The Promisekeepers

"Nothing matters more to a godly woman than that a man accept spiritual leadership for her and her children." James Dobson, addressing the Promise Keepers, 1993

The Promise Keepers (PK) were founded by Bill McCartney (one of the key proponents of Colorado's anti-gay amendment 2) and Dave Wardell in Colorado in 1990, with massive support from James Dobson, as an all-male organization to promote the radical Christian Right agenda, and an atavistic family model in particular. PK calls on men to "take back" their (supposedly god-given) role as "leaders" of their families, and correspondingly, on wives to submit to their husbands. PK claim to be nonpolitical, but their 1997 march on Washington proves that to be a deliberate lie. NOW has an excellent background article on the PK (Myths and Facts about the Promise Keepers) which debunks this and other claims.

In recent years, the PK movement has waned, but not vanished. The PK's budget has declined from $120 million in 1997 to $34 million in 2001, staff has been reduced from 300 to 100, and PK rallies do no longer fill sport arenas. But the movement continues, and now it has a friend in the White House.

More background information:

• Promise Keepers: Seven Reasons to Watch Out
• Rumors of Homophobia: Coverage of Promise Keepers failed to check the record (January 1998)
• Promise Keepers Watch
• Promise Keepers: A Real Challenge from the Right (article)
• Institute for First Amendment studies profile on the Promise Keeper
• Countering the Promise Keepers: Practical Methods (part 1)
• Countering the Promise Keepers: Practical Methods (part 2)
• Promise Keepers, Compulsory Pregnancy Advocates, and the 'Biblical America' movement
• Beware of the Promise Keepers a religious criticism of the PK

"Over the last thirty years, this role reversal has given rise to a feminist movement specifically designed to assert the role of women. Now a lot of women don't like to hear me say this, but I believe that feminists of the more aggressive persuasion are frustrated women unable to find the proper male leadership." Tony Evans, PK speaker Rev. Evans is a pastor at the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, and a close friend of pResident Bush. He runs a national project called The Urban Alternative.