise Keepers not only distorts the Gospel message, but it also
embraces those who preach a false gospel and accommodates a denominational diversity that
is rife with the leaven of error. Bill McCartney forcefully charged the Washington
delegation and the listening audience across the nation that every pastor ought to meet
weekly with every other pastor in his locality to pray and to discuss the needs of the
community. The pastors were then to report the needs to the men of their own congregations
and discuss the possibilities.
Such all-inclusive ecumenicity has been the dream of the WCC, the NCCC and every other
committed ecumenical organization for decades. We have covered many of the meetings of
these groups with press credentials through the years. And while these liberal, ecumenical
organizations did a lot of dreaming, speculating, proposing and talking about ecumenical
unity at the expense of doctrinal purity, the Promise Keepers leadership is demanding the
practical implementation of ecumenicity at the grass roots level. The unscriptural unity
being forged by the PK movement has been the dream of the liberals for decades, and now
the pressure is exerted on all Christians, including even fundamentalists, to either fall
in line or get out of the way.
What Promise Keepers is proposing is a clear-cut refutation of biblical fundamentalism.
They reject the fact that God's Word dictates not only the message to be proclaimed, but
also the way a ministry is to be carried out and what "faith" (sound doctrine)
is to be taught to those who are born again by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Historic
fundamentalism also necessarily requires the separation from whatever and whomever sets a
course contrary to the body of sound doctrine that has been received and believed. The
church is admonished to "contend for the faith once delivered"--it is not to
knuckle under to the demands of a movement that requires unity at any cost. The tremendous
influence of the Promise Keepers stated agenda cannot be denied. Any ministry that desires
to be true to Bible truth cannot remain neutral or silent regarding this matter.
God has put His Word in the trust of His church, and we are to proclaim His Truth in
His way. The Promise Keepers movement, while desiring to proclaim the Gospel, believes
that they can fulfill God's great commission in their own way, apart from God's prescribed
plan for the local church. The Promise Keepers movement disobeys God's command to separate
from those who preach a false gospel. This compromise and disobedience is evident in one
of the Promise Keepers' seven promises which states that the Promise Keeper vows to break
down denominational barriers and repent for being a part of the division in the body of
Christ. Compromise and disobedience are also evident in the Promise Keepers' deliberate
alteration of their doctrinal statement so that Roman Catholics and others who do not
believe in salvation by grace through faith alone apart from works can join them.
We know that it is extremely unpopular in Christian circles to speak against the
Promise Keepers movement, but speak against it we must since it contradicts God's clear
plan for the purity of His church, the purity of His Gospel and the purity of the
"faith once delivered."
Promise Keeper founder Bill McCartney is absolutely committed to ecumenical unity. The
Associate Press reported that in a news conference on the day of the rally, McCartney
"asked critics to judge the organization by its fruits, whether men are becoming more
considerate spouses and fathers and whether denominational and racial barriers start to
fall." The goal of the Promise Keepers movement is not only to make men better
husbands and fathers, but it is also to bring religious ecumenical unity to the United
States and eventually to the world, as stated by McCartney. This type of unity is not of
God, for the Lord continually emphasizes the need for a pure Gospel and holy, separated
individuals to declare all the counsel of God.
Many believe that this massive Christian movement has to be of God since millions of
men and pastors and Christian leaders across the nation so avidly support it. Even
President Clinton and his wife applaud the Promise Keepers movement. Dear believer, if
God's Word and His truths are compromised and swept under the carpet for the sake of
personal reform, revival and unity, then it cannot be of God, for God does not contradict
Himself in His Word. If God commands believers to come out and separate from those who
adhere to false doctrine, then it is wrong for a believer to promise to break down
denominational walls and worship and pray with those who either are not genuinely saved or
those who adhere to a false gospel. The end does not justify the means. God not only has a
desire to see men saved, but He also desires to disciple every born again Christian in His
Truth. Ecumenical movements such as the Promise Keepers undermine the purity of God's
message that He holds so dear.
It is by no means easy to warn against a movement that stands for so many good things.
However, it is exactly those good things that make this movement so dangerous because they
serve to hide the error with which they are mixed. God tells us that ecumenism and
apostasy will flourish in the last days before His appearing, and Satan knows how to
persuade men to focus on certain portions of God's Word and to ignore or disobey other
portions. A movement of God is never single-issue oriented which is why God uses local
churches that are committed to proclaiming the Gospel, contending for the faith, and
teaching sound doctrine to do His Work today. And this work includes the making of godly
men as HE has promised, not in the manner that man has proposed. How is this accomplished?
By believing and obeying the written Word of God:
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). "For this
cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which
ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of
God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
Godly men, women, boys and girls are made so only by receiving, believing and obeying
the great and precious truths of God's eternal Word. True godliness is predicated upon
conformity to sound doctrine; any man-made, devised unity that discounts the importance of
the same cannot possibly have God's blessing.
D.W. Costella
[This resource is available from the
Fundamental Evangelistic Association in the booklet, "What About the
Promise Keepers?" which includes articles compiled from FOUNDATION
Magazine including: 1) The Promise Keepers Movement is
Dangerous-Watch Out for It; 2) Promise Keepers
'97: Making godly men or ungodly alliances?; 3) Promise Keepers Draws
the Line - FOUNDATION Magazine editorial; 4) Promise
Keepers "Stand in the Gap Rally-A Firsthand Report; 5) Articles taken
from FOUNDATION Magazine's "The Watchman's
Trumpet".
