c. 1999 Religion News Service

UNDATED _ Promise Keepers has scaled back its plans to gather men and their families at state capitols around the country on Jan. 1, 2000.

Instead, officials of the evangelical Christian men’s ministry now say they will provide materials for”in-home gatherings”on that day and will work with other church groups on other events, such as joint services, to mark the turn of the century.”As we have … planned the events that will go on in the year 2000 … it is becoming less likely that large gatherings at state capitols is a wise thing to do,”Steve Ruppe, director of public affairs for Promise Keepers, said Monday (Feb. 8).

Ruppe attributed the decision in part to continuing concerns over potential Y2K computer problems. Y2K _ Year 2000 _ refers to concerns that computers could read 2000 as the year 1900 instead, prompting a rash of possible malfunctions.”There’s an awful lot of questions in some minds as to the Y2K bug and how much of an effect it’s going to have on people,”Ruppe said.

Promise Keepers founder Bill McCartney announced the state capitols plan to men gathered at Stand in the Gap, the ministry’s largest event in Washington, D.C., in 1997.

Equal Partners in Faith, one of Promise Keepers’ critics, cheered the decision not to fo forward with that plan.”These rallies were planned for an election year and were clearly tied to the divisive and exclusive political agenda of the Promise Keepers’ leadership,”said the Rev. Steven Baines, projects coordinator of the Washington-based group.”We are naturally pleased that they will not now take place.” Ruppe responded by saying that Promise Keepers has no political agenda.”The organization has been so totally nonpolitical for its entire existence,”he said.”That’s just disingenous.” Brenda E. Brasher, author of a forthcoming book on Promise Keepers, said the decision not to try and”top”Stand in the Gap with an even larger event may reflect a realization that that’s not what average men involved with the ministry want.”I really am finding, at least at the regional level, that there is a diminished participation on the part of men in this organization and on the other hand, I’m still finding the accountability groups, the very small groups, going strong.” Men have been meeting across the country in these groups, often weekly, to study a Bible text or a book recommended by Promise Keepers and to share their everyday struggles.”I think that the event at the state capitols was really more in keeping with the organizational ideology at the national level,”said Brasher, an assistant professor of religion and philosophy at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio.”This does indicate a marked change in the movement, but I do think it’s a change in keeping with where the grassroots have been headed.” Promise Keepers has seen a drop in attendance in its stadium and arena rallies _ from 638,000 at 19 events in 1997 to about 450,000 at the same number of events in 1998. It also is facing a lawsuit by a production company that accuses the ministry of stealing its staging techniques. And its decision to stop charging admission to its rallies has forced it to slash its national staff.

But Ruppe denied that the decision to drop the state capitols events was a sign of decline.”Do we fit into somebody’s idea of continuous growth equals success? Maybe not. That’s not what we’re here for,”he said.

The Rev. Gordon England, executive director of Promise Keepers’ Vision 2000, said municipalities were”not real nuts”about planning an event on that day, given the questions about Y2K.

Instead, he hoped that men will start that day using a devotional booklet _ provided by Promise Keepers for a nominal fee _ in a time of prayer with their families. Later in the day, he hopes families of men involved in Promise Keepers will gather at local churches for a service challenging people to serve their communities.

He also said congregations are more likely to get a bigger turnout at their own worship space than at a state capitol event, which in many states could be a considerable distance away.”It really opens up the parameters of speaking to a great cross-section of the church,”said England, who is helping the ministry make preparations for activities in 2000 and beyond.

Although detailed plans are still being worked out, England said the Jan. 1, 2000 church meetings could include a videotape or audiocassette featuring”a number of respected leaders”representing various denominations and racial and ethnic groups. Promise Keepers founder McCartney would be among them.

If there is a power outage, due to Y2K, a boombox, a small generator, or a church’s auxiliary power, might be used, England said.

Promise Keepers is part of a coalition of evangelical ministries called Mission America that is planning a series of outreach activities before, on and after Jan. 1, 2000.

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