By Thomas C. Hanson
WASHINGTON, D.C.--From 700 to 1,000 WCG men from throughout the United States were among possibly more than one million men who took part in the Promise Keepers Stand in the Gap Sacred Assembly in Washington Oct. 4.
Christian men gathered to worship God, to confess sin, to commit to a change of heart and to inspire reawakening in the church.
Stand in the Gap is taken from Ezekiel 22:30: "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.''
Through Stand in the Gap, Promise Keepers sought to help men to be faithful to 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
The evening before the Stand in the Gap assembly, the Washington North and Central churches, pastored by Lloyd Garrett, were hosts to a barbecue and praise and worship service in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Philip Helmuth of Vista, California, said, "Men who at first were total strangers quickly became dear brothers in Christ. Praise God for the work he is doing through Promise Keepers to break down the walls of denominational and racial separation."
Joe Salvia of the Brick, New Jersey, church, said: "Nine men from the Brick church went to Stand in the Gap. It was such an inspiring, uplifting, humbling and eye-opening experience for all of us. Six full hours of worship, repentance and reconciliation."
Speakers urged the men to spread the gospel, work for church unity, end racism, aspire to sexual purity and fulfill their responsibilities as husbands and fathers and be leaders and role models. Master of ceremonies was Jack Hayford, pastor of the Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California.
I returned from Stand in the Gap filled with hope for our country, for the spread of Christianity and for revival in our church. It is hoped that in the WCG, experiences at Stand in the Gap will lead to the launch or strengthening of men's ministries in the congregations.
Promise Keepers is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and has offices in all 50 states. The organization provides training, support and materials for small group men's ministries. For more information call 1-800-888-7595 or visit their web site at www.promisekeepers.org
Pastor General Joseph Tkach: "It was a thrill to see more than one million Christian men putting God first in their lives and laying aside peripheral doctrinal issues. The most moving moment for me was hearing my 11-year-old son Joe's prayer for families without fathers.
Joe Tkach III, age 11: I've never seen anything like it. It was amazing to see so many people there, singing and praying to the Lord. It was fun.
Ted Johnston, pastor of the Canton and Akron, Ohio, churches. I attended Stand in the Gap with four others from Canton and Akron, Ohio: "Afterward, on the way back to our bus, the metro train was filled with men leaving Stand in the Gap. We broke into spontaneous songs of praise, an expression of the joy we all felt.
"There was a strong sense that we had just participated in a once-in-a-lifetime event where God moved among his people in a powerful way.
"I look forward to taking this experience with us in the process of renewal God is giving to us in the WCG. We anticipate that it will be a flash point for good things to come."
Robert Persky, pastor of the Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee, churches: Ten men from Bowling Green and five from Clarksville went to Washington for Stand in the Gap.
"Being involved with the assembly was beyond words as a personal revival. God brought us there. He is drawing us together to do his will and his good pleasure. I now have hope not only for this country but for the whole world.
Al Ebeling, Boston pastor, said that in one of the prayer teepees some men "felt driven to pray for our group because they sensed our closeness to God. This was inspiring and made the rest of the day take on so much more in meaning."
Pastor Garvin Greene and five others from Knoxville, Tennessee, attended Stand in the Gap. Garvin said: "It was awesome and incredible! I regret that we were unable to find the WCG group, but then, we didn't come to be just with our own--but to pray and worship with others, so it worked out well."
Pastor Lincoln Jailal of Queens, New York, who attended with 30 others, said: "What an inspiration to see hundreds of thousands of men kneeling in prayer, prostrate before God and in perfect stillness."
Frank Parsons, pastor of the San Antonio and Uvalde, Texas, churches, said: "Seeing the hundreds of WCG hats and men there gave me a great feeling of pride to know how these men are committed to making their families and lives better through a close relationship with God through Jesus Christ."
SEA OF MEN--A crowd estimated from 700,000 to 1.2 million men stretches from two blocks west of the U.S. Capitol to beyond the Washington Monument. From 700 to 1,000 WCG men attended. [Photo by Thomas C. Hanson]
Nov. 18, 1997, WN, pages 8 and 9
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