Alcoholism, drug abuse and divorce also are becoming more prevalent, he said. Churches recognize they need men to step forward. About 80 percent of church members in Latin America are women, Vega said, and churches have difficulty finding men who will take leadership roles. Altar calls are a direct challenge to men to make a decision to believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation. I say, 'Men, look me in the eye.
Men respond enthusiastically.
The first time Vega made such an appeal, about 500 men, half the audience in a Lima, Peru, church, made a decision to follow Christ, he said. Men's Bible study and accountability groups are spreading quickly, he said. There are small groups all over. Everywhere you go men are studying their Bibles. Pastors who attend Promise Keepers' conferences become more honest with themselves and their congregations, Vega said.