Belmont University, a Christian school in Nashville, Tenn., has cancelled a Promise Keepers (PK) men’s event, after PK criticized “Pride Month” in a blog post.
The evangelical men’s ministry has relaunched in recent years. And PK had planned four regional events in fall 2023 under the banner “Daring Faith”—in Houston, New York City, and two in Tennessee. One event was scheduled for The Fisher Center on the campus of Belmont University.
As of early May, PK had booked a September 29 evening event at the Belmont venue.
“One of our board members, Steve Berger, is a pastor in Nashville, and Belmont invited us to come and tour their center,” PK president Ken Harrison told The Roys Report (TRR). “We signed a contract with Belmont, and they were promoting our event on their website for two or three weeks.”
Berger, who resigned his pastorate in 2021 and founded Ambassador Services International, has been no stranger to controversy over the past few years. He was present in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, when rioters entered the U.S. Capitol. Subsequently, Berger denounced the riots and said he did not participate. A few weeks later, Berger stepped down as senior pastor of a church he founded nearly 30 years ago, Grace Chapel in Franklin, Tenn. In a “chaotic” service at Grace Chapel months later, Berger’s wife, Sarah Berger, accused incoming church leaders of trying to cancel her husband. Steve Berger subsequently resigned as a church elder.
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About a month ago, Berger spoke at a pastors gathering in Nashville hosted by controversial political group Turning Point USA.
On May 30, PK posted a statement to its website titled, “In Light of June Being Designated As ‘Pride Month.’” It read in part: “As fathers, husbands, grandfathers, and young men—we see the dangers of gender ideology and the harm it causes . . . children across the United States are actively indoctrinated into intense inner turmoil about who they ‘really are.’”
In a statement to TRR, a Belmont spokesperson cited that blog post and said, “Belmont informed Promise Keepers leadership that the event could not be held on our campus because (the post) includes comments that we believe unnecessarily fan the flames of culture wars and are harmful to members of our community.”
The university statement added: “We (are) unequivocal in our belief in the value of each human being, and we are committed to engaging in constructive conversations that demonstrate kindness and seek understanding. We will not knowingly provide a space for any group whose language we believe to lack that same respect.”
In an interview with TRR, Harrison described the Pride Month post as “a very biblical, sweet, loving statement without anything that any reasonable person would object to.” He added: “No one should feel shunned in the church. Everyone should feel welcomed and loved, but also within the truth of ‘This is what the Bible says.’”
Since 1951, Belmont University had historically been affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, a state affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention. But Belmont severed formal ties with the Baptist group in 2007.
In 2011, the university first recognized a religiously-themed student LGBTQ community and discussion group for students, Belmont Bridge Builders.
According to the Belmont Vision, a student news publication, some Belmont students formed a separate group, Belmont Boulevard Gender-Sexuality Alliance, in early 2022. The alliance group, whose leaders reject a faith affiliation, is not sanctioned by Belmont.
Conflict over the cancellation
Describing itself as “an ecumenical, Christ-centered institution,” the university said in a statement to TRR: “Belmont and the Fisher Center welcome the opportunity to host and work with a variety of groups that hold disparate opinions, and we encourage the exchange of dialogue.”
However, Harrison said Belmont’s actions contradicted these stated values.
“It’s ironic that a lot of these institutions of higher learning—and a lot of leftist organizations—say they want to have a conversation,” said Harrison. “Well, here we put out a statement and what do they do? Cancel us and refuse to speak to us. So it goes to show the hypocrisy.”
Belmont disputed Harrison’s characterization, including in a PK press release sent on June 20. The university said that its leaders “had multiple conversations with senior leaders at Promise Keepers, including CEO Ken Harrison. In these phone calls our reasoning was thoroughly and respectfully discussed, and we believed we reached mutual understanding.”
Harrison disagreed that the parties came to a consensus. “We never intended to have any kind of a confrontational situation with them at all,” he said. “They kind of forced us into it. Belmont put us in a bad spot, where we wasted a lot of money and time in promotion of this event.”
A Belmont spokesperson did not respond to request for comment regarding details of the event contract with PK.
The other three regional Promise Keepers events—part contemporary worship service and part action-oriented talks, often with athletes among the speakers—are scheduled to proceed this fall as planned.
“We’re just here to get men together and worship Jesus—so what’s the problem?” asked Harrison.
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.
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32 Responses
I REALLY need someone to explain this “new” outrage over Pride Month, which has been in existence for YEARS, often culminating in a parade (that’s why pride parades are often in June). This “new” outrage is fueling the dissemination of false information: that the LGBTQ community gets a “whole month” for a “holiday” while veterans only get a “day”; this is untrue, as May is Military/Veterans Appreciation Month, and Pride Month is not a holiday anymore than Black History Month or Asian American Pacific Islander Month is a holiday.
I’m seeing outrage over the very sight of a rainbow flag; this has been a symbol of LGBTQ pride and/or advocacy for YEARS, often flown throughout June (Pride Month) or as a sign that members of the LGBTQ community are welcome in certain places.
Why are people acting like this is new?
While I would not expect support for Pride Month to come from Promise Keepers (and understandably so), their post makes me wonder if there was any intent aside from being inflammatory. And given social media is NOT the place to start and/or have productive conversations on this topic, it would have been better to be quiet.
There was a time, not too long ago, when the Church in America was settled on what was moral, Biblical, immoral, deviant, sin. And we had a few notable pastors and Christian leaders who warned us time and again about the danger of becoming like Europe and Canada. They warned us of the slippery slope and the potential of the church relegating its role as salt and light. The church in America has left its Biblical mission to be counter cultural and instead has become friends of our culture. Schools like Belmont have sold out to the culture and betrayed Christ. And to label Turning Point controversial further demonstrates that the spirit of this age has bewitched believers. The culture does not need friends, it needs bold proclaimers of God’s truth-no matter how unpopular it is.
Sadly, there are “Christian” colleges, such as Belmont, who have caved and cowered to worldly viewpoints. They mock God and blaspheme Him. God does not and has never made someone gay, lesbian, trans, queer, etc. Those things are all a result of the fall.
There was a time, not too long ago, when the Church in America was settled on what was moral, Biblical, immoral, deviant, sin.
Marty, I would be interested in knowing when that period actually was.
Was it during the founding of our nation when Jonathan Edwards could write one of his Sinners in the Hands of God sermons on the back side of a receipt for his new 14 year old slave girl named Venus while so obviously unaware of his own sin?
Was it 100 years later when Christian churches were providing a Biblical defense for slavery and segregation?
Was it a century later (in the 1970s and 1980s) when when Christian churches were still fighting at the US Supreme Court to ban blacks from its schools?
When exactly was this period “not too long ago” when the church was settled on what was right and wrong?
“I’m seeing outrage over the very sight of a rainbow flag; this has been a symbol of LGBTQ pride and/or advocacy for YEARS…”
Actually, Marin, the rainbow has been a symbol of God’s promises for centuries.
Cynthia –
If you pay close attention, the rainbow pride flag differs from the rainbow we see in nature (as a reminder of God’s promise). The pride symbol goes beyond with additional colors (like brown, black, white, turqouise and pink), each with its own meaning and/or representing its own community (I know black and brown represent LGBTQ people of color, who have had their own plight).
This is why we need to have conversations (like what Colin mentions below); so we can make sure we are accurate in our understanding of the similarities and differences.
By “the Pride flag,” you mean what exactly? How many additions can it have and still be the “Pride flag”? Is is still the still the ” Pride flag” if it is given precedence over the American flag, as it was at Joe Biden’s recent Gay Celebration? How long before it becomes mandatory “Pride”? I was raped as a child; should I have “Pride” in that?
There is one Pride flag, and it is revealed at the beginning of Pride month every year, with updates to reflect that year’s focus and theme.
I don’t know what I means for one flag to take precedent over another – both were flown – but I’m not sure why people are shocked to see a Pride flag flown at a Pride event. #shrug
Not sure what rape has to do with Pride (and as a survivor of sexual assault myself, I pray for your healing), and no one requires you to do anything during Pride month. You can just ignore and go on with your life. I’m sure you are able to do the same during all the other themed months: Black History, Women’s History, Hispanic Heritage, Military Appreciation, AAPI…I doubt you feel forced to do something during all of those months either. Just move on. It’s ok. We all don’t have to agree. We just shouldn’t be horribly disagreeable.
It’s because it’s now being shoved down our throats. The community now practices the same bigotry they accuse Christians of. There should only be one kind of gender affirmation and that is affirming two genders, that you are born male or female, period. Supporting gender mutilation is wrong, even moreso on children who have zero understanding. Pride month now makes a complete mockery of God and His Word.
There are better places for PK to hold their event. Tennessee has other Christian colleges and universities that are legitimately Christian.
Brian –
What do you mean by “shoved down our throats”? I see no more displays than usual at this time of year; but rather than people merely walking by a pride flag being waved outside of a business, they rip it down and start yelling expletives (this happened up the street from me last weekend). THAT is drawing more attention than anything else.
And there’s a difference between sex and gender. Yes, God only made 2 sexes: male and female. Mutilation of sex organs is abuse (often used to torture women in African tribes).
Gender is a social construct of roles. “Gender” tells us girls are “supposed to” love pink and wearing dresses, and boys “must love” blue and playing with monster trucks in the dirt. My dislike of pink (I don’t look good in it) and preference for slacks over a skirt does not make me less of a female. One of my brothers hated playing with trucks in the dirt – and he likes red more than blue – but he’s still male. That’s because being male/female is defined by our SEX, not what we choose to wear or like to do.
Again, this is why we need to talk these things out. We are conflating and misusing terms, which is NOT the solid ground for an accurate discussion.
Brian-
Every time I hear the argument “you are born male or female, period, ” I cringe. Some babies are born with indeterminate genitalia, most often caused by partial androgen insensitivity. In other words, there is a glitch in the ability of the xy baby’s cells to recognize the male hormones produced by the testes. In the past, doctors would advise parents to have the baby surgically altered and raise the child as a girl. To me that sounds like “gender mutilation” on children who have zero understanding–something you apparently oppose. Then there are babies born with complete androgen insensitivity. Those babies have xy chromosomes, but their cells are completely unable to respond to the androgens produced by their testes. When those babies are born, the doctor says “congratulations, it’s a girl!” The truth is usually discovered in young adulthood when concerns arise due to lack of menses. Intersex people exist. You probably know a few and don’t realize it.
Thank you, Marin. I always appreciate what you have to say.
Gay “pride” must not be compared to the communities you mention. Veterans are people who served our country. Black and Asian describes people of a certain race and heritage. The LGBT community is a group of citizens who stand for what God in his word calls Sin. This “Pride Month” stands not for acknowledgement of a people’s heritage or sacrifice, but of a people’s demands that the world at large call wrong right just so they don’t have to submit to God’s holiness; a group that demands that in order to play nice, the world not only should but MUST join them in their delusion.
Jenny –
If you take the time to look at the history of Pride Month, it goes back to acknowledging the people who were persecuted, jailed, and harassed for being gay. It was established to commemorate years of struggle for civil rights and equal justice under the law – similar to what other marginalized groups faced throughout our nation’s history. Go read about the Stonewall riots. Or about Harvey Milk – who was KILLED for his plight for gay rights.
Again, misinformation is leading to all sorts of false accusations like “joining them in their delusion.”
You don’t have to agree with – or even understand – the LGBTQ community on anything. (There’s a lot I still don’t understand, but I respect them as fellow human beings). But disagreeing does not mean you are entitled to disrespecting or belittling them, or that they are to be harrassed, persecuted, jailed or killed – which STILL happens LEGALLY in other countries.
I’m grateful that we have laws that don’t permit that, and that we as a nation don’t believe that. Well…for the most part. Some comments make me wonder….
You must be very young. Pride month has not been in existence for years. It was not even a thing before Obama became President. It was only a day, when i was in college pride parades were a one day thing and it didn’t happen in most cities. At that time pride was pretty much relegated to San Francisco.
The Bible warns us that Pride comes before a fall. The Rainbow was God’s promise that he would never wipe out the world for sin again in the way he did. The very sin that those celebrating “Pride” month have become so proud of.
Thanks for thinking I’m young, but I’m quite middle aged – and grew up in the south.
It could have been relegated to various cities, but I knew about pride month and parades back in the 90s (literally ran into my first one while on a road trip to visit colleges).
The meaning of the God-given, God-designed rainbow has not and will not ever change.
The rainbow on the Pride flag is noticeably different, so I don’t even affiliate the two.
I view the latter as a reminder of the LGBTQ fight to exist and be seen as people without harassment – and that no matter what I think and believe, gay people are not to be persecuted, jailed or killed, as other countries allow. I’m sure we all have or know stories of gay people who were internally and externally tormented, and that SHOULD hurt our hearts.
I’ve volunteered at shelters for homeless teens and witnessed to gay teens who have attempted suicide or been thrown out of their “Christian” family. It’s heartbreaking.
I just think we as Christians are going about this the wrong way. Hollering over a flag or calendar month fixes nothing.
Marin,
I don’t think there is any explanation for this new outrage against gays.
Within the last year the Christian right has become obsessed with transgenders in the locker rooms, knowing full well that Donald Trump was a cultural trailblazer for transgenders when in 2012 he allowed a transgender to compete in his Miss America pageant and share a locker room with female contestants.
We got outraged by Bud Lite using a transgender to promote its brand, after watching Trump use Caitlyn Jenner to promote his MAGA GOP brand.
We were outraged by Target selling gay pride clothing, while supporting the Trump campaign that sells the same on his website.
We boycott companies that have gay pride celebrations, knowing full well that Trump also has them at Mar a Lego.
The only way to make sense of this is to know that Pastor Steve Berger and Turning Point both support Trump in a very rabid fashion.
The topic is not Trump. Women athletes, women seeking safety and privacy in public restrooms, parents desiring their children not be propagandized with immorality at school – nor be outright deceived by teachers who covertly call their children by false pronouns, and parents who seek legal protection as they attempt to safeguard their minor children from bodily harm and spiritual torment caused via genital mutilation All have cause to be dismayed by the rainbow flag and a month long celebration which calls evil good.
Are you sincerely asking this? Since homosexual marriage has been legalized the gay agenda has been pushed further and further and further into the mainstream. Every show or movie must have some gay character or trans character. Flags must be flown everywhere in June. The United States military just had a recruitment poster where a soldier is actually saluting the rainbow flag.
The truth is God loves all humanity. Jesus died for all so that whosoever would believe can receive eternal life. Some thought reject the light and embrace the darkness. There are only two genders. God made male and female. God ordained relationships to be between a man and a woman. Anything else is satanic delusion and deception. Men cannot become women and women cannot become men.
I don’t think representation in media is an “agenda.” It’s mere acknowledgement of existence. Then again, I’m a Black woman who grew up with nothing but white heroes and heroines on film and TV (even shows that take place in diverse cities like NYC or LA) – and while I’ve been thrilled that there are now heroes and heroines of all colors in major productions, I definitely see the backlash to it. Everything must be all white all the time, or conservatives are going to come for it. It’s exhausting, but expected. Oh well.
What’s the fear? Is seeing it going to “turn you into it”? Is seeing commercials start to feature more and more interracial couples “forcing an agenda”? And what is this “agenda”?
And I saw the military ad. The soldier was superimposed over the flag, not saluting it.
If you don’t like it, you aren’t forced to wave or wear any symbols or flags – not pink for Breast cancer, not the Black liberation flag for Black History Month, and not the Pride flag. I don’t. It’s not in line with my beliefs. But I recognize others have the right to, like it or not. Freedom, remember?
I’m sure that if you let them be, they’ll do the same for you. Or if you want to introduce them to Christ, hollering over the flag won’t do it.
Why individuals are proud over what Romans 1 describes as substituting natural sexual relations for unnatural ones (men with men, women with women) is tragic. God cannot be mocked and those who insist they know more about life than He does will answer to Him.
I would not send my kids to a so-called Christian School that don’t give a hoot about the standards of purity in the Scriptures. God does not and never will overlook sexual immorality and perversion.
Much of what is currently being said by Christians, is dispiriting and obstructive. Obstructive in the classical sense, of making the Biblical truth more difficult to win to. Dispiriting in both metaphorical and literal sense, as the valuable spirit of Christianity is so often absent.
Perhaps we should have an event where Belmont University and Promise Keepers lay out and talk through their respective positions on Christianity, on Gay Pride matters, on the cancellation and its causes.
My own sense is that we need to listen to one another. Where to so listen we must provisionally rein in our reaction to testimony by an other. Must even die to self, provisionally, in order to hear and understand the other. I might even see the meaning of crucifixion in this dying to self, and it as the gate-keeper step to an understanding of God.
Is God to be found in the Bible, or alternately in our relation to and interaction with other human beings (and all in which life subsists). Is the Bible map or territory. A guide as to truth, or truth itself.
I love this concept, Colin. Instead of REACTING to one another, we need to have a forum where all sides of this issue can listen and RESPOND. There are so many accusations and assumptions being thrown around, everyone is quick to defend and react, and slow to listen – and that’s just exacerbating the divide and amplifying hate.
I’ll say what many won’t: Not all members of the LGBTQ community are God-hating “groomers.” Not all Christians who disagree with the LGBTQ community are homophobic.
When we get behind these accusations and assumptions, we will find they are often hurled out of hurt, anger, and fear – all of which can magnify misconceptions and build barriers to truth and love.
Let’s sit down and listen to each other.
Yet another example of the cancellation of Truth.
The Promise Keeper post cited scripture. Inconvenient to many… Perhaps an “outrage” to some.
I am glad they were not “quiet” and helped to expose what is going on.
The question any of us should be asking ourselves is, “Am I leading with love and being known by my love for others?
Loving others is intentional and sometimes we have to consider whether our desire to promote righteousness is coming ahead of our call to love and be known by love
The Pharisees were very good at promoting righteousness.
“The Pharisees were very good at promoting righteousness.”
So was Jesus.
If I love you I will tell you the truth. 1 Corinthians 13 describes what Love IS and DOES. It never rejoices in unrighteousness but in truth. Jesus “loved” his questioner and told him what he didn’t want to hear—to sell his possessions—but his heart was revealed and brought him closer to the Kingdom
Good morning everyone,
Per usual, I’m astonished at the hubris of some people ‘who know God’ by a few lines.
Lets start with sin and a few questions: Keep holy the Sabbath. It doesn’t say squeeze in ‘church service’ while you are rushing around getting things done. I don’t think I have ever heard of Evangelicals organizing a Super bowl boycott. Why?
The most Christian marriage ceremonies done include a pretty tight contract that is generally ignored. The Bible does allow for divorce, but only under specific conditions. Again, I don’t think I’ve heard of Evangelicals protesting that a Government clerk undoes a sacred commitment ordained by God by registering a divorce.
Why?
A dark secret about Evangelicals – They worship $$. As some a lot more than Jesus. Millionaire Preachers? – The message they send is they don’t trust God to provide. They need your $$ to tell you about God. Why do the need so much? What do they do with it? The tablets that can down from Mt. Sinai specifically called out not to worship false Gods, but I don’t see any sort of main stream Evangelical discussion about materialize?
Why?
One of Paul’s letters talks about the attitude Christians should have. It is read a lot at marriage ceremonies and because of repetition it gets ignored. Roughly it says ‘If I do things without love, I am a clanging gong’.
The Romans admitted that the persecuted Christians from the dregs of society were better people than they were. I believe that those Christians focused on being better people and not so much on tell others where they went wrong.
Best regards,
CJ
Jesus warned about serving two masters. How can one look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of one’s Faith, and at the same time promote one’s self identity?
Many who subscribe to this website are glaringly obvious to be the “Christian” left.
So let’s make it clear. God is God and He sent His Son. Jesus, God in the flesh, paid the price to set all men free and receive eternal life. Now all one must do is respond and receive the free gift. He is truth.
God made two genders. Male and female. That’s it. God made relationships to be between a man and a woman. A man cannot become a woman. A woman cannot become a man. You can dress up like one, you can mutilate your body to appear like one but you’re not actually one.
Homosexuals aren’t looking to “survive”. They’re wanting all people to condone and affirm this sinful lifestyle as normal and acceptable and if you don’t you’re considered problematic and bigoted.
Jesus affirms God’s definition of marriage and gender. It’s settled. Homosexuality and transgenderism are sinful actions. There is freedom and forgiveness in Jesus.
There is a lot of agreement on my end.
I just also think homosexuals are not to be harassed, bullied – or as they are in other countries, jailed and killed.
I’m in Chicago where tomorrow’s Pride parade is facing an increase in physical threats from “Christian” groups. Police presence is ramping up and the warnings being sent out across the city are both sad and alarming (or they should be). Guess what other Christians are saying about these threats? Nothing.
What message do you think that sends?