Josh and June take a look at Promise Keepers, the organization that massed 700,000 men on the National Mall in Washington, DC for a 1997 rally that promised to bring spiritual renewal to its attendees and a new order to the social health of the country. While they didn't quite pull off the fundamental transformation they were hoping for, Promise Keepers left a significant impact on the evangelical Christian psyche. And somehow, they're still around today, desperately trying to convince the world of their definition of fatherhood and family.

SOURCES:

• The First Promise Keepers Event: Witnessing the Power of God" by David Roadcup
• Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes du Mez
• Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper by Bill McCartney et al.
• "Promise Keepers pledge to move from stadium rallies to the marketplace" by Adelle Banks, Religion News Service
• "New Promise Keepers CEO ready to see a revival among men" by Maina Mwaura, The Christian Index
• "Promise Keepers Pour Into The Nation's Capital" (CNN, 1997)
• "The Promise Keepers Opens Its Doors To Women" (NPR, 2009)

AUDIO CLIPS:

• 6:18 – Bill McCartney in a profile by WXYZ-TV Detroit (September 24, 1994)
• 32:46 – Norm MacDonald on Saturday Night Live Weekend Update (October 4, 1997)
• 33:23 – Joseph Garlington, Promise Keepers worship leader, at the 1997 Stand in the Gap rally
• 34:55 – Patricia Ireland, president of the National Organization for Women, on Charlie Rose (October 3, 1997)
• 36:31 – Huron Claus, Native American Christian evangelist, at the 1997 Stand in the Gap rally
• 38:00 – Bill McCartney, Promise Keepers founder, on Larry King Live (October 7, 1997)
• 47:49 – Shane Winnings, current Promise Keepers CEO, on Morning Joe (April 3, 2025)
• 50:50 – Web trailer for Wake-Up Call, the 2025 Promise Keepers in-person summit in Yakima

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

• Website: illconceivedpodcast.com
• Bluesky: ‪@ill-conceived-pod.bsky.social‬
• Tumblr: @illconceivedpod

FOLLOW JOSH:

• Website: joshboerman.com
• Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world
• Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds
• Stream: Traditional Scrench

FOLLOW JUNE:

• Bluesky: @junlper.beer
• Other podcast: Western Kabuki
• Writing: June's Substack

Ill Conceived is a new podcast about natalism—the ideology that sees declining birthrates as the most important issue in modern American politics—and how it's a skeleton key to understanding both the MAGA movement and reactionary conservatism more broadly. Hosted by Josh Boerman of The Worst of All Possible Worlds and June Sternbach of Western Kabuki, each week the show will take a look at the actions and effects of this movement, as well as the people and organizations that paved the way to the moment we're now in.

New episodes every Friday, beginning on June 20.

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

• Website: illconceivedpodcast.com
• Bluesky: ‪@ill-conceived-pod.bsky.social‬
• Tumblr: @illconceivedpod

FOLLOW JUNE:

• Bluesky: @junlper.beer
• Other podcast: Western Kabuki

FOLLOW JOSH:

• Website: joshboerman.com
• Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world
• Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds