TheCall (organization)
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TheCall is an organization which sponsors prayer meetings led by Lou Engle along with other Christian leaders pastors in the United States. The meetings request prayer and fasting by Christians in protest against issues such as same-sex marriage and legal access to elective abortion. TheCall has drawn support from American Evangelical leaders, but has also been criticized for intolerance.
Events
Originally planned as a co-ed youth version of Promise Keepers,[1][permanent dead link] TheCall hosts 12-hour or 24-hour events which combine prayer, sermons, and Christian rock worship and gospel music. The events are also known for their cultural and ethnic diversity, described in National Review as "the Breakfast Club of religious gatherings."[1] Speakers at TheCall events frequently draw parallels between the pro-life movement and the American Civil Rights Movement. TheCall is meant to be a gathering of fasting and prayer to confess personal and national sins, to pray for God’s blessing on the nation, and for spiritual awakening among youth.[2] Personal and national repentance among Christians and prayer for spiritual awakening has been the core focus of TheCall since its inception. Much of the events are devoted to prayer and sermons against abortion and homosexuality.[1] TheCall events has been attended by prominent evangelical leaders such as Mike Huckabee, James Dobson, and Tony Perkins. Engle believes that gatherings such as TheCall are necessary to prevent Divine judgment from taking place in the United States due to legalized abortion and the acceptance of homosexuality in American culture.[3]
Uganda Controversy
On May 2, 2010, Engle traveled to Uganda and organized a TheCall Rally at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Before the trip he condemned the harsh penalties proposed in a bill that called for life imprisonment or the death penalty for Ugandan homosexuals with AIDS who engage in sexual relations, saying his ministry could not support it.[4] Engle later said the church should examine its own sins and oppose violence against homosexuals, but he did not reject the criminalization of homosexuality.[5]
Gatherings
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- September 2, 2000 (Washington, D.C.)
- September 22, 2001 (Boston, Massachusetts) - Estimated 50,000[6]
- December 28 2001-Jan 1 2002 (Kansas City, Missouri) IHOPKC One Thing
- October 3, 2002 (Seoul, South Korea) - Estimated 30,000[7]
- June 2002 (Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York)
- February 2003 (Hollywood / Los Angeles, California)
- April 2003 (San Francisco, California)
- November 2003 (Dallas, Texas)
- March 1, 2005 (Gunsan, South Korea) [8]
- July 7, 2007 (Nashville, Tennessee)
- October 2007 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- December 31, 2007 (Kansas City, Missouri)[9]
- January 12, 2008 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- February 2008 (Orlando, Florida)
- April 5, 2008 (Montgomery, Alabama) - Estimated 20,000[10]
- August 16, 2008 (Washington, D.C.)[11]
- November 1, 2008 (San Diego, California)
- January 17–18, 2010 (Houston, Texas)
- May 2, 2010 (Kampala, Uganda)[4]
- September 3-4 2010 (Sacramento, California)
- November 11-12, 2011 (Detroit, Michigan)
- April 5-5 2012 (Dallas, Texas) Esther Call
- May 26, 2012 ( Fredericksburg, Virginia)
- December 8-12, 2012 (Geneva, Switzerland)[12]
References
- ^ a b c Mark Hemmingway (August 18, 2008) Hearing TheCall National Review
- ^ Ed Hornick, (August 13, 2008) McCain, Obama to address 'values voters' CNN
- ^ Julia Duin, (July 27, 2008) More fast times at Call on Mall Washington Times
- ^ a b Kron, Josh (May 2, 2010). "In Uganda, Push to Curb Gays Draws U.S. Guest". The New York Times.
- ^ Throckmorton, Warren. "Lou Engle issues statement regarding The Call Uganda and Anti-Homosexuality Bill".
- ^ The Call - Event Map - Boston
- ^ 더콜 기도성회, 성황리에 막내려, Christian Today, 2002-10-05
- ^ 더 콜 군산성회, 회개와 금식으로 '영적 대각성', Honam News&Joy, 2005-02-21
- ^ http://www.thecall.com/Groups/1000016900/TheCall/Gatherings/TheCall_Kansas_City/TheCall_Kansas_City.aspx
- ^ WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |Thousands Attend *
- ^ Montopoli, Brian (August 15, 2008). "Obama, McCain And The Evangelical Divide". CBS News. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ The Call Geneva website