HELPING TO `MAKE A DIFFERENCE'; PROMISE KEEPERS PARTICIPANTS REFLECT ON RALLY

At first, the Rev. Eddie Dodson, pastor of Iona Baptist Church, didn't really want to go to the Promise Keepers "Stand in the Gap" rally last weekend in Washington, D.C.

But after meeting with 1 million men from across the nation who had gathered in prayer for their families, friends and government, Dodson is glad he attended.

"We weren't there just to pray but to make a difference," he said. "Ultimately that's where we want the effects to be felt as a revival."

The Promise Keepers prayer vigil attracted an estimated 1 million men to the National Mall to "Stand in the Gap" as a demonstration of their willingness to take responsibility for the nation's problems.

While the men gathered at the National Mall, other groups like Equal Partners in Faith and NOW planned protest rallies of their own.

Both groups denounce Promise Keepers because it excludes women and doesn't promote equality. But no mention of the demonstrations was made during the "sacred assembly," said Dwight Tanksley, a member of First Assembly of God Church.

"They weren't a detraction because there weren't enough of them to make a difference," he said. As long as you have a positive group, there will always be some negative."

Dodson said Promise Keepers isn't about being victims or placing blame or even taking control. "It's about being real and also being forgiven. We will heal. You reap what you sow."

Although the rally officially began at noon, hundreds of thousands of men already had gathered by 6 a.m. Saturday, local participants said.

"The crowd was very prayerful," Tanksley said. "But they were all fired up. It was wonderful to be a part of it."

Tanksley and several other men from the church attended. Speakers emphasized unity, both in families and among races.

Promise Keepers founder Bill McCartney urged the men to organize similar rallies at the state level by 2000. He also pledged 37 more free stadium events over the next two years. Typical stadium rallies cost $60.

Reconciliation was a key word during the speeches and sermons, Dodson said. "We came together to stand in the gap to take personal responsibility for our failures with our wives and children."

Despite the huge crowd, everyone was able to see what was happening around them on JumboTron screens. A Washington, D.C., radio station broadcast the event live.

"We were all united as one, holding hands and praying," Tanksley said.

At one point, the men were asked to kneel in prayer for forgiveness and reconciliation. "When we prayed, everybody knelt on the ground," Dodson said. "I was amazed because it was like there was a hush over the whole city."