Promise Keepers is an
Evangelical Christian
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experi ...
parachurch organization for men. It originated in the United States, but independent branches have also been established in Canada and New Zealand.
Promise Keepers describes its goal as "to bring about revival through a global movement that calls men back to courageous, bold, leadership. We will be the spark that calls men back to God’s Word, sharing their faith and caring for the poor and oppressed throughout the world."
Promise Keepers is a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization, not affiliated with any Christian church or denomination. It opposes
same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
, and champions
chastity
Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when ma ...
and
marital fidelity and the man as being head of the household. Its most widely publicized events tend to be mass rallies held at football stadiums and similar venues.
History
Promise Keepers was founded in 1990 by
Bill McCartney, then the head
football coach at the
University of Colorado Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado s ...
. The organization was incorporated as a nonprofit in the state of Colorado on December 3, 1990.
''What Makes a Man?'', Promise Keepers' first hardbound book written for the organization, was published by
The Navigators' Navpress publishing arm in 1992 f