Breaking Down the Walls

1996 Promise Keepers Clergy Conference

Our nation’s current racial unrest is deeply troubling.

I have long held that if there is any hope for racial reconciliation it must begin in the Christian community. Black, Hispanic, and white Christians worship the same God. We each acknowledge that we are equally broken sinners, saved—not by anything that we have done, anything we do, or by who we are—but by the grace of God alone, in Christ alone. If we as Christians cannot love and respect our fellow Christian brothers and sisters, how can we possibly expect our secular friends and neighbors to do so?

“If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20-21

Attempts at racial reconciliation are not new; obviously, we must continue to fight this ongoing battle.

In the months leading up to 1996 I was privileged to take part in a Starkville-area campaign to send local pastors to Atlanta for the 1996 Promise Keepers Clergy Conference, entitled “Breaking Down the Walls.” The goal of our efforts was to build a foundation for racial reconciliation among the local Christian community—and beyond. The event was hugely successful—and impactful; it also resulted in some of my most precious memories….

After learning of the scheduled national Promise Keepers Clergy Conference, Starkville Promise Keepers leadership fully embraced the concept and began actively soliciting the participation of every local pastor—across racial and denominational divides. Letters of invitation were prepared and mailed; the letters were followed by a personal invitation.

Generally we were warmly received as we delivered the face-to-face invitations. Although in a few instances we were met with considerable pushback. We forged ahead, undeterred.

Ultimately 42 pastors—12 of them black—representing many of the area’s Protestant denominations, signed up for the conference.

This thing was happening!

As we approached the conference date the entire Starkville Christian community rallied enthusiastically around the campaign, both financially and spiritually. Men within the local Promise Keepers organization gave generously to support the effort, as did a number of persons outside the group. Even though the effort was definitely grassroots, two Starkville couples, Carey and Bonnie Hardin and Dr. Mike and Debbie Mabry, should rightfully be credited with ensuring that this dream became a reality.

I will never forget the role played by these individuals.

Local stores bought in. Kroger, FoodMax, Fred’s, Walmart, and others each responded generously. Bags and bags of fruit, chips, candy bars, bottled water, and other groceries soon overwhelmed the dining room of one of the members of the local PK leadership.

We secured two buses from our local bus company, made the necessary hotel reservations, and purchased the event tickets. Dr. Mike Mabry and I were selected to serve as hosts for the trip, so we contacted the Promise Keepers organization and volunteered to serve as ushers at the conference.

Unknown to the participants, when making hotel room assignments the organizers strove to cross both racial and denominational barriers.

The big day finally arrived. We loaded up and headed for Atlanta.

Upon boarding the bus, each pastor found his “goody bag,” prepared by the PK volunteer leadership. The bags were a huge hit. They immediately lifted the mood of the entire group and set a cheerful tone for the entire conference experience.

The bus trip itself was the most profitable and enjoyable part of our time together. Many took this opportunity to share their hearts—and hurts—with their fellow pastors. The time spent in close quarters on the bus opened the door for many, who had quite literally never even met, to form and build lasting relationships.

Two pastors who drove to Atlanta on their own, met the group at the Atlanta hotel, and even attended the entire conference. As much as it grieves me to say it, those two men never fully became part of the group. Their conference experience, though profitable, was vastly different from those of us who bonded both emotionally and spiritually during our time on the bus. This emphasized the importance of fellowship time.

Relationships take time.

The conference overlapped Valentine’s Day. In the weeks leading up to the conference the volunteer leadership discretely collected love letters and Valentine cards from each of the pastors’ wives. During the bus trip the hosts surprised the pastors with these letters and cards. Not a dry eye could be found.

The conference program was uplifting, healing, and powerful. The teachings of the racially diverse speaker line-up were spiritually challenging, encouraging, and motivating.

The conference’s musical component was equally powerful. Imagine 40,000 men, all pastors, enthusiastically singing traditional hymn arrangements, coupled with contemporary choruses, unified in heart, purpose, and spirit.

As we neared the close of the conference, Christian musical artist, Steve Green, walked onto the stage and began to sing “Let the Walls Fall Down.” The entire Georgia Dome erupted. I would contend that the excitement I witnessed at this time would rival the energy of any athletic event ever held in that great venue.

As the song concluded, it was obvious that the men on stage were absolutely unprepared for the wildly enthusiastic reaction. They gazed at one another, with extended arms and upturned palms, so as to say, “What do we do now?” This audience reaction was clearly not on their agenda. Finally one of the men on stage walked over to Steve Green and asked him to sing the song again.

He did.

The Georgia Dome erupted—again.

Things eventually settled down. It was obvious to everyone attending that they had been part of something very special.

Shortly the conference concluded and we loaded the bus for home. As a closing gift, the hosts surprised the attendees by handing each pastor a gift certificate for Richey’s, a well-known Starkville steakhouse at the time. The entire group was taken aback by this final act of generosity which artfully climaxed the overwhelming expression of love from the Starkville community.

Since everyone was exhausted, the ride home was somewhat less eventful. Many slept, though extended conversations and relationship building continued. Once back in Starkville everyone returned to their home—and their home church—with a sense of unity, friendship, enthusiasm, and warmth.

Over the next several days many of the pastors enjoyed a follow-up fellowship experience as they met and enjoyed a nice steak dinner with their wives.

POST-CONFERENCE EVENT

One of the conference’s featured speakers—as well as one of its singers, Pastor Joseph Garlington (now Bishop Joseph Garlington), of Covenant Church in Pittsburgh, somehow learned of our community’s campaign and was deeply moved. He asked to come to Starkville and address the community.

Wow!

Roughly one month after the conference, essentially all the participating pastors, along with their families, and in many cases a large portion of their church membership, gathered at Calvary Baptist Church to hear Pastor Garlington. The church was packed —and the spirit of community was palpable.

The post-conference worship service provided an appropriate exclamation mark to a notable event.

As said previously, many of these warm relationships continued for years, long after the conference itself was a mere memory.

I am very blessed to have had the privilege of being a part of this very meaningful and impactful event.

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“…at the end of the three-day rally in Atlanta, a real breakthrough had indeed occurred: Pentecostals and Baptists prayed together; Anglos and men of color embraced. Suspicions had given way to respect, even love, for fellow believers with different beliefs.”
Christianity Today

“In perhaps the most moving event of the gathering, PK leaders invited men of color down to the Dome floor, while white ministers stood and cheered them.” Christianity Today