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Denver drivers are accustomed to nasty traffic snarls at the spot where Interstate 25 exits into acres of parking lots servicing the enthusiastic fans of three pro sports teams—basketball's Nuggets, football's Broncos, and baseball's Rockies.

But not at 8 o'clock in the morning. The nearly 13,000 people who were slowing the interstate down to a crawl near McNichols Arena on a brisk September morning did not look like they were about to spend a day eating hot dogs and drinking beer. Some were driving shiny BMWs, or talking on their cellular phones, and were dressed for success in designer wool suits or similar professional attire.

Rather than dreaming about line drives and stolen bases, 13,000 of greater Denver's business leaders were driving toward the wealth and success that had been promised for weeks in full-page newspaper ads. A one-day business seminar was showcased in the ads, featuring such big-name speakers as military hero H. Norman Schwarzkopf, motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, Olympic Gold Medalist Mary Lou Retton, and the Crystal Cathedral's Robert Schuller. Nearly 200,000 people attended the "Success 1993" seminars last year in 45 major cities across America.

THE HUNGER FOR SUCCESS

The thousands of people squeezing into the tight stadium seats were gearing themselves up for a day's worth of selling tips and high-powered motivation. Most of them did not have any idea they would also hear a straight-talking evangelical gospel presentation from seminar organizer Peter Lowe, president of the Tampa, Florida-based Peter Lowe International, and one of the most unusual itinerant evangelists around.

Just as Jesus grabbed the attention of first-century crowds with parables involving fishing, farming, and winemaking, Peter Lowe is perfectly happy using the business lexicon, the lure of celebrities, and the hunger for success as a vehicle to proclaim the good news.

"It would be really unprofessional and hypocritical of me to go out there and tell people that these sales techniques are the things that have been critical to my success. They're not," says Lowe during an interview held backstage as Zig Ziglar made the day's opening presentation.

Lowe, an engaging 35-year-old redhead, looked calm and at ease as he sat on a couch and explained his unique mission. In fact, one-on-one, his demeanor is so low-key and personal that he hardly seems able to withstand the critical gaze that derives from life in the spotlight. Yet, his no-nonsense expression and his compassionate eyes are motivated by a deep desire to serve Jesus. "For me, one of the fundamental aspects of success is eternal life," he said. "Ultimately, if you don't have Christ, you don't have anything."

TAKING THE STAGE

When Lowe takes the stage for his two-hour session on "How to Sell Far More Effectively," he is a study in high energy, drama, and motion. Pacing the broad stage set in the middle of the cavernous auditorium floor, he waves his arms like an impassioned diva. His voice is high-pitched and somewhat nasal, not suave and syrupy as one might expect from a marketing pitchman. His delivery to the thousands of listeners is personal, with a vulnerable quality that dissolves the barriers so easily erected among people in business. During the intermission, he stands by the stage, greeting individuals for a personable 15 minutes, after which he strides back to center stage, beginning part two of his talk.

Near the close of the session, he segues into his Christian message, which is billed in the newspaper ads as an "optional bonus session on the biblical secrets of success." About 95 percent of the crowd stays and listens. And what they hear is a winsome and compelling gospel presentation, peppered with Lowe's personal testimony, a dozen Bible verses, and a handful of spiritual principles illustrated by succinct stories from the worlds of business, sports, and science.

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September 12 1994, Vol. 38, No. 10