DeGraff Free Will Baptist Church
State Route 235/DeGraff, Ohio
(937) 585-4463
James R. Roby, PASTOR
PROMISE KEEPERS
by Pastor James R. Roby
“If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
2 JOHN 10-11
PROMISE KEEPERS is an organization founded in 1990 by ex-football coach Bill McCartney. Its President is Randy Phillips. Both of these men are Roman Catholics who have joined the hyper-charismatic Vineyard Movement led by self-proclaimed prophet John Wimber. Vineyard Churches (the force behind Promise Keepers) are proponents of heresies such as visualization, inner healing, the use of spirit guides, and even the so-called “laughing revival” that is sweeping through many churches. Most of PK’s board members are from the Vineyard Movement as well. McCartney claims that “the local church has failed in its mission to unite men and make them godly influences in their world” and so God has led him to create Promise Keepers to fill that glaring need. Amazingly, he feels that the church that Jesus built (Matt. 16:18) has failed, but the organization that he founded is succeeding. That kind of arrogance is hard to take! Blinded by success and bigness, people have become unable or unwilling to see the errors of this group.
Bible-believing Christians have always felt that soul winning is a major priority. The truth about how a lost sinner can be saved should always be articulated in the clearest and plainest of terms. When asked about how members of PK should approach winning Catholics and Mormons in attendance at their meetings, President Randy Phillips’ answered, “I think you are dealing with a whole area that is not our expertise or calling.” If getting lost souls saved is not the Christian’s calling, WHAT IS? How can this so-called ministry ignore the spiritual condition of those who attend their rallies and meetings? Don’t they care about the lost? PK’s attitude is that any doctrine that divides must be laid aside for the sake of unity. They want to “tear down the walls” that separate various religious groups by ignoring Bible truth. This would include refraining from telling a Mormon that he needs to be born again. They might anger him and cause him to quit supporting PK! For the same reason, they would not say anything to offend a modernist or a Roman Catholic. And so, they say nothing...even if it means people under their influence will end up in Hell! In PK rallies, Pastors are urged to come forward and confess the “sin” of letting doctrine divide them. Never mind remaining true to Jesus Christ and His inerrant Word...there must be unity at any price. UNITY at the expense of TRUTH is the sin that needs to be repented of. Our unity ought to be based on the truth! What God has said has always divided people...and it always will. (Exodus 8:23; Luke 12:51; John 7:43, 10:19; Romans 16:17; etc.). We cannot scripturally unite with people who are preaching a different plan of salvation and a different Jesus...like the Roman Catholics and the Mormons. Yet both of these cults have endorsed PK and have been welcomed aboard as brethren by McCartney’s organization. Many of PK’s leaders and speakers come from these groups. Steve Jenkins, PK field representative for the upper Midwest, is a Roman Catholic Charismatic. The preface of the Promise Keeper Ambassador’s Handbook says, “Remember as you are going out (to contact churches and pastors on behalf of Promise Keepers), you are not representing yourself and your personal stand on a doctrinal issue, but you are representing our unique mission and participating in the task of uniting men.” It is plain to see that they view doctrine (what you believe!) as the obstacle that interferes with their task of uniting men. In other words, let’s lay aside what we believe, tear down the walls and get together.
Read this fax dated 12/8/93: from PK, “As to homosexuality, Promise Keepers shares the same historic and Biblical stance taken by evangelicals and Catholics-that sex is a good gift from God—to be enjoyed in the context of heterosexual marriage. Promise Keepers also recognizes that homosexuality is a complex and potentially polarizing issue. There is a great debate surrounding its environmental and genetic origins, yet as an organization we believe that homosexuals are men who need the same support, encouragement and healing we are offering to all men. While we have clear convictions regarding the issue of homosexuality, we are sensitive to and have compassion for the men who are struggling with these issues. We, therefore, support them being included and welcomed in all our events.” Notice again, we know what the Bible says...but we also feel that this issue is potentially polarizing (having the ability to cause division). And so we will forget the Bible and welcome homosexuals in order to support them and encourage them. The Bible very clearly says that sodomy is an abomination and a sin. (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:21-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; etc. ). Instead of supporting and encouraging the Promise Keeping homosexual...we should tell him of his sin, call him to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. With eternity in view, wouldn’t that be more loving? Where are the men of integrity when it comes to defending Bible truth?
James Ryle, Coach McCartney’s pastor and a board member of PK, in teaching on the Shepherd leaving the ninety and nine to go after the one lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-13), says that this parable represents the “stupidity of God. He is so stupid that He would leave the ninety-nine sheep unprotected to go after just one!” Ryle says. What kind of a preacher would call God ‘stupid’? Certainly not a man annointed by the Holy Ghost! Psychotherapist Robert Hicks has written a book endorsed and promoted by PK called, The Masculine Journey: Understanding the Six Stages of Manhood. In it he teaches that David was a “manic-depressive” whose Psalms were the musings of a disoriented mind. (Page 114). All scripture is given by inspiration of GOD! (2 Timothy 3:16). How can Christians endorse such a thing? He also says , “I believe that Jesus was phallic (caught up with sexual lusts) with all the inherent phallic passions we experience as men.” Referring to the vile movie, The Last Temptation of Christ, Hicks says that Jesus may have been obsessed with sexual relations even as the movie portrays. He further states that our Lord struggled with homosexual temptations! (pp. 180-181). From pages 33 and 177of the Study Guide he says, “I am sure many would balk at my thought of CELEBRATING THE EXPERIENCE OF SIN. But I know we need to do it.” He suggests that men share some experience they had with pornography, their wedding night, pubic hair, whether the other men present are wearing boxer shorts or bikini briefs, or some sexual experience. This type of junk is promoted in the name of making adherents “men of integrity.” It sounds more like the gathering of a bunch of sexual perverts! This material is fully supported and used by PROMISE KEEPERS in their men’s groups. They have a seven-page form letter stating their support for this and several other likewise warped books. How can things like this help anyone spiritually? It is clear and obvious that PK is just another ecumenical movement designed by the Devil to lead men away from Jesus Christ, sound doctrine, moral purity and a commitment to a strong, local, Bible-believing church. I am confident that no sincere Christian can read these things and still think that this farce is doing anything for God. God commands us, “Be not deceived...” (Galations 6:7; Hebrews 13:9). We had better listen.
