When Promise Keepers, a national Christian men's organization, took a lower profile after its 1997 Stand in the Gap conference that drew more than a million men to Washington, D.C., businessman Bryan Craig helped keep the vision alive in Tulsa.
Craig is a local point man for the upcoming Promise Keepers national convention scheduled next weekend at the Cox Business Center, formerly the Tulsa Convention Center.
He was turning 30 in 1996 when he attended a Promise Keepers men's conference.
"God just grabbed my heart," he said. "I got a sense that there was a life you can live for Christ. I came home resolved to be a different man."
Craig, owner of Sigma Sales, became a kind of self-appointed ambassador for Promise Keepers, he said. He began to meet and pray with men from other churches and ministries to see what was going on in men's ministry in Tulsa.
Over time, his network of men grew to 1,000, and he created a nonprofit corporation, Tulsa Men of Christ.
Craig said it became clear to him that most men coming out of Promise Keepers conferences were not involved in any follow-up discipleship programs to grow in their faith.
He discovered a book, "The Journey to the Inner Chamber," and met in Arkansas its author, Rocky Fleming, who mentored him about how to start a men's discipleship program called "Journey" groups.
"We had our first group in 2006," Craig said. "It was a tremendous success. Men were really touched by it."
The following year, six groups were held in Tulsa, and it has been growing since then. More than 600 men have gone through the nine-month Journey process in Tulsa.
Craig described the process as a treasure hunt, a time of self-discovery, as men learn that God wants one-on-one time with them.
"It scares them to death. They can sit for hours in a deer stand but not spend time with God."
Craig set aside part of a warehouse in his business at 7420 E. 46th Place to hold 6:30 a.m. Friday worship meetings, which he calls The Anchor. Many Journey group participants and graduates attend those meetings.
Men at The Anchor share their stories, worship together, pray for each other and help those in need. They sent a group of workers to help Moore tornado victims.
Craig said he is excited that Promise Keepers is coming back and really excited that the Tulsa conference will provide an entry point for men to get into Journey groups.
"We're training 100 guys right now and hope to have 50 to 100 Journey groups ready to go if necessary."
About 20 to 30 churches are promoting the conference and providing volunteers to work at it, Craig said.
The event will be Tulsa's first national Promise Keepers conference.
It will be held 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Cox Business Center, Seventh Street and Houston Avenue in downtown Tulsa.
The theme is "Awakening the Warrior," which Craig says is a wake-up call to "men out there who are asleep, not living victorious lives."
Raleigh Washington, national president of Promise Keepers, will speak. Ed Barron will emcee, and other speakers will be Jeremy Camp, Gary Rosberg, Miles McPherson, Derwin Gray, Crawford Loritts, Dobie Weasel and comedian Brad Stine.
Promise Keepers was started by former University of Colorado head football coach Bill McCartney. Washington joined him early on.
The organization exploded in the 1990s, filling football stadiums.
It came under criticism for its conservative Christian stance on issues of sexuality and family.
McCartney and Washington left together to pursue another ministry in 2003. In their absence the organization left its earlier practice of meeting in arenas and stadiums, and instead held conferences in large churches.
Craig said that, in his opinion, the organization lost some of its focus on its primary calling, "to create dynamic events where God can touch the heart of a man and challenge him to be the spiritual leader of his family."
McCartney and Washington returned to the group in 2008. Last year the organization returned to sports arenas - neutral ground where men felt comfortable.
"Now I think they're getting back to their roots of who God anointed them to be," Craig said.
Last year several small arena conferences were held.
"Guys were saying it felt like the old days," Craig said.
"We're finding there's a whole new generation of men who have never been to a Promise Keepers conference, guys in their 20s and 30s," he said.
The need for an organization like Promise Keepers is stronger than ever, he said.
"Society has gotten so confused, and the role of a man has gotten lost more than ever," he said.
"I think the time is ripe for PK to come back."
Craig said that men involved in the conference will meet at 7 a.m. Saturday at the Doubletree Hotel downtown and will hold a prayer march around the conference center once a day until Friday, when they will march around the center seven times.
For more: www.tulsaworld.com/tulsamenofchrist
www.tulsaworld.com/promisekeepers
Bill Sherman 918-581-8398
bill.sherman@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Tulsa's Promise Keepers
For more
Learn more about Tulsa Men of Christ and the upcoming Promise Keepers conference.
http://tulsaworld.com/tulsamenofchrist
http://tulsaworld.com/promisekeepers
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