Rev. Tony Evans sees Promise Keepers as a "catalytic" organization that can inspire men to go back to their communities and "flesh out the social implications of what they have learned."

Evans was one of the main speakers at last weekend's Promise Keepers rally at Williams Brice Stadium, where thousands of men gathered to hear messages about being people of character.

Officials estmated the crowd at about 48,000, and many churches in the Lexington area sent groups.

Evans has his own radio ministry and a large urban church in Dallas, Texas, but recently he has become a featured speaker at Promise Keeper events.

Evans encouraged the men to spend time with their families and to be spiritual leaders.

Even though he is busy, he said he has cancelled speaking engagements and cut short appearances to get some time in with his family. Late Friday night he called home to talk wih his son who is a high school football player.

Evans said he grew up to be a nationally known minister because he had a godly father.

Evans, like Promise Keepers, believe men should take roles as spiritual leaders in their homes and make their families their second priority behind their relationship with God.

"Our society is antithetical to the values of home and family. Fathers should function as filters for kids's minds so they don’t become secularized,’’ Evans said.

Evans said the point of Promise Keepers is to help develop godly men. He believes that if men develop character they will influence their families, those families can then influence their communities, and that could influence the state, the nation and ultimately the world.

He said the organization is not political.

"There's no need in going to the left wing or the right wing because the bird is dead," he said of political involvement.

He added that people try to politicize Promise Keepers, but the organization has fought hard to not become political.

"This is a Biblicocentric organization. There are no politicians here today and that attests to the fact that we are not political," he said.

After his sermon on Saturday that drew a loud ovation and lots of Amens from the crowd, Evans handled questions from reporters with the same direct, straight forward style that has made his speeches so popular.

One criticism of Promise Keepers has been that it takes no action to solve social problems, but again Evans noted that this was not the point of the organization.

"If Promise Keepers became involved in social issues it would become just another failed beaurocracy," he said.

Evans believes men who come to the meetings will be inspired, and they should then go home and take action to improve society.

"Promise Keepers is not action oriented, it is more of a catalyst," he said.

Evans also believes Promise Keepers can do a lot to improve racial relations in our country.

Evans, who is African American, said the organization has put racial reconcilliation on the front burner, and "there are awesome implications" from that move.

He would like to see churches, both black and white, working more together, and he hopes that will come about through men being inspired at Promise Keepers rallies.

The percentage of African Americans has been low at Promise Keeper rallies, but that number is improving, he said.

"Trust has to be built. You can't force it on people. We are seeing more and more African Americans get into Promise Keepers," he said.

He said racial relations are still not good in the nation, but he said he sees reason for hope through such organizations as Promise Keepers.

Evans believes racial reconcilliation can happen through the churches working together as partners, "but not in a paternalistic way."

He said the church could become a welfare delivery system that would work, meeting both people's physical and spiritual needs.

"My fear is that the church is not set up for that yet," he said.

The Promise Keepers have also been criticized for being a men-only organization, but Evans believes men may be more free to express themselves in that situation than they would in a more mixed context.

He said if there were Christian women's conferences, he would want his wife to go.

"Maybe then I could watch football in peace," he said.

He said the meetings create passion and energy for his own ministry, and his involvement has helped his own organization through giving it greater exposure.

He avoided political conversation, but said he believes problems our nation is having could be part of God's master plan.

"The stage is set for a new beginning. There is a great vacuum in our society that God can fill through his people," Evans said.