Promise Keepers '97
Making godly men or ungodly alliances?
by Matt Costella, Staff Writer
©FOUNDATION Magazine, Jan-Feb 1997
Promise Keepers has announced
locations for its 18conference sites for 1997 and has also planned a mass gathering of men
in Washington D.C. later in the year. The 18 Promise Keepers conferences this year will
center around the theme "The Making of a Godly Man." Promise Keepers founder
Bill McCartney says this theme comes directly from the words of Jesus is found in John
14:15. The conference sites include Detroit, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Fresno, Houston,
Tampa, Seattle, Chicago, Birmingham, Kansas City, Buffalo, Knoxville, Washington, D.C.,
St. Louis, Miami, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and Dallas.
Several unfamiliar faces will appear as speakers at this year's conferences, but many
well-known leaders such as Jack Hayford, Adrian Rogers, Luis Palau, Franklin Graham, E.V.
Hill, Howard Hendricks, Joseph Stowell and Billy Kim will also speak.
While the Promise Keepers movement does stress some biblical truths that every man
should heed, it continues to stress these ideas at the expense of sound doctrine. Promise
Keepers emphasizes the need for men to meet together for worship, teaching and prayer
while pushing aside their denominational differences. God clearly sets forth in His Word
the fact that Christians are not to fellowship or worship with those who hold to false
doctrine, yet many denominations represented at the Promise Keepers conferences do not
conform to God's commands in this regard. Promise Keepers leaders not only disregard
biblical separation from false doctrine, but they also fail to warn believers about those
who do teach error.
Promise Keepers has just released a new literature item entitled "Biblical Unity
and Biblical Truth-A Necessary Tension." The title of this leaflet itself
demonstrates the false idea that there is "necessary tension" between biblical
unity and biblical truth. There is no tension at all between genuine biblical unity and
genuine biblical truth. Such tension can only exist when non-biblical unity is practiced
and promoted, for it negates the full acceptance and application of biblical truth.
The following excerpts from the above mentioned leaflet illustrate and document some
basic inconsistencies of the Promise Keepers movement and, in fact, of most evangelical
organizations today:
Promise Keepers believes the Lord is calling Christian men
to denominational reconciliation in our day. The ministry has, therefore, sought to find a
common ground upon which all Christians can unite- one it believes to be entirely biblical
and consistent with the will of Christ for His Church. Simply stated, Promise Keepers
believes: We must be committed to truth, and we must also be committed to unity.
Theologians call it antimony- two truths which at times seem to be in conflict, but which
nonetheless are equally true. In obedience to God and His Word, we do not believe one
should be sacrificed for the other. Each is vital to accomplish God's purposes. We believe
He Galls us to pursue both. Therefore, while Promise Keepers desires to call men of all
Christian denominations together in biblical unity, that unity must be based on the
historically essential truths of Christianity.
Although the Promise Keepers movement and many other evangelical movements today claim
to put a great emphasis on the need for biblical truth and biblical unity, they fail to
actually practice biblical separation from those who hold to error.
One of the major focuses of the Promise Keepers movement this year is the gathering of
men in Washington D.C. on Saturday, October4,1997. McCartney says that this gathering,
which is referred to as Stand In The Gap: A Sacred Assembly Of Men, will serve as a
place "where we will confess our sins and repent before a holy God. We will seek His
face and pray that He might pour out His Holy Spirit to heal our land." McCartney
cites 2 Chronicles 7:14 as the scriptural foundation for this desired revival, and Ezekiel
22:30 is the scripture from which the theme for the gathering is derived. McCartney says
the way to prepare for this gathering in Washington D.C. is to attend one of the 18
Promise Keepers conferences. He says, "We must be of one accord. That's why
participating at a conference is so critical: to help us collectively prepare our hearts
for this sacred assembly." He adds, "When we gather as a multitude of godly men
in Washington, D.C.-on our knees in humility and on our feet in unity-we must already be
practicing a lifestyle of prayer, humility, and repentance."
The official booklet released by Promise Keepers highlighting this year's events
contains a synopsis of the Stand In The Gap gathering. It begins by telling how
every great revival in history has shared two common denominators: a powerful movement of
prayer and church-wide repentance. The article then says, "in the fall of 1997,
Promise Keepers will provide a platform for God to work as He has historically. By calling
together a mass gathering of men in Washington, D.C., Saturday, October 4, 1997, the
expectation is for Christians of all denominations, races and socioeconomic groups to
convene for a day of prayer and confession of sin."
Dale Schlafer, national director for the Stand In The Gap gathering, says this
event is important because "the church is in far worse condition than most of us dare
to believe." This statement is absolutely correct. but the true revival that is
necessary today will never happen as long as churches, pastors and other leaders forsake
scriptural truth. While attempting to bring revival to today's churches, Promise Keepers
leaders are actually calling for an unscriptural unity. True revival will come to a
believer's heart as he diligently studies the Scripture and seeks to apply It to his life
whether this may be popular or not. Without this true revival, God's blessing upon Promise
Keepers leaders and adherents will be withheld no matter how sincere they may be.
[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". "What About the Promise Keepers?" is a 40-page
booklet is available.
Please see the order form for additional information.]
Matt Costella
