PROMISE KEEPERS: PROMISES, PROMISES

Richard Kinsey and Kenny McCormack are ready to accept some responsibility for the supposed moral downturn in the United States. They will join nearly 50 other Promise Keepers from Southeast Missouri to "Stand in the Gap" today in Washington, D.C.

Nearly 500,000 men are expected to gather this afternoon in the National Mall for "Stand in the Gap: A Sacred Assembly of Men." They will pray for their families, churches and the nation.

The prayer rally -- billed as one of the nation's largest religious events -- is sponsored by Promise Keepers, an evangelical Christian men's organization based in Colorado.

"For years, we have given up our responsibilities of being a father and lost sight of what we should be doing as men," Kinsey said. "Promise Keepers allows men to get together in a large group and focus on our shortcomings.

The six-hour prayer rally is designed to "gather a diverse multitude of men in the name of Jesus Christ to confess personal and collective sin," according to Promise Keepers statements.

McCormack hopes the nation sees the true message of the rally. "I hope the message they see is that hearts are changing and there can be a revival in this country," he said. "It's a strong message that men want to change and this movement is doing that."

Promise Keepers extols the values of family, home and spiritual leadership. The grass-roots movement, founded by former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney, began in 1990 with about 4,200 men and grew to half a million by 1996. It is based on seven basic promises which include honoring Jesus Christ, pursuing close friendships with a few other men, building strong marriages and families, and supporting the church.

Promise Keepers fills a need that had been missing in many men's lives, said the Rev. Mark Anderson, pastor of Lynwood Baptist Church.

"The hand of God is in this," he said. "Men have been searching for an identity and the meaning of what true manhood is. Their experiences in life have left them empty."

Ron Watts, pastor of LaCroix United Methodist Church agrees. "If there wasn't a need, it wouldn't exist." Promise Keepers helps men "refocus on their responsibilities in the home and reminds them of the vows they made when they married and of what God expects of us," he said.

Richard Kinsey realized his priorities were out of balance after attending a Promise Keepers rally in Indianapolis several years ago.

At the time, Kinsey, who attends Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau, was working out of town during the week and was away from his family. As Kinsey put his son to bed one Saturday, the child asked why his father couldn't be home every night.

"The first thing I thought of was money," Kinsey said. "But when I went to speak and give him an answer, I couldn't think of a good reason. I realized that my priorities weren't right."

Since then, Kinsey found a job locally that allows him more time at home with his family. He and his 10-year-old son, Barrett, will attend the rally today.

Kinsey used frequent flier miles earned while on business trips for his former job to purchase tickets for his trip to "Stand in the Gap."

Promise Keepers stresses the importance of family, he said. "While it isn't really an organization that men join in the sense of paying dues, it is important that they are committed to it. "I've made that decision to love my wife and be a better father and get more involved in my church and support the pastor," Kinsey said.

Anderson appreciates the support he receives from men in the church who have attended PK rallies. "I've seen more men assume leadership roles in the church and become more committed to small group Bible study and accountability," he said. "They have been a real encouragement and help to me in fulfilling the ministry of the church."

He said Promise Keepers is not a cult movement based on a personality. "It's meeting a spiritual need in the lives of men today," Anderson said. "Looking at it from the outside, it's obvious that it's hitting a nerve."

Many have criticized Promise Keepers because they say it excludes women, tells men to take a more domineering role, and has a political agenda based in the conservative right.

But Watts, who has attended four conferences, says those things are not true. "They are speaking out of ignorance," he said. "Because it is a Christ-centered movement, there are always people who are uncomfortable with that. It's a lot of misunderstanding."

But Promise Keepers is probably the church at its best, Watts said. Promise Keepers draws rally attendance from Assembly of God, Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.

"It's a source of unity. We don't go there representing a denomination.

"Men are gathering to pray for their families and repent our sins. It's intended to be a large prayer meeting so that God would heal the land and restore the family."

The Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper

1.A Promise Keeper is committed to honor Jesus Christ through worship, prayer and obedience to God's Word in the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. A Promise Keeper is committed to pursue vital relationships with a few other men, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises.

3. A Promise Keeper is committed to practice spiritual, moral,ethical and sexual purity.

4. A Promise Keeper is committed to build strong marriages and families through love, protection and biblical values.

5. A Promise Keeper is committed to support the mission of his church by honoring and praying for his pastor and by actively giving his time and resources.

6. A Promise Keeper is committed to reach beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity.

7. A Promise Keeper is committed to influence his world, being obedient to the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19-20).

Promise Keepers was founded in 1990 by Bill McCartney, former head football coach at the University of Colorado. It is a non-profit organization with an estimated 1997 budget of $117 million.

Since its beginnings, Promise Keepers has held stadium conferences all across the country with nearly 2 million men participating.

In 1991, 4,200 filled the University of Colorado Coors Event Center. The following year, the number grew to 22,000 at Folsom Field.

By 1994, a total of 278,000 men attended rallies in seven stadiums.

In 1995, the number of conferences nearly doubled to 13, with 727,342 men attending.

In 1996, 23 rallies were planned with an attendance of half a million.