Promise Keepers plan rally at Arena Building

Christian men need to hold one another accountable as leaders in their churches and leaders of their families, but finding accountability partners isn't always easy.

So a group of men who have been meeting regularly for nine years for Bible study are hoping to extend the accountability they've developed into a community effort.

The men are organizing a Promise Keepers rally at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau. A rally is planned Aug. 20 to 21 in St. Louis, and 11,600 people already are registered, according to the Promise Keepers Web site.

Promise Keepers is a not-for-profit religious organization seeking to unite men through accountability relationships, prayer, Bible study and active church membership.

"It's an effort to grow support for men throughout the heartland," said Kent Reese, an organizer for the upcoming rally.

The goal is to unite men to be "passionate followers of Jesus Christ," he said. The evening will include praise and worship music and a special speaker, Bruce McCoy of St. Louis.

Reese has attended previous Promise Keepers rallies and said this region could benefit from the commitment such a group makes to each other.

"We need to hold each other accountable for what we do and say," Reese said.

One of the Scriptures Promise Keepers uses is Proverbs 27:17, which says "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Promise Keepers develop seven promises that guide their efforts. Those promises are: a commitment to honor Jesus Christ; a commitment to pursuing vital relationships; a commitment to practice spiritual, moral, ethical and sexual purity; a commitment to building strong marriages and families; a commitment to supporting the mission of the church and actively giving time and resources; a commitment to reach beyond racial barriers and a commitment to influencing his world.

The local rally will focus on the second promise: pursuing vital relationships and finding "brothers" to help keep those promises.

"We need to help develop and mold each other's character," Reese said.

The local rally is free and no offerings or monetary collections will be taken. Organizers have no idea how many people to expect, but invitations were mailed to churches within a 50-mile radius of Cape Girardeau.

Reese said he doesn't know what to expect on Thursday. "We're putting that in the Lord's hands," he said.

A similar meeting is tentatively planned for the first quarter of 2005, Reese said.