DENVER, CO (ANS) -- William (Bill) Paul McCartney (born August 22, 1940), a former American football player and coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry, has been named as Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Promise Keepers.

Coach Bill McCartney pictured during a radio interview with Dan Wooding

McCartney, who was the head coach at the University of Colorado from 1982 to 1994, where he compiled a record of 93–55–5 and won three consecutive Big Eight Conference titles between 1989 and 1991, was recently given a plaque to celebrate his new title.

It read, “In recognition of his efforts in the founding, forming and fostering personally, the organization and ministry of Promise Keepers, an international ministry to men, and in recognition of the impeccable personal example of a repentant, humble life lived as a genuine man of integrity, we, the board of directors of Promise Keepers resolve that the permanent title of Founder and Chairman Emeritus be conferred upon Coach Bill McCartney this day, Sunday, May 20th, 2012…”

According to a story on the Promise Keepers website (www.promisekeepers.org), on receiving the permanent title “Founder and Chairman Emeritus” at last month’s meeting of the Promise Keepers board of directors, Coach Bill McCartney was so surprised and blessed that, for the first time ever, “he was nearly speechless.”

But then he quickly recovered, and the Coach said in his unmistakable coaching voice, “The Word of God is unstoppable. You show me a people that make it the highest priority. They don’t leave home until the Word of God has been ingested into their heart. E.M. Bounds said ‘the greatest victories are often the result of great waiting. It takes time in the secret places to get the full revelation of God.’

“Christians are dropping like flies. They are (only) in the Word of God when the pastor preaches it. They are in the Word on occasion. But Jesus is the Word of God! ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!’ (John 1:1)

“Show me a home where everybody‘s in the Word of God daily, and I’ll show you where the presence of God is manifested. Show me a church where they stand up and say ‘everybody in this church makes a daily priority to be in God’s word.’”

Central to Coach Mac’s vision of Promise Keepers’ future is a strong relationship with local congregations.

“The next real great move of God is going to happen right inside the local church. I believe He is going to raise up a standard. I think pastors are preaching their hearts out, and their staffs are going at it full throttle. Each of them is going to be blessed beyond measure.”
“God’s not done with Promise Keepers,” said Coach Mac. “There’s more to do.”

About Promise Keepers

Men stand by the cross -- a scene from a Promise Keepers event

From its founding in 1990 to 2009, Promise Keepers’ mission has been to ignite and unite men to become warriors who will change their world through living out the Seven Promises. From 2009 – 2011 PK broadened its mission to include a place for women, and young adults at its events. For 2012 and onward, Promise Keepers will re-focus its conferences for men.

“We have found that men tend to be more open to God’s presence when they are with other men,” said a spokesman for the group. “There is something unique about the all-male environment that sets men free to drop the normal posturing and humble ourselves in Jesus Christ, committing to new beginnings,”

Promise Keepers has directly reached more than 6 million men through men’s conferences – including an assembly of 1.4 million men on the United States national mall in Washington D.C., on October 4, 1997 – and the number continues to grow each year. Through over 200 stadium, arena and church events Promise Keepers encourages men to be transformed and live godly lives.

To get more information on the 2012 Men’s Event Schedule, please go to: www.promisekeepers.org/events 

Dan Wooding, 71, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. Dan has recently received two top media awards -- the "Passion for the Persecuted" award from Open Doors US, and one of the top "Newsmakers of 2011" from Plain Truth magazine. He is the author of some 44 books, the latest of which is "Caped Crusader: Rick Wakeman in the 1970s." To order a copy, go to: http://www.amazon.com/CAPED-CRUSADER-Rick-Wakeman-1970s/dp/1908728302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335474883&sr=1-1 . Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.