PROMISE KEEPERS TO RALLY IN LANCASTER; THOUSANDS OF MEN EXPECTED TO GATHER FOR 2ND MEETING OF RELIGIOUS GROUP IN A.V.

Byline: Greg Botonis Daily News Staff Writer

More than 2,000 men are expected to attend the second Antelope Valley gathering of the Promise Keepers, a religious movement in which men vow to take spiritual leadership in their homes and communities.

Keynote speaker for the April 16 event will be Raleigh Washington, senior pastor of Rock of Our Salvation Evangelical Free Church in Chicago and co-author of ``Breaking Down Walls: A Model of Reconciliation in an Age of Racial Strife.''

``This is a serious business of getting men together to bring about a better relationship with ourselves, our families, our communities and our God,'' said the Rev. Henry Hearns, Lancaster vice mayor as well as pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church in Littlerock. ``Promise Keepers is designed to restore men to being godly fathers and godly husbands.''

The rally will be at 7 p.m. at Challenger Memorial Hall at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 155 E. Ave. I.

Tickets are $6 and are available at Family Christian Stores in Lancaster and most local churches. All money from the ticket sales goes to pay for the renting of the hall, the sound system and other equipment needed to hold the event.

A series of prayer meetings has been under way to prepare for the event. The final meeting is 7 p.m. March 19 at Foursquare Church of Lancaster, 43260 Challenger Way.

Promise Keeper rallies have drawn thousands of men to stadiums and other large venues across the nation. At the rallies, men promise to be faithful to their wives, be responsible to their children, and show sensitivity to those of different races.

Last year's Antelope Valley rally drew 1,450 men and boys.

Promise Keepers was founded by Bill McCartney, former head football coach at the University of Colorado, and Dave Wardell, an official of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The two men were driving in Colorado when McCartney was struck by a vision of thousands of men gathering in stadiums to become devout Christians.

Since Promise Keepers' creation in 1991, annual attendance at its rallies has grown from 4,200 to more than 1.1 million.

Promise Keepers declares it has no political agenda. Nevertheless, the organization has drawn criticism from various groups claiming it is building a conservative power base.

Among the organization's supporters are Pat Robertson, a former presidential candidate and Christian Coalition head, and James Dobson, a Christian activist with ties to the Washington lobby Family Research Council.

``This gives men a forum to support each other in their lives,'' said Hearns. ``It's just to make us all a little better, better at everything we do in our lives.''