Reprinted with permission

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROMISE KEEPERS
By Pastor Wayne Camp
Pilgrims's Hope Baptist Church, Memphis Tennesee.

Web site: http://www.concentric.net/~Rwcamp/
(Send e-mail to RWcamp@cris.com )

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Over the years I have investigated a number of movements such as the Mormons, Catholicism, Pentecostalism, Russellites (falsely called Jehovah’s Witnesses), Planned Parenthood, the Jesus Movement, and others. I have never been quite as stunned as when I began (by request) to investigate the latest phenomenon, The Promise Keepers (Hereafter I will call them the PK’s to save time and space). Never have I seen such a conglomerated mess of doctrines taken from mythology, psychology, paganism, humanism, the barking dog in the glass cathedral, and other "isms" and "ologies". PK’s have a meeting scheduled in Memphis in the month of October. With that in mind, I thought, at the suggestion of others, that I would write an article for the October, 1996, issue of this paper.

I began my research on the Internet. I have downloaded nearly 500 pages of favorable and unfavorable material. I have gone to a local "Christian" (?) bookstore which has an entire section dedicated to PK’s. In addition, they have a section connected that is dedicated to the "men’s" movement in general (The Christianized Men’s Movement). I spent about two hours perusing the books written by the leaders of the PK’s to see if what I was finding on the Internet was really in their books. Since their books have very little information on each page I could peruse a page pretty quickly, hence a book pretty quickly since their over-priced, slickly presented books are also very short. More will be said about this later. At this time I have not persuaded myself to invest any money in their books. I hate spending good money to purchase their over-priced, poorly written, slickly decorated books. I will make a trip to a couple of libraries to see if they have wasted their money on them. If not, I may spend a good deal of time in bookstores that handle them verifying quotes others have made from them.

By the time I had done the research I have described (more will be done as this series progresses), I had jotted down a list of things that I saw that I felt should be exposed. I will give a list of these later, but first let me show you the seven promises of the PK’s.

THE SEVEN PROMISES

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Taken from the book Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper published by Focus on the Family Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO 80995. (Editor’s note: Pop psychologist James Dobson is very much involved in and supportive of the PK movement. His publishing company publishes some of their books.)

In this series of articles we will look at several things concerning the promises keepers which I am going to list and briefly comment on. In future articles we will come back to each of these items and expose the error of the PK’s on each.

THE ORIGIN OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS WRONG. The movement was founded in 1990 by James Ryle, pastor of Boulder Valley Vineyard, which is part of the Vineyard Keepers movement, the extremist, Pentecostal group where the Laughing Phenomenon of Pentecostalism originated, and by Bill McCartney, the figure-head founder and writer of the PK’s movement. Ryle is a member of the board of directors of PK.

THE BIBLIOLOGY OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS WRONG. While they do occasionally appeal to the Scripture in their books, most of their positions and lessons are found in such books as The Masculine Journey: Understanding the Six Stages of Manhood. The book, by Robert Hicks, is actually a spin off from a book by popular New Ager, Robert Bly, which admittedly draws its ideas for the stages of manhood from mythology, shamanism among the American Indians, and pagan rites of manhood. When PK’s use the Scriptures, they usually grossly abuse them with their interpretations. In some cases, as will be shown, they twist them to teach the exact opposite of what they really teach, a necessity for their aggressive ecumenism.

THE SOTERIOLOGY OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS WRONG. They welcome Roman Catholics and Mormons as born-again believers in Christ, when both these groups teach an erroneous way of salvation. Of course, the PK’s are Arminian to the core, also. They place more emphasis on their seven promises and the six stages of manhood than on true evangelism.

THE CHRISTOLOGY OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS WRONG. Every man who attended the 1993 PK convention in Boulder, Colorado, received a free copy of The Masculine Journey: Understanding the Six Stages of Manhood. In this book there are references to a "phallic" Jesus. According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, "phallic" means "relating to or being the stage of; psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory during which a child becomes interested in his or her own sexual organs. "Phallicism," according to the same authority, is "the worship of the generative principle as symbolized by the phallus (penis)." In one of their studies they suggest that Jesus had thoughts of committing homosexual acts. This is done to encourage men to freely talk of their own sexual thoughts and of their sex life with their wives. It is necessary to discuss and confess all such thoughts to pass one of the stages of manhood set forth in The Masculine Journey. In the book, Hicks also accuses Jesus Christ of being a sinner, and of having sexual thoughts and fantasies about Mary Magdalene.

THE THEOLOGY OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS WRONG. In 1990 at a Vineyard Harvest Conference in Denver, James Ryle, Bill McCartney’s pastor, claimed that God had personally revealed to him and instructed him to reveal to his church that He was going to bring about a worldwide revival through Music. He claimed that God told him that the 60-70’s rock stars, the Beatles and their music, were the direct result of a special anointing of the Holy Spirit. For support for their teachings, PK’s more often cite The Masculine Journey, than the word of God. This book quotes men (as authorities) such as Carl Jung, a demon-possessed psychiatrist, Leanne Payne, a New Age psychiatrist and occultist/spiritualist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. Promise Keeper speakers, including Bill McCartney, are constantly claiming to have had direct revelations from God about things that are not in agreement with Scripture. The PK’s get their ideas of God from their personal experiences and feelings, more than from the Bible. Some who have studied the movement from its origin are of the opinion that it is headed down the road of modern Gnosticism. Gnostics look to dreams, personal experiences and revelations, and other writings as essential to understanding God and the Scriptures.

THE ECCLESIOLOGY OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS WRONG. This goes without saying, almost. They were born out of a fringe group of Pentecostalism which is itself an unscriptural movement. They are a parachurch organization and believe they have been given a commission to break down the walls of doctrinal differences and unite the churches. It is their opinion that they are to impact the pastors (they call us "clergy") and to take the pastors and make them be what they have to be to be a part of this army of men. PK’s Bill McCartney called for a meeting of over 100,000 clergymen in Atlanta, GA. Speaking of those pastors, McCartney said, "We can’t have anybody pass up that meeting. If a guy (pastor) says that he doesn’t want to go, he needs to be able to tell us why he doesn’t want to go. ‘Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of what God wants to do with His hand-picked leaders?’" McCartney went on to call for one leadership in the entire nation for all the churches. "One Leadership, Unity of Command."

THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS WRONG. They subscribe to the Pagan and mythological ideas of men maturing. Their stages in the masculine journey are absolutely without biblical authority. The authority for these things is found in the mysticism of the American Indians, the mythology of Paganism, and the psychobabel of Jung, Bly, and Hicks. In The Masculine Journey, previously mentioned, which has the approval of PK’s, Hicks states on page 51, "We are called to worship God as phallic kinds of guys, not as some sort of adrogynous, neutered non-males so popular in many feminist enlightened churches. We are told by God to worship Him in accordance to what we are—phallic men." No where in God’s word is such a thing found.

THE PAGANISM OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS EVIDENT. Robert Bly, in a treatise called Iron John, expressed the need for men to experience the ancient, occultic rites of initiation. Pagan rites of initiation have existed in primitive societies past and present and are usually found as a fundamental practice in most secret male societies. Hicks has simply "Christianized" these pagan practices and doctrine.

THE PROMISE KEEPERS ARE DISTINCTLY PENTECOSTAL. Though they claim to be very ecumenical, they are distinctly Pentecostal. Most of their leaders are Pastors or members of Pentecostal churches. One secular reporter who was assigned to do a story on one of the rallies related his experience in trying to interview some of the men. He said they kept laughing. He would ask a question about the movement and they would laugh as they were answering. Apparently this is the effect of the Laughing Phenomenon that is growing among fringe sects of Pentecostalism. Vineyard Keepers, with which most of the leaders are affiliated, is the nest of this heresy. Alleged direct revelations from God set the doctrine and practice for PK's just as it often does for other Pentecostal groups. Remember Oral Robert’s 90 foot Jesus who told him to build a hospital that was unneeded and almost unused and had to be sold. Remember Jim and Tammy Faye and the things God allegedly told them to do. This is the heart of PK’s theology and methodology. Nearly anything they decide to do is the result of a vision or a dream. Their seven promises were born out of a staff prayer meeting, not derived from the word of God.

THE ECUMENISM OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS DANGEROUSLY WRONG. In fact, it is felt by many that this is the most dangerous aspect of this movement. Promise Six of the Seven Promises says, "A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity." It is apparent they are willing to downplay nearly any doctrine to achieve an unscriptural unity. There leaders have written books about "tearing down the walls," "breaking down the walls," "destroying the walls," and other such ideas. It seems that the greatest motivation they have is "to unite men who are separated by race, geography, culture, denomination, and economics." They do not call on Mormons to leave Mormonism. They do not call upon Catholics to leave Catholicism. In fact they have promised Catholic leaders there will by no proselytizing of their people. Over the last few decades there have been several forces that have made inroads into "Christianity" with the message of ecumenism. It started with the National Council of Churches. It was enhanced by the ecumenism of the Charismatic movement. It was further advanced by the prophets of psychobabbleism. The practice of analyzing all things via "Christian Psychology" has caused many to support and recommend men who were doctrinally unsound because they had found an audience with their psychological approach to the solving of problems of Christians. The Bible is all we need for counseling. PK’s is cursed with all these. Their calls for unity is distinctly in the spirit of the National Council of Churches. Their Pentecostalism is another tool in this ecumenism. They are loaded with men who major in psychology, among them Robert Hicks and James Dobson.

THE COMMERCIALISM OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS GREEDY. At one meeting in Atlanta, Feb. 13-15, 1996, the registration fees brought in between $3-$4 million. This is not a drop in the bucket to what is made off the sale of PK’s products. They sell polo shirts, $28, windbreakers $35, sweatshirts, $45, caps $10-$16, and coffee mugs, $5. They market tapes, books, videos, and other PK’s materials. They have run greedily after gain.

THE HUMANISM OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS WRONG. All Arminian movements are infected to some degree of humanism, self-esteem, and self love. It abounds in PK’s. There entire approach is to appeal to man and his own ability to lift himself up. It is seen in their stages of manhood. It is seen in their mentoring. It is rampant in the chanting and other things that are done to get the emotions running high. It teaches men to depend on other men for their success as a Christian. They absolutely teach that without a few other men mentoring and assisting, no man can grow into the man God would have him be. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

THE ALLIANCES AND LEADERS OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS A MOTLEY CROWD. It is not my intention to name them here as I have named several in this introductory article already. This crowd makes for a confused mix of psychobabble and charismatic babble. Just today I read that Jerry Falwell may get on the bandwagon, as he did when Jim Bakker fell from his pinnacle.

THE MORALITY OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS SUSPECT. There are things in their endorsed book, The Masculine Journey, that, in the name of decency, I will not be able to tell you. There is evidence that their men’s meetings on the local level, at certain stages in their masculine journey, turn into locker room vulgarity. One of my men was recently told by a person whose husband is big in the local PK’s organization that he curses her and tries to lord it over her. When men are taught that Jesus entertained sexual thoughts and sexual fantasies about Mary Magdalene and also had homosexual desires and thoughts, there is little doubt that this will negatively affect their morality. There is some shocking information, including one guide book encouraging men to "celebrate their sin." One stage of manhood through which men must pass in this group is the "wounded stage." Various ways in which one may be wounded are named, including marital infidelity and divorce.

THE ESCHATOLOGY OF PROMISE KEEPERS IS GARBLED, UNINTELLIGIBLE, AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE. They don’t seem to care or know what their position is. It is asserted by several of their leaders that they are building "Joel’s Army." This apparently has reference to the second chapter of the book of Joel. Joel 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? As we will show when this point is dealt with in detail, one of their leaders has been seeing visions and getting messages about this army since he was 19. And, it has been revealed to him it was happening at other gatherings but now he knows it is more certain in the PK’s movement.

CONCLUSION
This has only been an introduction to the religious babble of Promise Keepers. You will miss nothing that will enhance your spiritual life by not being in this movement. You do not personally need this movement. The Lord’s true churches do not need this movement.

A number of pastors who were favorable toward PK’s when the movement first started, are now opposed. Churches are being divided over the movement. It is probably one of the most dangerous and deceptive movements to come down the pike this century. It is a tool of Satan to accomplish his ecumenical mission. 1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

This page was last updated Monday, August 11, 1997.

THE PROMISE KEEPERS: THEIR FAULTY FOUNDATION EXPOSED
Article Two in Series on PK Movement
By Wayne Camp of
Pilgrims's Hope Baptist Church, Memphis Tennesee.

Ezekiel 13:14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. (KJV)

PRELIMINARIES
I know of no foundation of any unscriptural movement that is more unstable than the foundation on which the Promise Keepers is built. It is pure quicksand. In the previous issue of TGP&P, I wrote an introductory article on this movement. In this I mentioned spending a good deal of time in bookstores researching the matter to keep from buying the PK books. I finally, however, gave up and bought several so that I would have the evidence at hand, right from the horse’s mouth, as is often said. I could have used that money on better books. But, due to the incredible nature of some of the things taught in the books published for and by this organization, I simply felt it was a necessary investment. Moreover, I want first-hand information, though I could download most of what I will find from the Internet. In fact, I have downloaded many pages. I bought the books so that I could confirm that quotes and charges were correct.
As noted in the title, this article will deal with the origin, alliances and leaders of The Promise Keepers. The foundation of this movement is truly laid on the sand; it is not built on the foundation of the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. The alliances of PKs are truly questionable. We will look at these alliances in some detail next month. The leaders and speakers of promise keepers are an absolutely motley crowd as will be seen in future issues. They range from men who believe in Divine creation to men who believe in theistic evolution. They include men who are wildly charismatic to men that are thoroughly psychological in their approach to Christianity. They have built on a foundation that is sand and daubed their walls with untempered morter.

THE ORIGIN OF PROMISE KEEPERS
"Nothing in the world," he said, chuckling, "could have ever possibly happened worse, in the whole world, than for Promise Keepers—this incredible, significant, undeniably noble movement—to be spawned out of the Vineyard." (The Christian Conscience Web Site, Lynn and Sarah Leslie, Web sight address: http://www.netins.net/showcase/conscience).

These are the words of James Ryle, the pastor of Bill McCartney, the figurehead leader of Promise Keepers. Ryle is a Promise Keepers Board Member and participant in the founding of this movement. The Vineyard to which he refers is a group of churches called the Association of Vineyard Keepers. Particularly, the Boulder Valley Vineyard in Longmont, Colorado, is the congregation of which McCartney is a member and of which Ryle is pastor. More will be said about Ryle’s doctrinal stance when we look at the leaders of this movement. However, it is important to note now that Ryle boldly confesses that The Promise Keepers was "spawned out of the Vineyard." Ryle has been the pastor of Bill McCartney before and during the formative years of PKs. He is still McCartney’s pastor. As used here the word "spawn" means "to bring forth, to produce." It is therefore the contention of Ryle that the Vineyard produced or brought forth the PKs.

The Dallas/Forth Worth Heritage (June 1995) had an article by Chris Corbett in which he chronicled the connection of the Vineyard movement and Promise Keepers. Corbett wrote,
The Vineyard movement of churches is controversial even within its Pentecostal base. It has been labeled "hyper-Pentecostal" by its detractors, which have included figures such as Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel and evangelist David Wilkerson. Currently, the Vineyard is a major conduit for the "Holy Laughter Movement" in which those said to be filled with the Holy Spirit during a meeting might begin laughing uncontrollably, becoming paralyzed, roar like a lion or howl like a dog.

Dr. A. L Barry, President of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in a letter that was published in full in Christian News, June 10, 1996, wrote to a church member who had asked him about Promise Keepers. In that letter Dr. Barry wrote,
"I have watched the PK movement develop. The background of the movement is important for us to understand. It traces its theological roots to the Pentecostal movement. For instance, the magazine of the PK movement features many advertisements from charismatic and Pentecostal organizations. The magazine itself is published by individuals who have been associated with a popular charismatic magazine called Charisma."

James Holly, M. D., has written an excellent article in which he said,
"Lacking historical and biblical Christian roots, the leadership of Promise Keepers may have reflected the New Age and Mormon concept of man becoming a God by encouraging men to assume a responsibility which belongs to God. If men can and should be "promise keepers", then they can and should be little gods. This is what Joseph Smith taught, and this is what is taught by some who are embracing Promise Keepers."

Coach Bill McCartney, former head football coach at the University of Colorado, is credited with founding the PK movement. Formerly, McCartney was a Roman Catholic, but had converted to the Vineyard Christian Fellowship and has been a member since before the founding of PKs.

THE SPAWNERS OF PROMISE KEEPERS: THE VINEYARD MOVEMENT
Since the Vineyard movement is the movement which "spawned" the PK movement, it would be beneficial if we look at the Vineyard movement itself. This movement was founded by hyper-charismatic, signs and wonders "healer" John Wimber. Wimber, and many of his fellow pastors in the movement, believe that God is giving new revelations for today that should supersede Scripture. In fact, Bill McCartney often gives what he claims are direct revelations from God, when speaking to the PK meetings. Wimber, and McCartney’s pastor, James Ryle, are self-proclaimed modern-day prophets.

The problem with any movement that is brought in to being or dominated by such self-proclaimed prophets is that they can claim to have a revelation from God and they can take the movement in any direction. The last chapter of Revelation and chapters 11-14 of I Corinthians make it very clear that the Bible is the perfect and complete word of God and when men claim new revelation, they are adding to the word of God. This is specifically contradictory to the plain teachings of Scripture.
The Vineyard movement also espouses such radical views as "spirit slaying," and the "laughing revival." Eye witnesses to the meetings in which the laughing phenomenon has been seen report that people are lying on the floor jerking and shaking. They may be clucking like a hen, barking like a dog, growling like a lion, or giggling hysterically. This goes on for long periods of time. There is nothing godly nor Scriptural about such conduct. It demonic! It is Satanic!

ARE CHRISTIANS CALLED UPON TO MAKE PROMISES?
I have just returned from a trip which I made by myself. During the drive of approximately 1000 miles I listened to tapes of much of the New Testament. I listened for edification but I also had an ear open for any admonitions to Christian to make promises. The basic message of PKs is that to be a good Christian you must make promises. In the book, What Makes A Man, the reader is bombarded by Bill McCartney and the other authors of the book with the idea that you cannot be a mature Christian without making and keeping certain promises. I have done searches in Scripture and have listened to much of the New Testament on tape just recently. I have not found one place where any inspired writer called upon the Christian to be a promise keeper. In Scripture the Promise Maker and Promise Keeper is God, not man. In fact, we are cautioned against making promises, or vows.

The word promise is found in the New Testament 43 times. Forty-one times the word has reference to the promise of God. The two other times have absolutely nothing to do with Christians making promises. Acts 23:21 has to do with some Jews who were conspiring to kill Paul. They sought a promise from the chief captain who was guarding him that he would bring him down to the council so they could kill him while he was being brought down. II Peter 2:19 refers to promises made by false teachers. 2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption." This sounds amazingly like the leaders of Promise Keepers and how they promise men they can be liberated and grow into mature men, or "real men" as their bumper stickers proclaim.

The word "promises" appears 13 times in the New Testament and in every instance it refers to the promises of God. Not one time is it used in an admonition for Christians to make promises. Not one time does it suggest that one cannot be a real Christian man unless he makes promises. It confirms again that the only promise maker and promise keeper in Scripture is God.

The word "promised" is found in the New Testament 14 times. Eleven of those refer to the promises which God promised. Three times the word is used otherwise. In Matthew 14:7 it refers to a promise made by Herod which caused him to have to deliver up the head of John the Baptist on a silver charger. In Mark 14:11 and Luke 22:6 Judas promised to betray Christ for 30 pieces of silver.
Absolutely every time the words "promise", "promised", and "promises" are found in Scripture they either refer to the promises of God or to some evil promise that was made. Not one time are the words used to refer to promises of Christians. If making promises is so exceedingly important, one wonders why Jesus, Paul, and the other preachers and writers of the New Testament never called on Christian men or women to make promises.

The whole idea that men must be promise keepers if they are to be mature, trust- worthy Christians is without biblical basis. It is found in the reasonings of men, not in the Word of God. This is another flaw in the foundation of the PK movement.

THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR
The reader can plainly see that the foundation on which this PK movement is built is dubious, to say the least. The Lord established his first church on this earth during his personal ministry. Others were established from that during the ministry of the apostles. Others have been established since that time. According to God’s holy and infallible word, Christ commissioned that church and gave it all the instructions it needs. There is no mention in the Word of God of such movements as Promise Keepers. It is extra-scriptural, unscriptural, and anti-scriptural. It is no wonder the Promise Keepers organization is permeated with men who claim to have revelations directly from God. This is how they justify the existence of Promise Keepers. They cannot justify its origin or its continuance by the all-sufficient Word of God! When the ax is laid to the root of the Promise Keepers movement that root is found to be rotten and twice dead.