Promise Keepers is finding that cancel culture exists even in the church. The organization, which holds men’s rallies in stadiums nationwide, has seen several scheduled events at churches and other venues canceled in recent months.
In June, Belmont University, a private Christian university in Nashville, canceled a Promise Keepers event after the ministry posted a blog criticizing pride month. The university accused the organization of “unnecessarily fanning the flames of culture wars.” The event, which was part of the group’s “Daring Faith” tour, is one of several events that later were canceled by Christian venues, including Hope Church in Cordova, Tenn, and The Fountain of Praise in Houston.
Despite Promise Keepers’ decades-old legacy challenging Christian men to live out God’s calling, chairman and CEO Ken Harrison said much has changed since the 1990s when the group first launched.
“One venue was worried that we would offend people by expressing our belief, rooted in scripture, about gender and sexual identity,” he says. “Others said they didn’t want to draw protesters or simply didn’t give us a reason. It’s disheartening to us that churches don’t want to ‘offend’ people with the truth of the word, something we’ve come to expect from the culture, but which dismays us coming from Christian institutions.
Despite the rash of cancellations, Harrison says he won’t be deterred by Christian cancel culture.
“We are optimistic our events will be held, because other churches and organizations have contacted us after hearing about the cancellations,” he said. “They’d be happy to host an event that champions helping men grow stronger in their understanding and application of God’s truth.”
Promise Keepers has drawn both praise and criticism for its bold message of biblical masculinity, especially at a time when complementarianism is losing influence among even some of the more conservative evangelical ministries.
“The spirit of the age we live in is fear of being criticized, disliked, canceled,” Harrison told “The Christian Post.” “As Promise Keepers, we refuse to give into that fear. We choose pursuing and sharing God’s truth over being liked by all, as if that were even possible. We make no apologies for boldly declaring God’s truth to a culture — and a church — that needs to hear it.”
Local churches and other ministries that may be interested in being a host for a Promise Keepers event can contact the group at (303) 964-7600 or visit www.promisekeepers.org.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice