ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, June 25, 1996 TAG: 9606250044
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CODY LOWE STAFF WRITER
With Promise Keepers' growth - from a single conference with 4,200 men in 1991 to an estimated 1.2 million men at 22 conferences this year - has come some controversy.
A few mainline denominations have expressed some 1 about the organization's theological positions (described in the related "Statement of Faith" box), but it is the group's men-only admissions policy that has raised the most suspicion.
Some critics fear the organization may encourage - even inadvertently -domineering husbands and fathers.
The organization is sensitive to the issue and attempts to defuse it by addressing it directly in all its literature and conferences.
Alan Moyer, who organized the bus trip from Bonsack Baptist Church to the Charlotte Promise Keepers conference, brought up the issue before a reporter asked the question.
"Promise Keepers is not anti-women," Moyer said.
What the organization teaches, he said, is that "you owe this woman" who is your wife - "that you are to uphold her and nurture her, and that arm-in-arm you are to raise your children together."
Promise Keepers says it has no intention of starting a similar organization for women, despite requests to do so, but intends to concentrate to filling what it saw as a void in Christian resources for men.
Men "are more apt to hear and receive the full instruction of the sessions setting," the group's literature says.
The organization doesn't compromise on its stand that the Bible teaches that men are to be the "head of the household."
But, as several of the speakers in Charlotte repeated numerous times, men are also taught that being "head" means leading through service, not as dictators.
The men in Charlotte also were reminded that "honoring your wife" means being available, sharing household chores, and being willing to live a "godly life."
Many of the men at the conferences are there at the prompting of their wives, Moyer said. Promise Keepers says "give us your husbands, and we'll give them back better," Moyer added.
LENGTH: Short : 50 linesby CNB