FAQs – Controversial Issues

1. Eight Biblical Principles of Reconciliation.
2. What does PK think the role of women should be?
3. Why does PK primarily use the NIV Bible?
4. What does PK believe about psychology?
5. What is PK’s position on the abortion/pro-life issue?
6. What is PK’s position on women clergy?
7. Is PK a political organization?
8. Is PK affiliated with the Christian Coalition or any other groups from the “religious right”?
9. I heard that the PK Statement of Faith was changed to make it acceptable to more people. Is this true?
10. Does PK embrace Catholicism?
11. Does PK use Mormon speakers?
12. Does PK welcome men from all walks of life and denominations to its events?
13. Is PK a “New Age” organization.
14. Homosexuality Statement.

1. Eight Biblical Principles of Reconciliation.

   Promise number six of The Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper is a commitment to “reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity.” Examined closely, each of the Seven Promises, indeed, the essence of Jesus Christ’s message, reveals the principle of reconciliation at work in all human relationships. Promise Keepers has identified eight biblical principles that, when applied, help people grow and succeed at reconciliation efforts.

   Principle One: The Call (Key Word: Mandatory) II Corinthians 5:17-21
   We are called to be involved in the ministry of reconciliation, but some have a special call to minister in diverse situations.

   Principle Two: Commitment to Relationships (Key Words: Conflict Resolution) Ruth 1:16,17
   Reconciliation is built upon the foundation of committed relationships.

   Principle Three: Intentionality (Key Word: Perseverance) Ephesians 2:14,15
   Intentionality is the purposeful, positive and planned activity that facilitates reconciliation.

   Principle Four: Sincerity (Key Words: Trust and Transparency) John 15:15
   Sincerity is the willingness to be vulnerable, including self-disclosure of feelings, attitudes, difference and perceptions, with the goal of resolution and building trust.

   Principle Five: Sensitivity (Key Words: Knowledge and Understanding) Ephesians 4:15,16
   Sensitivity is the intentional acquisition of knowledge in order to relate empathetically to any diverse situation, person, place or organization.

   Principle Six: Sacrifice (Key Word: Cost) Philippians 2:3,4
   Sacrifice is the willingness to relinquish an established status or position in order to facilitate diverse relationships.

   Principle Seven: Empowerment (Key Words: Repentance and Forgiveness) II Corinthians 8:9
   Empowerment is the use of repentance and forgiveness to create complete freedom in diverse relationships.

   Principle Eight: Interdependence (Key Word: Equality) II Corinthians 8:12-14
   Interdependence recognizes differences but realizes that each offers something that the other needs, resulting in equality in that relationship.

   In support of these eight principles, Promise Keepers offers resources to help in their application.

2. What does PK think the role of women should be?

   We believe husbands are called to love their wives just as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).

   Promise Keepers believes that men and women are completely equal at the foot of the cross. Paul writes in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” As we continue to pursue reconciliation in the body of Christ, we believe unity in Christ transcends ethnic, social, and gender distinctions.

3. Why does PK primarily use the NIV Bible?

   Although Promise Keepers has used many versions of the Bible in our publications, (New International, King James, New American Standard, The Living Bible, The Message, New King James, Revised Standard Version, and The Amplified Bible) we have chosen to use the New International Version in the PK New Testament.

   There are many reliable Bible translations available to us today. Each translation has its own unique purpose, which determines how it is to be translated and the language-style used. Promise Keepers does not endorse one translation over another, but rather we recognize that each version meets a different need in the body of Christ. We have chosen to use the New International Version because of its readability. Sixty percent of our attendees invite a friend to the conference. We are aware that some of these attendees may have never owned or have read a Bible prior to their conference experience. Our goal is to provide practical resources for men to use in their daily life. Because this translation is easy to read and understand, we feel it best meets the needs of our constituency.

What does PK believe about psychology?

Promise Keepers is committed to testing the truth of every concept, teaching or discipline that we offer by sifting it through the grid of Scripture. Anything that is contradictory to the Word of God will always be rejected by this ministry.

Promise Keepers believes that psychology is a tool that can be used, or misused. Certainly, there is a great deal of commendable and understandable concern in the body of Christ over the issue of how and where psychology fits in the Christian life. Some very clear humanistic ideas not only conflict with Christian values, but flatly contradict biblical teaching. But those are not the values nor the teachings that we find in the writings of Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Gary Oliver, Dr. Gary Rosberg, Gary Smalley and Dr. John Trent. All of these men seek to understand the human soul and the behaviors that are born out of the human soul from a biblical perspective. Their ultimate goal is to help others follow Jesus Christ in a way that glorifies God. It is not their desire, nor the desire of Promise Keepers, to ever make the Bible subservient to psychology.

Our primary goal will always be to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and glorify His Father. We remain committed to using the resources that God has provided to pursue this goal, and we will always reject methods that violate the truth of the Scriptures.

4. What is PK’s position on the abortion/pro-life issue?

   Promise Keepers believes that when men choose to intentionally live according to the truth of God, they will become first men of conviction and then men of action. One of these Biblical truths is to respect the sanctity of life and defend the defenseless (Matt. 25:31-40; Deut. 30:15-20). Those in the womb are some of the most defenseless of all human beings and destroying their lives as a means of birth control is surely a sin (Luke 1:39-45; Isaiah 49:1-6).

   As an organization we firmly believe God has called us to stay the course that He has set for us: to ignite and unite men to become warriors who will change their world through living out the “Seven Promises” to God, their families, their fellow man and community. As such, we desire and pray for a generation of men of integrity, action and conviction.

   Promise 3 states: “A promise keeper is committed to moral, ethical, sexual and spiritual purity.” In light of the rampant promiscuity of our culture it is perhaps a needed reminder that sexual activity outside of marriage amounts to fornication or adultery in the Scripture. Therefore Promise Keepers’ perspective is to herald the call of Christ for men to fulfill their God-given responsibilities and to redirect their passions for good, instead of evil.

   According to Fredericka Matthews-Green’s book Real Choices, 88% of women who get abortions say at least one man, in some capacity, has pressured her to get an abortion. Theologian John Rankin (Hartford, CT) says most women facing the abortion issue blame their need for an abortion on “male chauvinism,” or men who were not willing to accept responsibility in some capacity. Jim Kessler, vice president of policy for Third Way, reports that 83% of all women who have abortions are not married in the “Demographics of Abortion”. Were men to practice sexual purity by keeping sexual intercourse within the bond of marriage, the great majority of abortions would never occur.

5. What is PK’s position on women clergy?

   As the fifth promise of a Promise Keeper states, “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.”

   In accordance with this, our overriding concern is not the gender of the pastor.

   The selection of a leader within a local church is the choice and sole responsibility of the church and denomination of which it is a part.

   We do recognize that there is disagreement within the Church regarding women clergy and how women should serve. A given person’s attendance at any of our events should not be perceived as Promise Keepers’ endorsement of all the teachings or interpretive biblical beliefs of the individual or the church they represent.

6. Is PK a political organization?

   No. Promise Keepers is politically neutral and is not politically motivated in any way. Promise Keepers has no candidates to endorse, no legislation to advance, and no partisan political agenda. We believe God has called us to one mission – the distinct ministry of uniting men to become godly influences in their world – and we remain committed to staying the course that has been set for us.

7. Is PK affiliated with the Christian Coalition or any other groups from the “religious right”?

   No. Promise Keepers has no affiliation with the Christian Coalition or any other organization. Promise Keepers is not politically motivated in any way. We believe God has called us to one mission – the distinct ministry of uniting men to become godly influences in their world.

8. I heard that the PK Statement of Faith was changed to make it acceptable to more people. Is this true?

   No. Promise Keepers’ Statement of Faith (written in 1991) represents a core theology of historic doctrines of the Church. We feel compelled to call believers together according only to our highest common denominators – faith in Christ and the truth of God’s Word. Promise Keepers believes that true biblical unity must be based on the historically essential truths of Christianity.

   In the original version, tenet number five read: “We believe that man was created in the image of God, but because of sin, was alienated from God. That alienation can be removed only by accepting through faith alone God’s gift of salvation which was made possible by Christ’s death.”

   This tenet was revised in 1996, due to a simple desire on the part of Promise Keepers’ Board of Directors to improve and clarify the commonly understood Biblical terms of salvation. The current version of tenet number five reads: “We believe that man was created in the image of God, but because of sin, was alienated from God. Only through faith, trusting in Christ alone for salvation which was made possible by his death and resurrection, can that alienation be removed.”

   The revision has not altered the meaning of this key principle in any way. Our objective was to bring more clarity to this important fundamental truth of Christianity. The revision also expresses Ephesians 2: 8-9 more accurately than the old version, thus we feel we are being more true to Scripture. Promise Keepers believes that salvation is a free gift from God and cannot be earned by any human effort.

   Promise Keepers remains committed to clarifying the message of the ministry whenever needed.

9. Does PK embrace Catholicism?

   Promise Keepers welcomes all men to participate in our ministry; however, this should not be perceived as an endorsement of all the teachings of any church affiliation. Our focus is on what we have in common biblically and where a man’s heart is. As we pursue men’s ministry, we want to clearly challenge all men with the Gospel message. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

   Certainly, there are Catholics who embrace our Statement of Faith in which case we regard them as brothers in Christ. Views concerning salvation within Catholic circles do indeed vary from church to church. Therefore, regardless of any man’s church affiliation, the issue of a person’s salvation is between God and the individual.

10. Does PK use Mormon speakers?

    No. As a Christ-centered ministry, Promise Keepers takes the privilege of choosing speakers for our events very seriously, and we enter into each decision with a great deal of prayer. Promise Keepers extends invitations only to those speakers who believe in Jesus Christ and who are committed to sound biblical instruction. Our ministry chooses speakers based upon their agreement to provide a message that is relevant to men, while adhering to and agreeing with the Seven Promises and our Statement of Faith.

    The beliefs of the Mormon Church are inconsistent with historic, orthodox Christianity and the Promise Keepers Statement of Faith.

11. Does PK welcome men from all walks of life and denominations to its events?

    Yes. As a Christ-centered ministry, Promise Keepers desires to share what Jesus Christ can do in a person’s life with all men. Obviously, we cannot share this with a man if he is shut out of our events due to his church affiliation, lifestyle, etc.

    Promise Keepers starts each stadium event with an evangelistic message. We give all men who have never responded to the Gospel message the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Our official stance to welcome men from all walks of life is rooted in our desire to include them in our conference sessions. Here the Lord can and does ignite in many the desire to take life-changing steps toward true godly living, according to the biblical model of Jesus Christ.

12. Is PK a “New Age” organization.

    No. Promise Keepers has never been affiliated with or accepted funding from a New Age organization. It is our desire to clarify the fundamental biblical principles that we stand upon.

    We invite you to read our Statement of Faith.

13. Homosexuality Statement.

    Promise Keepers shares the same historic stance taken by Evangelicals and Catholics: that sex is a good gift from God to be enjoyed in the context of heterosexual marriage. We believe that the Bible clearly teaches that homosexuality violates God’s creative design for a husband and a wife and that it is a sin (Matthew 19:4-5; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

    Because we have experienced the love of Christ, we desire to share His love with all men. While we have clear convictions regarding the issue of homosexuality, we invite homosexuals to be recipients of God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness, available to everyone through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We therefore support their being included and welcomed in all our events.