Two Decades of Creation: Past and Future | The Institute for Creation Research

 
Two Decades of Creation: Past and Future

(1) Annual ICR Report for 1980
(2) Summary of Activities of ICR During the Past Decade
(3) ICR Goals for the Decade of the Eighties

The year 1980 was the first year of what could well be the most exciting decade in many centuries. Among other encouraging indicators, the signs seem favorable for a much stronger worldwide expansion of creationism than even that which occurred in the seventies. If so, this will be attributable in considerable measure to the strong base of scientific creationism established in the past decade by the wide-ranging activities of the Institute for Creation Research. Since ICR is planning in 1981 to institute graduate degree programs in creationist science and education, this is a good time to review not only the work of the past year but also that of the entire past decade since ICR's beginning.

Activities in 1980

The ministry of ICR involves three major functions: (1) publications; (2) research; (3) teaching (including seminars, debates, radio and all other speaking ministries). The 1980 activities in all three of these categories are summarized below:

A. Publications:

(1) R.B. Bliss, G.E. Parker, and D.T. Gish, Fossils Key to the Present (CLP, 1980)
(2) H.M. Morris, King of Creation (CLP, 1980)
(3) H.S. Slusher, Age of the Cosmos (CLP, 1980 p. 74)
(4) G.E. Parker, Creation: The Facts of Life (CLP, 1980)
(5) J.D. Morris, Tracking Those Incredible Dinosaurs and the People Who Knew Them (CLP, 1980)
(6) H.M. Morris, ed. The Decade of Creation (CLP, 1980)
(7) 12 issues of ICR Acts & Facts, with "Impact Series" articles
(8) 5 articles in professional journals or anthologies
(9) 8 articles in Christian periodicals

B. Research

(1) Field study of geologic catastrophism in Australia
(2) Laboratory study of catastrophic indicators in coal geology
(3) Field studies in Grand Canyon and Anza-Borrego Desert
(4) Theoretical and library research on numerous creation/evolution issues

C. Speaking and Teaching

(1) 10 creation/evolution debates, at Charleston, SC; Kansas City; Iowa State University; Des Moines College, Graceland College; Princeton University; Humboldt State College; Western Washington University; University of Wisconsin (Baraboo); and University of Washington. Total attendance 5500.
(2) 5 Summer Institutes on Scientific Creationism (week-long, two-credit courses) at Calvary Bible College (Kansas City), Moody Bible Institute (Chicago), Washington Bible College (Lanham, MD), Briercrest Bible Institute (Caronport, Saskatchewan), and Christian Heritage College. Total enrollment 400.
(3) 6 three-credit courses in Scientific Creationism, at Christian Heritage College. (Total of 270 lecture hours.)
(4) 52 weekly radio broadcasts for ICR program "Science, Scripture, and Salvation." Now heard on 85 stations in 33 states, plus overseas.
(5) Appearances on more than 20 other radio programs, plus on 6 national telecasts, and at least 10 local television programs, as well as many interviews for newspaper and magazine articles.
(6) Appearances in 2 Christian motion picture films.
(7) 101 lectures on 32 college and university campuses (in addition to the debates and summer institutes).
(8) 75 messages in 53 churches representing 15 or more denominations.
(9) 100 lectures at creation seminars in 26 different cities and 19 states.
(10) 50 lectures to educational, scientific, political or civic groups in 26 cities in 14 states.
(11) International ministries in Canada, and South Korea.

SUMMARY:

Approximately 770 lectures or messages in 23 states plus Canada and Korea to audiences totaling over 100,000 (not including radio and television listeners).

Summary of ICR Activities Since 1970

The complex of ministries now associated with the Institute for Creation Research was originally established in September 1970, along with Christian Heritage College. It was reorganized in April 1972 under its present name and has continued to grow in stature and outreach ever since. Thus, in slightly over one decade, a ministry which began with only one scientist working part-time, has grown to international proportions, widely recognized (especially by evolutionists!) as the leading influence in the modern revival of creationism.

A brief summary of part of its ministry during this period would include the following:

  1. Publication of 55 significant books, including 9 technical monographs and 14 textbooks now widely used in various schools and colleges.
  2. Publication of numerous slide sets, filmstrips, transparencies and cassettes, which have also been widely used, as well as participating or consulting on 5 significant film productions.
  3. Two expeditions to Mount Ararat in search of Noah's Ark, at least 15 field expeditions for geological or archaeological research, plus continuing library and analytical research on a wide-ranging variety of topics.
  4. More than 100 formal creation/evolution debates with leading evolutionary scientists, usually held on university campuses (all with favorable results for creationism).
  5. Lectures on at least 400 different college and university campuses.
  6. Messages in well over 400 different churches.
  7. Creation seminars or conferences held in 350 cities.
  8. 35 Summer Institutes on Scientific Creationism held at 23 different colleges.
  9. ICR radio broadcast, "Science, Scripture, and Salvation," produced and distributed weekly since May 1972, plus appearances on at least 300 other radio programs and 200 television programs (including more than 20 network telecasts).
  10. Lecture ministries in many other countries (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, South Korea, etc.).
  11. Translations of ICR publications into at least 10 other languages.
  12. Lectures to more than 200 significant gatherings of scientists, teachers, legislators, or other important secular groups.
  13. Teaching regular six semester-hour courses in Scientific Creationism and regular six semester-hour courses in Practical Christian Evidences at Christian Heritage College every year since 1970. In addition, ICR staff members have served as Adjunct Professors at Christian Heritage College teaching most of its courses in the various sciences.
  14. Teaching credit courses in creationism for eight or more other colleges on a visiting-faculty basis.

As a result, there are many more churches, Christian schools, and other institutions today which are teaching creationism to their constituents than was true a decade ago. Many local creationist organizations have been formed all over the country, and in many foreign countries, largely as a result of ICR's impact and publications. The news media, on the other hand, are also widely publicizing these activities now, and often opposing them. The same is true of many humanistically oriented scientific and educational associations, as well as the evolutionary establishment in general.

Over the past decade, ICR speakers have lectured in almost every state, and in at least 15 other countries. The combined attendance at these meetings has exceeded 600,000, not including radio and television audiences. Over a million copies of books by ICR scientists have been distributed.

Hundreds of people have told us during these past ten years, either in person or by letter, that their lives have been changed by this ministry. Many have been brought to saving faith in Christ and many more have been strengthened in their Christian life and witness.

When we contrast the situation at the end of this decade with ICR's fragile foundation at its beginning (or, even more, the almost complete dearth of scientific creationist literature 40 years ago, at the time the writer first became a creationist and began to try to develop a sound scientific case for creation), the prospects for the future with our present strong base look strong and exciting.

ICR Goals for the Future

First of all, we believe that every one of the present activities of ICR, Lord willing, should be continued and expanded. Its unique combination of commitment to creationism in every discipline, and simultaneous commitment to high scientific and personal integrity in all its activities is a much needed emphasis in today's hurting world. However, our present activities, even expanded, will not be enough. A repudiation of evolutionary humanism, and a return to true belief in God as Creator and Sovereign of the Universe is prerequisite to any real solution of human problems, whether those problems are personal, social, or trans-national in scope. Since today's dominant belief in evolutionism stems mostly from the schools, and since the teachers in the schools are determined largely by the training of their teachers and the material in their textbooks, it is of first importance that creationist textbooks and training somehow be provided. It is futile and counter-productive to try to force schools by political or other means to teach creationism, when there are no creationist textbooks or graduate schools with which to equip their teachers to do so.

The following goals are, therefore, of transcendent importance. They may well be beyond the reach of ICR or of any other single organization, but we do believe it is essential that we try.

  1. Development of an entire spectrum of sound creationist text and reference books, in every subject and at every level, for Christian schools, and of corresponding "two-model" books for non-Christian schools.
  2. Development of a true Christian creationist university system, with graduate and professional schools, and with research and extension programs, all oriented toward a real creationist, Christian, Biblical world view.

These may seem like impossible goals, but "with God nothing shall be impossible." There are already an abundance of qualified creationist professionals whom God has raised up, men and women representing all fields of the sciences, and other relevant disciplines, who would be well able to write the needed textbooks and develop the needed graduate and professional programs if they had the opportunity.

In order to do this, however, such people need to be recognized and brought together with their efforts all properly coordinated and underwritten financially. However, the necessary finances have seemed an insurmountable obstacle so far.

But the hour is late, and there will never be a better time than now to trust God to remove the barriers and supply the need. There seems to be no other organization better prepared to attempt this mission (or at least none with a greater burden and sense of the need) than ICR and so, as the Lord leads and enables, we plan to move as rapidly as possible toward these goals in 1981 and the critical decade ahead. This decision has been based on much prayer and study extending over several years, as well as clear evidence of the Lord's leading at this time. But the continuing prayers and support of all concerned Christian people everywhere are urgently needed if the goals are to be attained.

* Dr. Henry M. Morris is the Founder and President Emeritus of the Institute for Creation Research and the author of numerous articles and books.

Cite this article: Henry M. Morris, Ph.D. 1981. Two Decades of Creation: Past and Future. Acts & Facts. 10 (1).

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