Promise Keepers anticipate better year
Debt dampens promising plans
By Tony Gosgnach Special to ChristianWeek
BURLINGTON, ON–Promise Keepers Canada is looking forward to a better year after what its national co-ordinator describes as a financially "rough" 1997 for the national ministry to men.
"This is going to be a great year for us. We have the faith to believe that," says Ken McGeorge. "1997 was a challenging year for Promise Keepers throughout North America."
Promise Keepers U.S.A. recently laid off staff at its headquarters in Denver. Meanwhile, Canadian staff members are dealing with a suspension of salary payments until the organization’s losses of almost $200,000 incurred during 1997 are cleared.
Eliminating those Canadian debts is not likely to happen before PK Canada stages its first major event of 1998–a conference at Saskatchewan Place in Saskatoon April 24-25 that is expected to attract 13,000 men. McGeorge is hoping that the income generated from that event will see the ministry escape from the red.
McGeorge named a number of factors for the recent financial shortfalls. The massive Stand In the Gap rally in Washington last October, which drew hundreds of thousands of men from across North America, likely siphoned off attendance from stadium and arena conferences which used to sell out within days and provided a good portion of Promise Keepers’ revenue. In 1997, the conferences drew only 30 to 60 percent of capacity south of the border.
On the Canadian side, McGeorge said scheduling conflicts hindered attendance at conferences in Hamilton and Winnipeg. As well, he said men were not keen on going into arenas during the summer months and would have been much more apt to attend an event held at an outdoor stadium.
Making changes
"We had marketing challenges also," McGeorge added. "This year, we’re trying to change all that. We’re improving our marketing and our scheduling so we don’t run into conflicts in any way. And, we’re doing fewer conferences in arenas that aren’t so dreadfully expensive."
Aside from the Saskatoon event, Promise Keepers Canada has larger sized conferences scheduled for Kitchener in September and Vancouver in October. Meanwhile, smaller, church-sized conferences are set for yet-to-be-determined venues in Montreal and Grand Prairie, Alta. in November.
A change in format this year will see the larger conferences move from being half-day events to ones that begin on a Friday afternoon with a meeting for clergy, and conclude Saturday evening with a gathering patterned on the Stand In the Gap event. All the speakers will take the stage and call men to repentance, confession, healing and a seeking after God.
"We want to send men out sombrely, thinking seriously about what transpired in their hearts and minds over the day and a half," says McGeorge. "We want men to go back to the local church and become part of the discipleship process…. We will not rest until every church in this country has a vibrant ministry to men."
Recent changes by Promise Keepers Canada have included a move of its head office from Surrey, B.C. to Burlington in order to be in a more central location, and the addition of Bob Roebuck as board chair. Roebuck brings experience as a former president of Jergens Canada, current president of the International Bible Society for Canada and a board member of World Vision Canada and World Vision International.
McGeorge said other priorities for the ministry include the expansion of the board of directors to 12 members and the appointment of a president. In the meantime, McGeorge said Promise Keepers Canada needs donations to see the ministry through to this year’s conferences.
