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Recently, Coach Bill McCartney, founder and president of Promise
Keepers, along with representatives from 17 other ministries, led a conference
entitled "Come Near to Me." The event, held at the Bank One Ballpark
Coliseum in Phoenix, drew approximately 9,000 Christian leaders, pastors and
spouses. Conference attendees were exposed to a variety of best-selling authors,
including Bruce Wilkinson founder of Walk Through the Bible; Jack Hayford, Chancellor
of The King's College and Seminary; John Perkins, founder of the Christian Community
Development Association; Max Lucado, pastor of the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio;
and World Prayer Center's founding pastor, Ted Haggard.
The theme of this dynamic pastors and leaders conference focused on the concept
of unity. Past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, James Merritt, stated
it best when he said, "God expects us to advertise our unity. It is a beautiful
sight to behold when God's people are welded together in unity." Likewise,
Bishop Wellington Boone said, "Every person in here has the same value,
because every person here was bought with the same price [Jesus' blood]." Moody
Bible Institute President Joe Stowell spoke powerfully to the racial challenges
facing our local churches as well as the church universal. "Are you ready
to face the risks?" asked Stowell. "You are going to have to embrace
someone who is not like you in order to win your city."
Pastors and Christian leaders today experience intense attacks by our postmodern
culture and often feel deeply discouraged. God's name is greatly dishonored and
the gospel increasingly discredited. Because of this, and other factors such
as racial divisions still prevalent in churches and the unholy lifestyle of some
Christians in leadership roles, the timing of the conference was strategic. Dr.
Tony Evans used what was perhaps the strongest language to rebuke lax moral standards
among pastors, when he charged, "Don't let your culture get in the way of
your message. Spiritual truth must take precedence over cultural differences." He
added, "The goal of the kingdom is to ... show people what heaven looks
like. You have to fix your actions while your feelings catch up to them."
Coach Bill McCartney brought a profound sense of unity to the conclusion of the
conference by saying, "Who is really the luckiest guy in the world? He's
the pastor of the local church." After having their hearts encouraged and
their spiritual tools sharpened in fresh ways over the three days of the conference,
attendees gathered at the stage to kneel in unified prayer, asking God to revive
their vision for the churches and communities they serve.
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