2020 Vision: An Unexpected Year in Review | The Institute for Creation Research

2020 Vision: An Unexpected Year in Review

2020 has been a year like no other. We began the year at ICR with our mission in focus, seeking to honor Jesus by sharing His glorious work in creation. We also started the year anticipating a greater outreach through the ICR Discovery Center for Science & Earth History, with grand plans to reach new friends as well as welcome old ones. In the spring we hosted a Made in His Image Weekend and Origins: Re-examining the Evidence events to share the truth about creation and refute evolutionary claims. We had many more plans in the works, but then coronavirus struck—and plans changed for almost everyone in the entire world.

When some of the ICR staff were required to work from home due to government regulations, we continued to publish Acts & Facts, Days of Praise, and online news articles. In-person events were cancelled or postponed, but we initiated online events and reached audiences around the world with the creation message. We were amazed at the success of these virtual sessions and found that many families stuck at home had become more interested in answering deeper questions of faith and life.

After the Discovery Center reopened, friends of ICR joined us for Labor Day-week special events to celebrate our Dallas museum’s one-year anniversary. The festivities included a petting zoo, food trucks, live science presentations, and fun activities. In October, we welcomed hundreds of homeschoolers to our Homeschool Day event with special presentations, exhibit hall tours with scientists, exploration with microscopes, and other ministries.

2020 marks ICR’s 50th anniversary, and in August Dr. Randy Guliuzza was named ICR President, and he announced an intensified focus on biological design and the CET model. He notes in this month’s feature that ICR’s “most pressing task today…is to fundamentally change the way people understand biology by constructing a completely new theory of biological design that incorporates recent discoveries while respecting the biblical narrative” (“Jesus Christ, Our Savior and Creator”). We look forward to sharing the fruits of this effort in coming months.

This issue also celebrates Dr. Henry M. Morris III’s many years of service at ICR and honors him as he retires from his position as CEO. As an experienced businessman, he not only understood those aspects of his job, he also brought a pastor’s heart to the role, showing interest and concern for the well-being of ICR staff members. Dr. Morris stayed true to his vision for ICR throughout his time here. He stood firmly on his faith, never wavering from his stance on the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. In “Dr. Henry M. Morris III: A Kingdom-Focused Life,” ICR editor Christy Hardy says, “It’s our joy at ICR to give honor where honor is due. We are deeply thankful for Dr. Henry’s impact on ICR, his sacrificial investment in creation ministry, and his example of a life committed to the truth of God’s Word and the work of the Kingdom.”

Though we could never have anticipated the unique challenges of 2020, we see ways God has used this time to accomplish good things for our ministry. We learned how to think outside the box, persevere through obstacles, and focus our eyes anew on our Creator, who has not been surprised by anything this year held. We were reminded that God can use seemingly unideal circumstances to reach people who need to hear creation truth, and we watched Him provide our every need through the generosity of so many of you! As 2020 draws to a close, let’s celebrate the Christmas season with gratitude and renewed vision, remembering the Lord’s goodness and looking forward to another year of fellowship and ministry with Him.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!

* Jayme Durant is Director of Communications at the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Jayme Durant. 2020. 2020 Vision: An Unexpected Year in Review. Acts & Facts. 49 (12).

The Latest
NEWS
Distant Galaxies Continue to Challenge the Big Bang
Recently, a team of scientists released data collected from 800,000 galaxies at different distances from Earth, all lying within the same narrow slice...

NEWS
Did Teeth First Evolve as Sensory Tissue?
One of the mysteries of evolution (there are so many) is the origin of teeth. The past few years have witnessed a remarkable flurry of research...

NEWS
''The Flood of Death'': A Mass Dino Grave in Canada
Paleontologists in Alberta, Canada, have recently unearthed “a mass grave on a monumental scale.”1 The BBC story speaks of Thousands...

CREATION PODCAST
The 100th Episode of The Creation Podcast! | Let's Talk About...
What role do in-person events play for a creation science ministry? How can you host an event through ICR? Are these events still important...

NEWS
Bone, Skin, Claw Lasted…150 Million Years?
Experts and educators have long assumed Archaeopteryx represents a transition from theropod dinosaurs to modern birds. All of this speculation depends...

NEWS
How Did Earth Get Its Water?
Earth’s oceans contain 321 million cubic miles (1.335 billion cubic kilometers) of water. The moon causes ebb and flow of tides twice in a 24-hour...

NEWS
New Fossil Discovery Upends Animal Evolution...Again
Reptiles belong to a group of animals called amniotes that also include birds and mammals. A new Australian fossil discovery of a clawed amniote demonstrates...

NEWS
100% Cicada Fossil
Cicadas are an unusual-looking insect belonging to the order Hemiptera (the true bugs, including bed bugs and aphids). If you live in the eastern United...

CREATION PODCAST
Earth’s Origins: Science, Theology, and a New Geology Textbook...
Since the late eighteenth century, most scientists have argued for a uniformitarian view of Earth’s history. They claim the world...

NEWS
June 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from...