For some of the men who came to Washington, the Promise Keepers event opened their eyes not only to their need for personal repentance, but also their own denominational provincialism. It wasn't just that participants learned to reach out to men from other races and ethnic backgrounds, but also Catholics stood next to Baptists and Messianic Jews stood with Seventh-day Adventists. The denominational myths and barriers evaporated and men who expressed a personal faith in Jesus learned they had more fellow believers than they had ever imagined. Now they return to their communities with the realization that the guys who go to the church down the street aren't really so different after all, at least on the basics. And that is where the threat comes in for many ministers and churches.
Denominations exist because of theological differences that are often either historic or obscure.
But the average evangelical today has been a member of more than one denomination and a growing number prefer nondenominational congregations. In many ways, the Promise Keepers rally was most similar to a typical mega-church service. For Promise Keepers now returning to their churches, there will be a renewed sense of personal commitment and a post-gathering high. But there will also be a profound sense that the common denominator of faith covered a multitude of differences. Churches that depend on their differences to define them will have new evidence believers prefer to emphasize what they have in common.