Promise Keepers is an international Christian organization for men, based in Denver, Colorado, United States, self-described as "a Christ-centered organization dedicated to introducing men to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, helping them to grow as Christians".^[1] Promise Keepers promote the view that husbands have a responsibility to be the head of their household in a gentle and loving way, following the example of Jesus Christ and giving his life to his wife, so she in turn can willingly submit to his leadership. They are also associated with Teenage abstancy policy of education. Promise Keepers is a non-profit organization in the United States. It is not affiliated with any Christian church or denomination. Their most widely publicized events have been mass rallies held at football stadiums and similar venues. They also sell a variety of promotional products to "help men keep their promises", including clothing, books, and music. Dr. Bruce Wilkinson developed the widely used video curriculum, Personal Holiness in Times of Temptation, as a part of “The Biblical Manhood” series for Promise Keepers. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Image File history File links Information. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... This article concerns how a man differs from women. ... Nickname: Location of Denver in Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded [1] November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Government  - Type Strong Mayor/Weak Council  - Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area [1]  - City & County  154. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Dr. Bruce Wilkinson is a well known Christian teacher and book writer. ...

The core beliefs of the Promise Keepers, outlined in the Seven Promises, consist of the following:

1. A Promise Keeper is committed to honoring 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 pursuing 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 practicing spiritual, moral, ethical and sexual purity.
4. A Promise Keeper is committed to building strong marriages and families through love, protection and Biblical values.
5. A Promise Keeper is committed to supporting 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 reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of Biblical unity.
7. A Promise Keeper is committed to influencing his world, being obedient to the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In mainstream Christianity, the... Overview The Great Commandment is found in the Bible in Mark chapter 12 verses 28-31. ... In Christian tradition, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread the faith to all the world. ...

History

Promise Keepers was founded in 1990 by Bill McCartney, formerly the head football coach at the University of Colorado at Boulder. According to the group's website, McCartney got the inspiration for Promise Keepers on March 20, 1990, while he was attending a Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet in Pueblo, Colorado, during a conversation with Dave Wardell, who was also in attendance at the event. He envisioned his home stadium, Boulder's Folsom Field, would be used as a gathering "for training and teaching on what it means to be godly men". In July 1990, 72 men came together at Boulder Valley Christian Church in Boulder to organize what would be Promise Keepers' first event at University of Colorado's Event Center. From that point, the Promise Keepers' membership gradually grew through word of mouth. By the time of the first official PK conference in July 1991, approximately 4200 men were in attendance. The organization was incorporated as a nonprofit in the state of Colorado in December 1990. William Paul McCartney (born August 22, 1940 in Riverview,Michigan) is the founder and former president of the controversial international men’s ministry known as the Promise Keepers and was the voice of the radio program 4th and Goal from 2000–2002. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... The University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder, UCB officially[2]; Colorado and CU colloquially) is the flagship university of the University of Colorado System in Boulder, Colorado. ... The City of Boulder ( , Mountain Time Zone) is a home rule municipality located in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Mission The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a not-for-profit organization that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. ... The City of Pueblo is a home rule municipality located in Pueblo County in southern Colorado. ... Folsom Field is a stadium in Boulder, Colorado. ... Coors Events Center is a 11,064-seat multi-purpose arena in Boulder, Colorado. ... Word of mouth, is a reference to the passing of information by verbal means, especially recommendations, but also general information, in an informal, person-to-person manner. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ...

What Makes a Man?, Promise Keepers' first hardbound book written for the organization, was first published by The Navigators' Navpress publishing arm in 1992 for its first Folsom Field gathering in June of that year. Dr. James Dobson had McCartney on his Focus on the Family nationwide radio program that same month. McCartney resigned his coaching position in 1994 in order to focus his attention on the organization. The Navigators is a worldwide Christian parachurch organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. Its main purpose is the discipling (training) of Christians with a particular emphasis on enabling them to share their faith with others. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... James Clayton Jim Dobson, Ph. ... The graphic identity of Focus on the Family is intended to recall old time traditional values. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ...

Promise Keepers' most notable event was its Stand in the Gap: A Sacred Assembly of Men open-air gathering at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 4, 1997. C-SPAN carried the event live in its entirety, and over one million men participated in it. It was reported at the time to be the largest gathering of men in American history, surpassing even the Million Man March.^{[citation needed]} In 1998, the Promise Keepers began to experience financial difficulties. There is speculation that the cause of this was related to the 1997 Washington rally. Attendance at regional rallies, admission to which cost $60 USD, dropped by 50%, as many men opted to attend the free Washington rally instead. The organization laid off its entire U.S. staff and became strictly a volunteer organization. [1]. From 1998 onwards, attendance figures at PK events were significantly smaller than they had been previously. Plans to have fifty simultaneous rallies on the grounds of every U.S. State Capitol at the turn of the millennium were canceled, over concerns about the Y2K bug. Further layoffs were announced in 2000. Facing east across the Mall with ones back towards the Lincoln Memorial. ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: , Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - D.C. Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Million Man March was a Black march of protest and unity convened by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in Washington, DC on October 16, 1995. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... For other uses, see Capitol (disambiguation). ... A millennium (pl. ... The year 2000 problem (also known as the Y2K problem and the millennium bug) was a flaw in computer program design that caused some date-related processing to operate incorrectly for dates and times on and after January 1, 2000. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

McCartney resigned as president on October 1, 2003 after a personal leave of absence to care for his wife's health which had begun to decline in the previous March. Thomas S. Fortson, Ph. D., previously the group's executive vice president for administration and operations since 1996, became the group's president and CEO the same day. is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Promise Keepers is non-denominational, and is a male only organization which says it focuses on the responsibilities of men that transcends race, wealth, and country. The group states "We believe that we have a God-given mission to unite men who are separated by race, geography, culture, denomination, and economics" [2]. 40% of its present staff is a racial minority.^{[citation needed]}

Criticism

The National Organization for Women, has expressed the view that PK is a substantial threat to women's rights insofar as it encourages inequality within marriages and treats men as superior to women. [3]. The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist group, founded in 1966, with 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. ...

According to Amy Schindler, "the discourse of masculinity found within conservative religious movements, such as the Promise Keepers and the Victorian era movement 'muscular Christianity,' is inherently political. Any masculinity project aimed at restoring or reclaiming a 'traditional' male role for privileged white, heterosexual males has a political impact within the tapestry of class, race, and gender power.^[2]

Despite the organization's pledge to end racial segregation in American churches and PK's racially diverse staff, (see promise #6 above) accusations of racism have also been levied against the Promise Keepers.^{[citation needed]} Racism is a belief or doctrine that differences in physical appearance between people (such as those upon which the concept of race is based) determine cultural or individual achievement, and usually involve the idea that ones own race is superior. ...

The group has also been criticized by conservative Evangelicals for doctrinal compromises and inconsistent doctrines. Many have lauded the group for its pro-life and pro-salt and light stances. However, PK makes continual measures to project its image as a "non-denominational" organization. Dave Hunt of Berean Call accuses Promise Keepers of holding to the value that it is "unimportant to distinguish whether or not God used evolution" (The Berean Call, March 1997, not online). Some conservative Christians call Promise Keeper's presentation of the Gospel "touchy-feely".[4] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The word evangelicalism often refers to... Issues of discussion Pro-life is a term representing a variety of perspectives and activist movements in bioethics. ... Salt and Light was a metaphor that was frequently used in classical times by Jews to describe the Mosaic law. ... Dave Hunt (1926 – ) is a Christian apologist, speaker, radio commentator and author. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ...

List of Conferences

1991: "Where are the Men?"

• Boulder, CO - University of Colorado Events Center

1992: "What Makes a Man?"

• Boulder, CO - Folsom Field (22,000 attendees)

1993: Face to Face

• Boulder, CO - Folsom Field (50,000 attendees)

1994: Seize The Moment

• Anaheim, CA
• Boise, ID
• Indianapolis, IN
• Denton, TX
• Portland, OR
• Irving, TX

1995: Raise the Standard

• Detroit, MI
• Los Angeles, CA
• Boise, ID
• Washington, D.C.
• Houston, TX
• Denver, CO
• Indianapolis, IN
• Atlanta, GA
• Seattle, WA
• Minneapolis, MN
• St. Petersburg, FL
• Oakland, CA
• Irving, TX

1996: Break Down the Walls

• Los Angeles, CA
• Kansas City, MO
• Seattle, WA
• Detroit, MI
• Minneapolis, MN
• Atlanta, GA
• Washington, D.C.
• Boise, ID
• Syracuse, NY
• Charlotte, NC
• Denver, CO
• Chicago, IL, Soldier Field
• Oakland, CA
• Pittsburgh, PA
• San Diego, CA
• Indianapolis, IN
• New Orleans, LA Superdome
• Eugene, OR
• Queens, NY
• Memphis, TN
• Jacksonville, FL
• Irving, TX Texas Stadium

1997: The Making of a Godly Man

• Honolulu, HI
• Detroit, MI
• Los Angeles, CA
• Cincinnati, OH
• Houston, TX
• Tampa, FL
• Chicago, IL
• Seattle, WA
• Birmingham, AL
• Kansas City, MO
• Knoxville, TN
• Washington, D.C.
• Buffalo, NY
• Miami, FL
• Fresno, CA
• St. Louis, MO
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Minneapolis, MN
• Irving, TX

1998: Live a Legacy: Make a difference in your lifetime

• Detroit, MI
• Little Rock, AR
• Los Angeles, CA
• Fresno, CA
• St. Petersburg, FL
• Knoxville, TN
• Columbia, MO
• Philadelphia, PA
• Minneapolis, MN
• Indianapolis, IN
• Eugene, OR
• Omaha, NE
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Houston, TX
• Tucson, AZ
• Milwaukee, WI
• Columbia, SC
• Sacramento, CA
• Colorado Springs, CO

1999: Choose This Day

• Memphis, TN
• Detroit, MI
• Indianapolis, IN
• Denver, CO
• Philadelphia, PA
• Tacoma, WA
• San Antonio, TX
• Charlotte, NC
• Hartford, CT
• Des Moines, IA
• Stockton, CA
• Kansas City, MO
• East Rutherford, NJ
• St. Petersburg, FL
• Phoenix, AZ

2000: Go the Distance

• Lynchburg, VA
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Dallas, TX
• Baton Rouge, LA
• Portland, OR
• Louisville, KY
• Milwaukee, WI
• Albuquerque, NM
• Worcester, MA
• Denver, CO
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Sacramento, Ca
• Minneapolis, MN
• Los Angeles, CA
• Orlando, FL
• Atlanta, GA

2001: Turn the Tide – Living Out An Extreme Faith

• Grand Forks, ND*
• Rapid City, SD*
• Jacksonville, FL
• Baltimore, MD
• Chicago, IL
• Columbus, OH
• Auburn Hills, MI
• Providence, RI
• Nashville, TN
• Indianapolis, IN
• San Jose, CA
• Kansas City, MO
• Charlotte, NC
• Houston, TX
• Tacoma, WA
• Anaheim, CA
• Nampa, ID
• Oklahoma City, OK

 *single day events 

2002: Storm the Gates

• Tampa, FL
• Atlanta, GA
• Rochester, NY
• Knoxville, TN
• Miami, FL
• Washington, D.C.
• Raleigh, NC
• Cleveland, OH
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Dallas, TX
• St. Louis, MO
• St. Paul, MN
• Denver, CO
• Los Angeles, CA
• Stockton, CA
• Phoenix, AZ

2003: The Challenge: A Call to Action

• Lubbock, TX
• Baltimore, MD
• Jackson, MS
• Peoria, IL
• Albany, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Louisville, KY
• Portland, OR
• Columbus, OH
• St. Paul, MN
• Raleigh, NC
• Atlanta, GA
• Dallas, TX
• Kansas City, MO
• Denver, CO
• San Jose, CA
• Las Vegas, NV

2004: "Uprising* The Revolution of a Man’s Soul"

• Albany, NY
• Baltimore, MD
• Greensboro, NC
• Dallas, TX
• Charleston, WV
• Detroit, MI
• Memphis, TN
• Indianapolis, IN
• Atlanta, GA
• St. Louis, MO
• San Antonio, TX
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Des Moines, IA
• Tucson, AZ
• San Diego, CA
• San Jose, CA
• Orlando, FL
• Seattle, WA

2005: "The Awakening* An Unpredictable Adventure"

• Fayetteville, AR
• Omaha, NE
• Ft Wayne, IN
• Greensboro, NC
• Philadelphia, PA
• East Lansing, MI
• Anaheim, CA
• Cleveland, OH
• Charleston, SC
• Nashville, TN
• Orlando, FL
• Mobile, AL
• St. Paul, MN
• Uniondale, NY(Long Island)
• Glendale, AZ
• Houston, TX
• Denver, CO
• Tacoma, WA

2006: Unleashed: Releasing the Raw Power of Your Heart

• Ft Lauderdale, FL June 2-3
• Baltimore, MD June 9-10
• Raleigh, NC June 16-17
• Albany, NY June 23-24
• Des Moines, IA July 7-8
• Columbus, OH July 14-15
• Jacksonville, FL July 21-22
• Atlanta, GA July 28-29
• Jackson, MS Aug 4-5
• Dallas, TX Aug 11-12
• Kansas City, MO Aug 18-19
• Colorado Springs, CO Aug 25-26
• Milwaukee, WI Sept 8-9
• Grand Rapids, MI Sept 15-16
• Louisville, KY Sept 22-23
• Spokane, WA Sept 29-30
• Sacramento, CA Oct 6-7
• Glendale, AZ Oct 13-14
• Los Angeles, CA Oct 20-21

2007: Flood: Energizing Men of Integrity

• Mobile, AL - June 29-30 - Mobile Civic Center
• San Antonio, TX - July 13-14 - AT&T Center
• Nashville, TN - July 20-21 - Nashville Arena
• Orlando, FL - July 27-28 - Amway Arena
• Columbia, SC - August 3-4 - The Colonial Center
• Cincinnati, OH - August 17-18 - U.S. Bank Arena
• Fresno, CA - August 24-25 - Save Mart Center

References

http://www.promisekeepers.org/about/pkhistory http://www.pk7db.com/2006/2006DownloadForm_20060201.pdf Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Bruce Wilkinson
• David Sweet
• The Navigators
• Focus on the Family
• Male bonding

Dr. Bruce Wilkinson is a well known Christian teacher and book writer. ... David Sweet is a Canadian Member of Parliament and former CEO of the Promise Keepers (Canada). ... The Navigators is a worldwide Christian parachurch organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. Its main purpose is the discipling (training) of Christians with a particular emphasis on enabling them to share their faith with others. ... The graphic identity of Focus on the Family is intended to recall old time traditional values. ... Male bonding is a term that is used in ethology, social science, and in general usage to describe patterns of friendship and/or cooperation in men (or in the case of ethology: males of various species). ...

Further reading

Books

• Brickner, Bryan W. 1999. The Promise Keepers: Politics and Promises. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
• Claussen, Dane S., ed. 1999. Standing on the Promises: The Promise Keepers and the Revival of Manhood. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press.
• Claussen, Dane S., ed. 2000. The Promise Keepers: Essays on Masculinity & Christianity. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., Inc.
• Hardisty, Jean V. 1999. Mobilizing Resentment: Conservative Resurgence from the John Birch Society to the Promise Keepers. Boston: Beacon Press.
• Novosad, Nancy. 2000. Promise Keepers: Playing God. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2000.
• Williams, Rhys H., ed. 2001. Promise Keepers and the New Masculinity: Private Lives and Public Morality. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

Other

• Bellant, Russ. 1995. "Promise Keepers: Christian Soldiers for Theocracy." Eyes Right: Challenging the Right Wing Backlash, ed. Chip Berlet. Boston: South End Press.
• Berkowitz, Bill. 1996. "Promise Keepers: Brotherhood and Backlash." Culture Watch, September, 1,4.
• Conason, Joe, Alfred Ross, and Lee Cokorinos. 1996. "The Promise Keepers Are Coming: The Third Wave of the Religious Right," Nation, October 7.
• Anderson, Connie. 1997. "Visions of Involved Fatherhood: Pro-Feminists and 'Promise Keepers.'" Paper, annual meeting, American Sociological Association, Toronto.
• Heath, Melanie A. 2003. "Soft-Boiled Masculinity: Renegotiating Gender and Racial Ideologies in the Promise Keepers Movement." Gender and Society, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 423-444.

External links

• Promisekeepers.org
• Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper (from their website)
• ReligiousTolerance.org's article on the Promise Keepers
• Barry Yeoman, The New Men's Movement, New Woman
• Tricia Tillin, et al, Promise Keepers A series of articles criticizing the group from a conservative Evangelical perspective.
• Criticisms levied against Promise Keepers.
• Promise Keepers 2007 Schedule