Ken Harrison, Author of
Legacies are built on the decisions we make. If we make a poor decision, it has a ripple effect because it is the evidence of the impact we’ve made on those we love, lead or influence. People leave a legacy and so do businesses, churches, ministries and movements. When men across the board don’t measure up to God’s standards for men and they’re unwilling to man up and recognize the power and responsibility they have to influence others, the results are devastating. The entire world is affected and the antidote is found in men understanding real manhood and how they are called to be servant kings. In America and across the globe, crime against women—rape, molestation, incest and human trafficking—are real evils where men by majority are the perpetrators. In America we wonder why women are full of fury and hatred, but Ken understands the suffering and challenges that too many women face because he saw it firsthand as a police officer in the streets of Los Angeles. Those law enforcement years back in the 90’s were the reason why when asked “Why do you have such a special heart for men that you’re bringing back Promise Keepers?” He responded “I don’t have a special heart for men, I have a special heart for women and children—when men are screwed up, it’s women and children who suffer.” In society and in churches, women have been left holding the bag, carrying the responsibility that should have been the responsibility of the men in their life. “Men can just check out of society, and they are, but women, they don’t just get to walk away from their kids the way men do,” he says. It’s not as if Ken is bashing men, he’s pointing out the obvious and he’s modeling humility and accountability for men. The state of inequality in the Church, divorce, and the break down of family as well as society can’t be denied. Ken says it well, “That’s all Satan does is point fingers at people.” In other words, if he can keep us all pointing our fingers at the other guy, then no one will be accountable and no one will take a stand and be a voice for change.
sometimes men are unaware OF BASIC TRUTHS Ken is big on helping men plug in to what’s going on with their wives and paying attention to what they feel. and he recognizes that there are a lot of blind spots for men when it comes to understanding women. One of those areas in marriage is the topic of sex. “When a woman feels protected, provided for and cherished, it has a remarkable effect on her libido. But guys don’t know this because they’re not being taught, especially this younger generation,” he says. Ken’s not at all surprised by the anger of women. In his mind “it’s easy to fix, and guys [need to] stop being jerks but someone’s got to inform men of these basic truths because guys don’t think about it and unless their fathers are teaching them they’re not going to know.” His compassion and conviction for discipling men and providing wisdom to the younger generation comes across authentically.
Are You Willing?
It’s abundantly clear in sitting down with Ken and looking him in the eye, he’s the real deal—he’s all about changing the game and his heart is for making things right on many levels. He’s going to make big strides forward for reconciling women and men in America and helping men to understand, cherish and even die for their wives. He’s a tough yet humble guy— what you see is what you get. He’s not sugar coating anything—he’s got his Sword out and he’s going to fight to set things right by teaching men to rise up and equipping them with the tools you need to win. Ken has been discipling men all over Denver for years. And a few years back, God laid it on his heart to write a book, a “blueprint for becoming the man you were made to be.” His book Rise of the Servant Kings was released in late 2019 and it’s all about what the Bible says about being a man. It’s full of action-packed, movie-worthy stories of real life examples of his experience in the LAPD. When the book was written, Ken had no idea that he would become the new CEO and Chairman of the Board for Promise Keepers. In fact, it was the furthest thing from his mind. In 2012 Ken retired from building a big company. Some of his thoughts were: I don’t want to lead people anymore. I don’t want to get sued anymore. I don’t want to fire people anymore. I just want to be left alone. Ken could have left his legacy in tact as a successful business guy and retired young with 3 beautiful kids and a lovely wife. But, God had something even more significant in mind—to build something new (sort of) together. Of course, that wasn’t exactly how the conversation began. God came to Ken in a really vivid way and asked him point blank, “Are you willing to be as ambitious about building Kingdom as you were for your kingdom?” Side note, it came with a “super warning—be careful of your answer, it’s going to cost you everything.” After wrestling with God for a couple of hours, Ken said, “OK God, whatever you need.” Then the waiting game was on to know what exactly it was that Ken had said yes to. In the meantime, Ken spent several years discipling men. One day a guest showed up at one of the meetings, his name was Raleigh Washington—the CEO of Promise Keepers at the time. “Is that still a thing?” Ken said when he introduced himself. As their friendship grew, Raleigh kept asking Ken to join the board, but he said “No, I don’t want to be part of any dead organization.” Eventually he convinced Ken to attend his first board meeting to help Raleigh out and by the time he left the board meeting they voted him as Chairman of the Board. Initially Ken actually thought he was going to close Promise Keepers down. “I didn’t realize that was what God and I were talking about way back then when He called me.” However, God got hold of Ken’s heart and he began to realize that there would be a new era of Promise Keepers and Ken was going to be instrumental in restoring what was lost or broken and in building something that would ensure that ongoing discipleship was part of the organization’s future. Sometimes movements fold up or die out and we think the game is over, but sometimes God is waiting for the right people to show up on the scene.
HE WAS HANDPICKEd my God began to reveal how He would use all the experience Ken had as a cop and a successful business man to revive a once powerful movement for Christian men into something better than it had ever been. It was clear from where I was sitting that Ken was the right man for the job and I said to him, “It seems you were handpicked.” His response was “Yeh, it’s a freaky thing to think about…when God calls people in the Bible, whether it’s Moses or Mary, or whomever, the reaction is always like ‘Get somebody else. Me?’ It’s a shocking feeling.” If you don’t react that way, then you’re probably not being called by the Lord. Ken admits, grudgingly and scared, he still said “yes.” He’s taking the steps to restore honor, dignity, leadership and legacy on a much wider scale than he may even realize in this moment.
god lined up the deal God strongly laid it on Ken’s heart to write a book, so like many of us Ken had a little negotiation with God and said to the Lord, “If you bring me a real book agent then I will.” He lined it all up and God came through like a champ. Three weeks later Ken met a major book agent. Ken told him about his cop stories and he thought the stories were amazing and they were really needed but he still said “nobody buys men’s books.” Ken figured if it was meant to be God would make it happen so he said, “Well let’s see what we can do.” The agent signed him up and agreed to do what ever he could. Ken asked his wife, “How much of the money should we give away if the book gets published?” He had 80% in his head, but his wife prayed about it and said, “100%.” So they decided together to give 100% away. That was step one in His unveiling of His plan. Ken, a big player, didn’t just want results, he wanted to knock the ball out of the park. He wanted to know what that number would be. The agent gave me him an advance number and said “If you were to get this number, it would be unrealistically amazing!” So Ken and his wife prayed and committed to give every penny away. The agent put their book proposal out and he was shocked, 4 days later they got their first yes. God showed off and they ultimately had 3 different rounds of publishers in a bidding war on the book. They ended up signing a contract for 3 times what the agent said would be the highest number they could ever get. The amount of the deal was exactly how much money they needed to get Promise Keepers back on its feet. “The Lord knew I would never promote this book if I was getting something out of it, but the fact that I would get nothing out of it allows me to be more vocal and say ‘Go buy the book ‘cause you need it,’” Ken says. This journey all started with Ken saying “Whatever you want God” and step by step he has done what the Lord has asked, although wrestling and ne gotiating at times with God along the way.
the mission matters We don’t want to make him out to be a super hero—he’s just a humble and brave man willing to be the poster child for manning up for Promise Keepers. But, he also realizes “that this mission matters like no other has in his life. This mission has a singular cause that transcends all else—the kingdom of Christ ruling in every masculine soul, to the end that men actually become mature in Christ, marriages reflect heaven, families become healthy, communities are revolutionized, and above all else, our God is glorified.” (Stu Weber’s words taken from the Foreword of the book). Ken’s heart is to see men of all ages rise in their true identity as husbands, fathers and kings by learning from the Word of God about true masculinity and how to be a man. We know the truth is that men often feel they fall short as fathers, husbands, friends and followers of Christ. They’re tired of the world’s ever-changing advice on manhood and are desperate for wisdom to help them through trials, temptations and decisions. Ken’s advice cuts through the confusion with a refreshingly real version of true masculinity. Evander Holy field says about Ken’s book, “If you want a no-nonsense guide to getting manhood right, this is it.” Os Guinness says, “Some authors write with ink and some with water. Harrison writes with blood and fire, and his soul-stirring call for men to rise to the challenge of the hour is bold, timely and heartwarming. If Christian men respond as the promise keepers described here, the world will be a different and better place.” Ditto from Megamorpho sis Magazine. We want to empower you—to get into position in the army of God and build a game-changing legacy for yourself and for God’s kingdom. God has a bigger plan for you, for Ken Harrison and for Promise Keepers and it’s our prayer that men will rise and become the men they were created to be—and simultaneously champion the women they influence to do the same. True success and unity in the body of Christ will happen if men and women become passionate about loving one another and seeing each other through the Father’s eyes. With bravery and accountability we can go into 2020 surrendered to God’s game plan and watch Him create a masterful turn-around in the Church, in our homes and in America. It’s time for men and women to Man Up.
-OS GUINNESS