I Prayed have prayed
Father, thank You for this group. We ask that you help it prosper and bring You glory. Give them wisdom and discernment as they move forward.
Reading Time: 4 minutes

In 1997 I stood with my sons and 1.4 million boys, young and older men on the DC Mall for the Promise Keepers historic “Stand in the Gap” event. It was the largest gathering in DC history.


When the day ended we exited the mall and there was no trash or litter to be found. Law enforcement officers experienced not one single incident on the grounds. Time magazine covered the massive gathering as scores of men departed with vision for godly manhood and servanthood in challenging times.

I still treasure the poster I’ve kept from the unforgettable experience.

The DC gathering was a cherry on the cake for a ministry that reached over 7 million men in the 90s with 50, 60, 70,000 men gathering in NFL stadiums across America.

The founder of this God-ordained ministry, Coach Bill McCartney, previously served as head coach for the University of Colorado and their national championship football team. He later departed to attend to his ailing wife and was part of a nucleus of leaders acknowledging that somehow success had gotten the best of the ministry.

A NASA scientist once shared how on their initial ventures into space they often drifted off the mark up to 90% of the time. They needed a course correction on a regular basis. Like Starbucks getting overextended a few years ago, Promise Keepers needed to seek the Lord afresh about continuing, closing, or simply communing with God about a needed course correction.

Today under the visionary leadership of new Chairman and CEO, Ken Harrison, the Promise Keepers ministry is beautifully being launched for a new era with exciting new vision.

Courage to Close or Continue

Being obedient to God when He specifies it’s time to bring closure to a ministry takes courage and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. During the Jesus Movement I had the privilege of being part of a leadership team serving a gathering weekly about 10 minutes from the White House with 2000 primarily young people.

After an extended period of seeking God, we “followed the cloud” and concluded the ministry at the end of the decade. God had a new direction for many of us and the next step was going to be focused on church planting and leadership development.

When Ken was invited to participate with a core of their leaders attempting to discern God‘s direction for the ministry, he saw incredible work needed to be done if God was to resurrect Promise Keepers. He confesses initially he wanted nothing to do with it.

“But God…” (how often do we read these words in sacred scripture?) moved upon the men’s hearts and Ken, along with a company of the committed, eventually knew God was ready for a reset and a relaunch.

Millions Impacted in 84 Countries

In July, amidst the COVID-19 crisis, men of all ages came together for a comeback virtual rally – the first one in 20 years! Lean in and let Ken describe on the podcasts what happened. Check out their website [Promisekeepers.org] to watch highlights of the extraordinary experience that multitudes pray will be the first of many to come!

In January of 2021, this fantastic ministry is rolling out another virtual experience to inspire and equip men on the hard-hitting issues we face at this critical time. How about no holds barred teaching dealing with marriage and sex… losing a child… every man’s struggle, pornography… and it’s all free!

There’s just something unique, drawing God’s empowering Presence, when men come together and humble themselves to be inspired and equipped to better serve God triumphantly and authentically. These chaotic and challenging times demand we be watchful and remain steadfast, bold and strong.

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be bold like men, and be strong” (1Cor.16:13).

Dr. James Dobson, one of my heroes and a patriarch in the faith, exhorts us in this hour, “The Western world stands at a great crossroads in its history. It is my opinion that our very survival as a people will depend on the presence or absence of masculine leadership in millions of homes.”

Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper

Let’s humble ourselves and be honest. Isn’t it time for all of us men to recommit ourselves to practice the original 7 promises of a Promise Keeper? It’s time to take a fresh look at this initiative once again.

Therefore I will not be negligent to always remind you of these things…I consider it right, as long as I live in this body, to stir you up by reminding you…” (2 Pet. 1:12-13).

  1. A Promise Keeper is committed to honor Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word through 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 and the Great Commission.Idea Whose Time Has Come AgainPastor and author Chuck Swindoll has written, “Masculinity is vanishing. Throughout the land, fathers have lost their way to true manhood and have thrown responsibility to the wind. Sex roles are blurring, masculine leadership is disappearing, and like dominoes, homes and marriages are collapsing.”In Isaiah we read that the Lord looked over a nation experiencing judgment and “He saw that there was no man…” (Isa.59:16). The prophet Ezekiel paints a similar picture in which God again says, “I looked for a man… but found none” (Ezek. 22:30).

    Here’s the deal: Amidst America’s cultural depravity and decline, God is moving in a fresh way to equip men to rise to the occasion as examples and engage a watching world with His design for true manhood. The reemergence of Promise Keepers in our generation is His gift to all of us. Let’s take advantage of it and make a difference in our day!

Larry Tomczak is a cultural commentator of 46 yrs, Intercessors for America board member, best-selling author and a public policy advisor with Liberty Counsel. His innovative video/book, BULLSEYE, develops informed influencers in 30 days (see www.bullseyechallenge.com). Hear his weekly podcast here. (Photo Credit: Unsplash.)

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Yvonne A
December 11, 2020

I’m glad to hear it, finally something I have prayed for, for years. There are so many married women in the church who are tired of going to church…alone….the one being the spiritual leader in the home….alone…the one taking the kids to church…alone….praying with the kids…alone. Yes there is the problem of porn and other issues…but what about the sometimers? What are you going to do about the men who confess faith but only darken the door on a special occasion? What are you going to do to reach out to them? I’m sorry a super early men’s breakfast and Bible study opportunity isn’t going to cut it! A big rally isn’t going to cut it.. A fishing/hunting trip with a Bible study snuck in, yes that works! Maybe the reason he’s home playing video games or doing a project is not just because he doesn’t love God or is lazy, maybe he has social anxiety/ ADD/ or Aspergers and he’s too hyper to sit in church! Maybe he feels awkward or fake or judged. Maybe he’s in early recovery from addiction and he feels like he has nothing in common! Maybe he has a thing with God because his Dad never told him he loved him! But the same guy: you have a big problem in the church (roof blown off by tornado) and he will be the first one there to help clean up! (Wild At Heart, PK leaders–read it!)How do you plan to reach a man like that? We women need them back in church we are tired of leading all the time!!!!

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Karen Secrest
December 11, 2020

Let’s not forget the women being impacted by this movement. I recall, “In the Day”, Kelly Copeland saying, “so many women in the Woman’s Lib Movement have never known a Promise Keeper.” Valid then, more so now..

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Ana
December 11, 2020

May God raise up an army of godly men: real promise-keeping men who are soldiers of the Cross, children of the Light, warriors of righteousness with healing in their hands!
Let them be the fathers that God has called them to be; lead every fatherless child to a strong male mentor; especially let godly empty-nesters and all godly single men reach out to the fatherless children within their circle of influence to lead them in the biblical way they should go.
Lord, give these men a fresh revelation of yourself as their perfect Abba Father, their loving Heavenly Daddy! Lord, send Your warring angels to protect every Promise Keeper from every onslaught of the devil, and Your ministering angels to heal them in body, soul and spirit, to encourage and strengthen them to do Your will- in Jesus’s Mighty Name, Amen!!!

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