'Kid guy' nails message to cross made on stage

Roughly 1,000 men from Southeast Missouri assembled Saturday night to see a former college football player and leukemia survivor pretend to be a Roman cross maker.

More than that, the Promise Keepers, a national nondenominational Christian men's group, met to celebrate their faith.

Joe White, a nationally known youth evangelist and speaker, entered the Osage Community Centre carrying a 14-foot log over his shoulder. He carried it down the aisle and up on stage, where he used an ax to hack notches in two pieces of wood.

He then nailed the cross together.

It was the beginning of an inspirational message that included his personal testimony.

"I'm just a kid guy," he said before his performance. "I've worked with kids for 32 years since I got out of college. And keeping kids interested is a challenge. I wanted to present the cross to kids in a unique way, a way they'd never forget.

"Kids can't remember what they heard, but they can't forget what they see."

White mixed his verbal pace. At times, he spoke almost frenetically as he explained his view of the crucifixion and resurrection. At other times, he backed off and let his Texas accent remind the audience of his status as an "ordinary Joe."

White grew up in Texas and played football at Southern Methodist University. He later became a high school coach.

White's youthful message has extended to adults in Promise Keepers.

All told, he has spoken to 28,000 high school and 78,000 college students.

As a prelude to White's message, the crowded facility filled with music. A gospel quartet, the Rivermen, followed a selection of contemporary Christian music.

The aisles were filled with men and boys of all ages. There were a few women sprinkled into the crowd as well.

The Promise Keepers organization is different in that it does not promote any denomination. If fact, Carter Frey, pastor at First Baptist Church in Jackson, said the organization is good for that reason.

He said when men from different denominations get together, they don't talk about non-spiritual issues that may be facing the church, such as budgets. And he said that denomination differences have never caused a problem in his group.

"It really doesn't matter," he told the crowd. "What we have in common is God. And God is enough."

bmiller@semissourian.com

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