Belmont reiterates its stance that they will not host Promise Keepers at the Fisher Center because the university represents “a diverse array of opinions and theological perspectives.”
Belmont's administration released a second email Wednesday detailing the university’s reasoning for not hosting the Promise Keepers. Promise Keepers responded to the initial statement detailing their disappointment with Belmont. The initial decision came after Promise Keepers released a statement detailing its organizational stances on Pride Month.
“Promise Keepers leadership has painted Belmont’s decision as a theological one, calling our Christ-centered mission into question,” said President Jones. “This was never about a doctrinal stance on a singular issue or belief.”
This response follows further media attention that has since grown surrounding the decision to no longer host the self-proclaimed “Men of Integrity.”
“We came to this decision based on our identity as an ecumenical, diverse community; the inaccuracies the CEO of Promise Keepers continues to share; and our desire to build bridges and forge constructive conversation,” Jones said.
Patrick Ryan, a clinical professor in the School of Medicine, said he is pleased with Belmont for taking a stand against these messages and ensuring that all students feel included and safe.
“As an evangelical Christian, I'm proud that Belmont chose to disallow the Promise Keepers from the school,” said Ryan. “The inflammatory LGBTQ statements from the Promise Keepers runs afoul of the Christ-centered education espoused at Belmont, messages of hate and exclusion have no place in any institution centered on the teachings of Christ.”
Although Promise Keepers are out, Jones said the university is open to fostering dialogue on a variety of topics.
“I hope we can continue conversations across our entire campus community about what it means to be Christ-Centered and how we demonstrate this in our policies, actions and relationships with all those around us.”