TheCall

TheCall began in September 2000 after Lou Engle believed he received a prophecy to hold a large youth rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. New Apostolic pastor and apostle Ché Ahn led the event, while Engle held a prophetic role. Originally planned as a co-ed youth version of Promise Keepers, the event was intended as a "counter [to] what Engle and Ahn viewed as a creeping cultural tendency towards apostasy, particularly through the liberalizing US courts and the toleration of abortion."{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Matthew D. |title=The Violent Take it by Force |date=October 2024 |publisher=Broadleaf Books |isbn=9781506497785 |chapter=The Second Apostolic Age}} Between 300,000 and 500,000 attendees were present at the first rally, with participants fasting throughout the day, worshipping, and blowing shofars. Further TheCall events would then be held in cities around the country.{{Cite news |last=Broadway |first=Bill |date=September 3, 2000 |title=Christian youth rally draws thousands to D.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-christian-yout/154880397/ |access-date=September 8, 2024 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=A6 |via=Newspapers.com}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Duin |first=Julia |date=July 27, 2008 |title=More fast times at Call on Mall |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/27/more-fast-times-at-call-on-mall/ |work=Washington Times}}

TheCall's 12-hour or 24-hour events combined 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." Speakers at TheCall events frequently draw parallels between the pro-life movement and the 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.{{Cite news |last=Hornick |first=Ed |date=August 13, 2008 |title=McCain, Obama to address 'values voters' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/13/evangelical.call/index.html |work=CNN}} Personal and national repentance among Christians and prayer for spiritual awakening has been the core focus of TheCall since its inception. The events have focused on prayer and sermons against abortion and homosexuality.{{Cite news |last=Hemmingway |first=Mark |date=August 18, 2008 |title=Hearing TheCall |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/225354/hearing-thecall/mark-hemingway |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207115921/http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/225354/hearing-thecall/mark-hemingway |archive-date=February 7, 2012 |work=National Review Online}} TheCall events have been attended by prominent evangelical leaders such as Mike Huckabee, James Dobson, and Tony Perkins.{{Cite web |last=Wyler |first=Grace |date=August 5, 2011 |title=10 Evangelical Powerbrokers Behind Rick Perry's Prayer Rally To Save America |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-the-masterminds-behind-rick-perrys-prayer-rally-to-save-america-2011-8#the-godfathers-4 |access-date=October 12, 2024 |website=Business Insider}}

Religion scholar Matthew D. Taylor argues that TheCall DC was highly influential – that the event and its New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) leaders "helped create the very mass-gathering, prayer-and-warfare styles that were on display on January 6 [2021]."

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. Engle later said the church should examine its own sins and oppose violence against homosexuals, but he did not reject the criminalization of homosexuality.{{Cite news |last=Throckmorton |first=Warren |date=April 27, 2010 |title=Lou Engle issues statement regarding The Call Uganda and Anti-Homosexuality Bill |url=http://wthrockmorton.com/2010/04/27/lou-engle-issues-statement-regarding-the-call-uganda-and-anti-homosexuality-bill/}}{{User-generated inline|date=September 2024}}

In 2011, a TheCall rally was held in Detroit, Michigan, where there is a significant Muslim population. "[Calls] to 'take back the land' of Muslim Americans" by engaging in spiritual warfare prayer over mosques, described as "like sending our special forces into Afghanistan", drew concern. An apostle stated the event was "not divisive at all" and that they were "praying for God to move in Detroit ... so that we can all be one"; the event's goal was to get African Americans to convert local Muslims, who would then convert others in the Middle East. Baptist, Methodist, and Catholic clergy protested the event.{{Cite news |last=Warikoo |first=Niraj |date=November 10, 2011 |title=Prayer rally gets response: Metro Detroit clergy warn against TheCall |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-prayer-rally-gets-res/154879961/ |access-date=September 8, 2024 |work=Detroit Free Press |pages=A7 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Warikoo |first=Niraj |date=November 12, 2011 |title=Sides of faith collide: Ford Field prayer event's message focuses on hate, demonstrators say |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-sides-of-faith-collid/154880054/ |access-date=September 8, 2024 |work=Detroit Free Press |pages=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}

TheCall has multiple supplementary movements and alternative names for their events that are focused on different areas of interest to the group. This includes TheResponse,{{Cite news |last=Wyler |first=Grace |date=August 2, 2011 |title=Here's What You Need To Know About Rick Perry's Prayer Rally |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/rick-perry-the-response-campaign-2012-2011-8 |access-date=November 2, 2018 |work=Business Insider}} which was a chain of stadium revivals focused on rallying audiences towards different topics or political candidates.{{Cite news |last=Merlan |first=Anna |date=July 12, 2011 |title=IHOP To It: A Little More About the Prayer Warriors Behind Rick Perry's 'The Response' |url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/ihop-to-it-a-little-more-about-the-prayer-warriors-behind-rick-perrys-the-response-7122657 |access-date=November 2, 2018 |work=Dallas Observer}} Another event sponsored by TheCall and Lou Engle was RiseUp. The event was held in Washington D.C. on October 9, 2017,{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2017 |title=Urging Women to Answer a New Call |url=https://www2.cbn.com/video/700-club/urging-women-answer-new-call |access-date=November 2, 2018 |website=Christian Broadcasting Network}} and was created for Christian women to become advocates within the political sphere. Speakers at this event led prayers for political figures such as Donald Trump and Barack Obama.{{Cite news |last=Banks |first=Adelle M. |date=October 10, 2017 |title=Christian women gather on National Mall, pray for Trump, Obama and Supreme Court |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/global/2017/10/09/christian-women-gather-on-national-mall-pray-for-trump-obama-and-supreme-court/ |access-date=November 2, 2018 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune}} Attendees were asked to pray for millions of children to be adopted, for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and for “the reform or the resigning of judges” within the Supreme Court. TheCall focused again on rallying Christian women in 2017 with the Esther Fast.{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Amy |date=January 27, 2018 |title=Millions of Americans Believe God Made Trump President |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/27/millions-of-americans-believe-god-made-trump-president-216537 |access-date=November 2, 2018 |work=Politico}} The three-day fast held from March 8–11, 2017,{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Samuel |date=October 8, 2017 |title=Thousands of Women to Repent for Racial Sins of America in Worship Rally on National Mall |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/thousands-of-women-repent-racial-sins-america-worship-rally-on-national-mall-202081/ |access-date=November 2, 2018 |work=Christian Post}} called for women to pray for the support of the President of the United States, the ending of witchcraft, removing anti-semitic beliefs in America, and for the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

On August 6, 2011 Rick Perry and Lou Engle held TheResponse.{{Cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |last2=Blake |first2=Aaron |date=August 8, 2011 |title=Rick Perry's positive 'Response' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/rick-perrys-positive-response/2011/08/07/gIQAg4kQ1I_blog.html |access-date=November 2, 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post}} This event was an all-day prayer rally held in Houston at the Reliant Stadium in which Engle called for prayer and fasting in support of Perry's presidential campaign.{{Cite news |last=Wyler |first=Grace |date=July 21, 2011 |title=Meet The Radical Evangelical Army Behind Rick Perry |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/rick-perry-the-evangelicals-behind-the-response-2011-7-21 |access-date=October 23, 2018 |work=Business Insider}} Prior to this, two Texan pastors, Tom Schlueter of Arlington and Bob Long of San Marcos, contacted Perry in hopes to share a new revelation that God had ordained Texas to be the "Prophet State" and that he was anointed by God to lead the state and nation into revival.{{Cite news |last=Wilder |first=Forrest |date=August 3, 2011 |title=Rick Perry's Army of God |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/rick-perrys-army-of-god/ |access-date=October 23, 2018 |work=The Texas Observer}} Perry further promoted the belief that TheResponse was prophesied and anointed through the Book of Joel. At this event, Engle told the audience that the day Perry announced his presidential campaign, it rained heavily for five hours. He then went on to say that some see this as a sign of God's blessing on Perry's presidency.{{Cite news |last=Tashman |first=Brian |date=September 6, 2011 |title=Engle: Perry's Presidential Announcement May Have Alleviated Texas' Drought |url=http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/engle-perrys-presidential-announcement-may-have-alleviated-texas-drought/ |access-date=October 23, 2018 |work=Right Wing Watch |language=en-US}}

• Cindy Jacobs
• Dutch Sheets
• Alice Patterson
• Doug Stringer
• Jim Garlow

• James and Shirley Dobson
• Tony Evans
• Tony Perkins
• Michael W. Smith{{Cite news |last=Broadway |first=Bill |date=September 3, 2000 |title=Christian youth rally draws thousands to D.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-christian-yout/154880397/ |access-date=September 8, 2024 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=A6 |via=Newspapers.com}}

• Sam Brownback{{Cn|date=September 2024|reason=old ref was unreliable}}
• Sarah Palin{{Cite news |last=Gross |first=Michael Joseph |date=September 17, 2010 |title=Is Palin's Rise Part of God's Plan? |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/10/sarah-palin-as-queen-esther-201010 |access-date=November 14, 2018 |work=Vanity Fair}}
• Newt Gingrich{{Cite news |date=September 14, 2011 |title=Lou Engle of TheCall Teams up with Huckabee and Gingrich |url=https://www.glaad.org/2010/09/03/anti-gay-zealot-lou-engle-teams-up-with-huckabee-and-gingrich |access-date=November 15, 2018 |work=GLAAD}}{{Cite web |last=Barde |first=Joel |date=October 23, 2017 |title=Inside the Controversial US Evangelical Movement Targeting Indigenous People |url=https://thewalrus.ca/inside-the-controversial-us-evangelical-movement-targeting-canadas-indigenous-people/ |access-date=October 12, 2024 |website=The Walrus}}
• Michele Bachmann{{Cite news |last=Mantyla |first=Kyle |date=December 17, 2009 |title=Prayercast: Bachmann and Engle |url=http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/prayercast-bachmann-and-engle/ |access-date=November 15, 2018 |work=Right Wing Watch}}
• Ted Cruz{{Cn|date=September 2024|reason=old ref was unreliable}}
• Mike Huckabee

• September 2, 2000 (Washington, D.C.) – estimated between 300,000–500,000
• October 3, 2002 (Seoul, South Korea) – estimated 30,000{{Cite web |date=5 October 2002 |title=더콜 기도성회, 성황리에 막내려 |url=http://www.christiantoday.co.kr/view.htm?id=128548 |website=Christian Today |language=ko}}
• February 22, 2003 (Pasadena, California){{Cite web |last=Lobdell |first=William |date=February 21, 2003 |title=Evangelicals Praying for a Revolution |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-21-me-revival21-story.html |access-date=March 20, 2020 |website=Los Angeles Times}}
• March 1, 2005 (Gunsan, South Korea){{Cite web |title=Unknown |url=http://www.newsnjoy.co.kr/news/quickViewArticleView.html?idxno=10926 |website=News n Joy |language=ko}}{{dead link|date=May 2024}}
• July 7, 2007 (Nashville, Tennessee){{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Bonna |date=July 8, 2007 |title=At Nashville gathering, faith fights moral decay |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-day-of-prayer/156956956/ |access-date=October 12, 2024 |work=The Tennessean |pages=1A, 7A |via=Newspapers.com}}
• April 5, 2008 (Montgomery, Alabama) – estimated 20,000{{Cite web |title=Thousands Attend The Call in Montgomery |url=http://www.wsfa.com/global/story.asp?s=8149536 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209180923/http://www.wsfa.com/global/story.asp?s=8149536 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |website=WSFA}}
• August 16, 2008 (Washington, D.C.){{Cite news |last=Montopoli |first=Brian |date=August 15, 2008 |title=Obama, McCain And The Evangelical Divide |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-mccain-and-the-evangelical-divide/ |access-date=November 4, 2008 |work=CBS News}}
• May 2, 2010 (Kampala, Uganda){{Cite news |last=Kron |first=Josh |date=May 2, 2010 |title=In Uganda, Push to Curb Gays Draws U.S. Guest |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/world/africa/03uganda.html?ref=africa |work=The New York Times}}
• November 11, 2011 (Detroit, Michigan)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.thecall.com/ Official website]

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Category:Christian movements

Category:Evangelical parachurch organizations

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Category:Anti-abortion organizations in the United States

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