A "PROMISE KEEPERS" LIE?
The Defense of Vineyard Pastor James Ryle - Promise Keeper Speaker and Member of Promise Keeper Board of Directors by Steve Chavis Promise Keeper's National Spokesman
The following is transcribed (minus some uhs and umms only for clarity) from a live radio interview with Steve Chavis, National Spokesman for Promise Keepers on 1/11/96 on the Radio Show "The Grant Connection" On the Colorado Christian Network on KRKS "The Rock" 94.7 in Denver/Boulder and KGFT "The Gift 100.7 FM in Pueblo/Colorado Springs.
Grant Connection (A Male): "We have Tom in Colorado Springs and he's in his car so we want to get him on real quick. Tom, thanks for joining the Grant Connection Today."
Tom "How are you doing?"
Grant Connection (A Male): "Pretty good, question or a comment here?"
Tom: "Yea I attended Promise Keepers 1994 in Boulder and I was blessed like everyone else was and I went last year [1995] so I'm in your camp, I just think its a great organization, I think based on how fast its growing I've really been impressed with the way you guys have done it. My question is about, and I've not, this is all hearsay what I've read about Pastor Ryle and I think he's a Vineyard Pastor up in Boulder, I am sure you guys have heard some concerns of based on some of his doctrinal views and I feel like he's maybe becoming like a lightning rod and I was a little disappointed I guess you might say when I saw that he was going to be one of the guest speakers at the Pastor's Conference, and I'm just kinda, could you address that, I maybe totally off base, he maybe right on doctrinally, and everything been said about him is incorrect, that would be great, but I've heard it from some fairly credible sources, could you just kinda speak on that, and I'll hang-up just because this is costing me some bucks."
Grant Connection (A Male): "Yea, we'll do that, if you'll listen off air, Steve will respond thanks for calling Tom."
Steve Chavis: "And James Ryle is a local so maybe the Grant's will invite him down. But I'd be happy to address a couple of the major questions about Pastor Ryle. One great unfounded rumor is that he taught and teaches the Beatles were sent by God and their music was anointed by God. Interesting rumor but not based on much in the way of fact. The message he taught at that time was about the gift of music and how God gifts man with creativity whether that gift is used for the Lord or not makes a big difference and the Beatles are one example of a group that was incredibly creative and talented yet their gift wasn't used for the Lord's purposes. And what a disappointment that was to the Lord what a shame it was, that their gift wasn't used for the Lord's purposes. That particular message has blessed many, many musicians and brought many, many musicians with questions about their own faith into the family of God and that's the kind of fruit from that particular message. But it comes out as "James Ryle said, "The Beatles were anointed by God."" Its not true."
Grant Connection (A female): "But that doesn't really have anything to do with doctrine, is there anything that has to do with doctrine that you heard?"
Steve Chavis: [At same time as question] "No, but that's, that's, that's {pause} Uh I guess there are, because he's a Vineyard Pastor, there are a lot of things, that have become controversial about the Vineyard denomination and Vineyard Movement."
Grant Connection (A female): "In general?"
Steve Chavis: "In general, right. And so there's a and its sort of unfortunate, a guilty by association aspect of a lot of that criticism, which is not a good, its not a logical argument."
Grant Connection (A Male): "Tom I am not sure whether you are having your question answered, I know that you are off air."
Steve Chavis: {interjects with above} "I'm sure your not Tom."
Grant Connection (A Male): "But if there's something specific, and you want to call it in we'll gladly entertain that." Also to let everyone know the lines are open 770-9673 Denver/Boulder...." "What I'd like to do Steve unless you have something further to say about James Ryle and I respect the fact he's not here to speak for himself and so you probably [word difficult to make out] {has you in}to do that.
Steve Chavis: "Which he does pretty well. And I might add in terms of giving an evangelistic message, the fruit of that man's delivery of the gospel message in Dallas, at Texas Stadium last October was a tremendous testimony to the Lord. He is a tremendous personal testimony and so I want to put in a plug maybe he'll be a guest sometime, but theologically and doctrinally we are settled on the Statement of Faith and he agrees with Promise Keepers on the fundamentals of the Faith and the other stuff you can take up.
Grant Connection (A Male): "Take up with him?"
Steve Chavis: "Yea."
Some other issues discussed talk about PK having no position on the laughter movement, Chavis says they are not a discernment ministry, but a men's ministry. -End-