Saturday, January 24, 1998

Promise Keepers open clergy conference to women but few attend

By Kristin E. Holmes / Knight Ridder Newspaper

PHILADELPHIA -- When Elder Carolyn Scott and Evangelist Valerie Young walked into the Apollo of Temple in North Philadelphia last week, they gazed around the crowd of area clergy, hoping to see a healthy contingent of female faces.

It was the first event held by the Promise Keepers to include women. And it was the first time that the Christian men's organization, whose stadium rallies have drawn millions of men, had held an event in Philadelphia.

But Elder Scott and Young, both of Philadelphia, saw only a few other female clergy in a crowd of 3,400.

"I expected more women to be here. I was just so excited when they asked us to be a part of this," said Young. "But maybe they just didn't get the message out."

Bill McCartney, founder and head of the organization, acknowledged as much. Next time, he said, the group will do better job of spreading the word.

During a day that included singing and prayer, the gathering of ministers heard McCartney invoke the names of Jesus and former football coach Don Shula in his keynote speech. And one unscheduled event occurred: Promise Keepers guests struck up sidewalk debates with a group of their opponents who were distributing leaflets outside.

The Promise Keepers -- whose critics have accused them of being male supremacists -- had invited men and women pastors, elders, deacons, evangelists and lay leaders to attend a conference designed to offer practical tips on how to reach out to those who are often AWOL in the pews: men.

"The Promise Keepers are bringing back God's purpose," said Young, of New Testament Assembly Family Fellowship Church in Philadelphia. "In the 90s, women find themselves on the front lines doing things that men should be doing. As a woman, I would prefer for the man to take his role in the family."

Promise Keepers urge men to become responsible fathers and husbands, and to take their place as heads of the household. Men are asked to make seven promises, which include supporting the local church, fighting racial prejudice, and trusting in Jesus.

Last week's conference was the first of nine clergy conferences the organization will hold during the year. On July 10 and 11, the organization plans to return to Philadelphia, where it will hold one of its signature rallies for men at Veterans Stadium.

"Everybody seems to be in agreement that it's good to teach responsibility for one's own life and to care for one's family ..." said the Rev. Susan Davis of Elm Park United Methodist Church in Scranton, Pa. "But I think it's equally important to teach co-leadership in the home. As a woman, I'm not about to go back to a patriarchal culture."

Davis drove from Scranton with her senior pastor and several men from her congregation who had attended Promise Keeper events. She came to the conference because the men from her church urged her to see firsthand what the organization was about.

Promise Keepers asked women to attend the conference because 13 percent of men who are involved with the group attend churches with women pastors, McCartney said. The group wants all pastors to be able to "lead men to a more intimate walk with Christ."

McCartney opened the conference with a 43-minute speech called "Vision 2000" that was part pastor's sermon and part coach's pep talk. The former college football coach, who led the University of Colorado to a national championship, invoked the names of Jesus and former Shula of the Miami Dolphins, in a speech that explored the role of pastors in the lives of the men they lead.

Pastors must create vibrant men's ministries, pray without ceasing, and fight to reach out to people of different races and religious denominations, he said.

"We need you to lead us," McCartney said. "Once Jesus comes into our hearts, we are looking for you. We want to be called out. We want to be obedient. We want to serve."