12/16/97                                                                                                               

            jasko@monmouth.com         Assembly of God Marlboro, NJ
           
Pastor Ken Jasko is a native of Mountainside, New Jersey. He graduated in 1978 from Princeton College with a BA in Biology. After working as a campus minister at Princeton for 7 years, he moved to the Marlboro area in 1985 to start MWC. He is also the US Director of a missions organization doing relief and other work in Africa.
            Pastor Ken's outside interests include reading, gardening, Star Trek, mineral and fossil collecting, and travel. He and his wife Louise have three children, and live in Manalapan, NJ.
   

            By Ken Jasko, pastor of Monmouth Worship Center in Marlboro Township, NJ.  Why are we going to this Promise Keepers rally, anyway? was the question of the hour on Oct. 4. It was now 1:30 a.m. and our bus was two hours late. As 90 of us lounged around the supposed pick-up spot, we had plenty of time for introspection. Some men were in circles talking, some were napping on the lawn (I referred to them as Promise Sleepers) and some were talking about driving down to Washington on their own. Since Promise Keepers stresses keeping your word regardless of the cost, it didn't seem appropriate to jump ship yet (although our bus company wasnąt keeping its promise). As I wandered around, I realized that the men were going for different reasons. Many were going to be exhorted by the various speakers to be better fathers, husbands and men. Others were going to pray for America and to pray to God for a return to moral values in this country. Some were going to be part of what many said would be one of the largest rallies ever in the nation's capital. And everyone was curious to see how many people would respond and show up at the event.

            When we reached Washington (our bus finally picked us up at 2:08 a.m.), we were not disappointed. From the designated parking spot, it was a hefty three-mile walk to the mall where rivers of men, were converging from every direction, although it was only 8 a.m. - four hours before the rally was to begin. Though our group wore yellow hats to help identify ourselves and stay together, we soon were separated in the throng of people moving toward the mall (some of whom also had yellow hats!).

            Never in my life have I seen so many people in one place. The crowd was conservatively estimated at 1 million; men were packed  into the mall, filling the nearby streets, sitting on the steps of the museums - everywhere, in short. Although I have been to many Promise Keeper events, it was then that I realized that this
organization had a message that men must be men of integrity and that character is as important as achievement. The enthusiasm of the crowd was contagious; everyone was excited and enthusiastic. At times the rally seemed like an oversized football game with men doing the wave and shouting Jesus to the tune of defense. As speaker after speaker urged us to live pure and holy lives, the rally atmosphere was electrifying. My 12-year-old son,
       
             Andrew, said that he came away from the rally with a feeling of the greatness of God, and the thing that most impressed many others was the incredible unity. Men were from every conceivable background,
from executives to bikers, with large groups from every state and region of America. The sense of brotherhood, camaraderie and men looking out for one another was something I have rarely experienced, and never in such a massive group. It was like one big family.

            One of the seven main goals of Promise Keepers is to work for reconciliation and to break down racial walls. I was encouraged to see men from every race standing shoulder to shoulder, listening to speakers from various ethnic backgrounds. Their cooperation gave me hope for racial healing in America. We got back to New Jersey at 2:30 the next morning, physically tired yet spiritually refreshed. My wife was glad that my two sons who
went (10 boys from our church went along with their dads) were exposed to good role models. My 9-year-old daughter was jealous that she did not go and wished that there were Promise Keepers for women.
           
            Ken Jasko
            jasko@monmouth.com
            Assembly of God Marlboro, NJ


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