Ministry Spotlight: Genesis Apologetics
With solid answers to questions and materials
for youth, this organization has impact
Genesis Apologetics is an active creation ministry in the Sacramento/Folsom area, under founder Dan Biddle, PhD. It is making a creation impact where it is highly needed: among junior, middle school, high school and college students. (Adults can enjoy the overflow, too.) At their Genesis Conference in March, I was impressed with the large number of young people listening to the presentations with rapt attention.
The conference was held at George Jessup University, and the featured speakers included Dr John Jackson, Dr Dan Biddle, Pastor Joe Walters, David Rives (see last week’s ministry spotlight), and Dr Randy Guliuzza, president of ICR. Dan Biddle explained how he used to assume deep time in his creation view until one day he was challenged by talk to consider the evidence for Genesis. From studying the issue intensely himself, he became overwhelmingly convinced that the Biblical timeline is true history, including creation in six literal days (Genesis 1-3) and the global Flood described in Genesis 6-9.
It was my first acquaintance with Genesis Apologetics, and I was duly impressed. The conference was managed well, offering lunch, and hosting book tables from ICR, from David Rives Ministries, and from Genesis Apologetics. I picked up a couple of their materials.
One was a video called Genesis Impact, which you can watch online here. It teaches how to gently confront evolutionary stories with evidence. The story takes place in a museum lecture hall. After listening patiently to a spiel about human evolution, a young lady raises her hand and says she has a few questions. What follows is a gentle but effective take-down of the whole evolutionary narrative with detailed facts, because the young lady had done her homework. With civility and charm, she respectfully asks questions in a way that the curator cannot deny are worth asking. Though fictional, it provides an appealing lesson to Christian young people that they don’t have to take evolutionary claims lying down. With civility and preparation they, too, can have a “Genesis Impact” in the lion’s den of a museum. The production quality is good.
Another resource was Dan Biddle’s book, Answers to the Top 50 Questions about Genesis, Creation, and Noah’s Flood. This is a superb resource: a convenient size (250 pp paperback), and loaded with facts and illustrations. Biddle strikes a good balance between detail and readability. Answers are direct and to the point. There is no index, but the table of contents serves the purpose with subjects in alphabetical order. This makes it easy to find information about everything from Age of the Earth to Wisdom Teeth. Each answer is documented with references. I have not read every chapter yet, but the ones I have read were solid and well written. Consider getting this book for someone with questions about creation, evolution, or deep time. The entire book can be downloaded free, and website readers can click any question to find the answer online.
Check out the Genesis Apologetics website and browse the resources there, many of them free. Key materials are organized by grade level: K-8, Grades 5-10, and High School to College. They have an online store and links to their top YouTube videos. The “Top 50 Questions” are all linked on the right column. Documentary movies are being produced, and Dan Biddle is available to speak. At Genesis Apologetics, you will undoubtedly find useful information to answer your own questions, as well as links you can share with young people needing answers to theirs.