The Importance of Public Lectures

During my time away in Australia, I have asked certain staff to supply me with reports on their ministry outreaches. One of our most active speakers (and researchers) is Dr. Terry Mortenson, whose PhD is in the history of science (as it relates to the field of geology). He is often on the road giving talks on biblical apologetics, and now that we have a large auditorium next to our Creation Museum, he can regularly be heard by our museum guests.

Here is what Dr. Mortenson recently shared with me about the importance of doing live lectures around the world in addition to all the Sunday speaking we do in churches. We live in an age when so many people are more inclined to stay home and be on their computers, watch videos, and engage in social media. These live AiG presentations provide excellent opportunities for personal interaction with the attendees after the talks are given in a way that social media and other means of communication just can’t accomplish. Here is what Terry shared with me about his live presentations, including those at the museum:

Dr. Mortenson giving a lecture inside our Legacy Hall.

Part of my job as an AiG speaker is to give ten to fifteen 60-minute lectures per month in the Creation Museum for any of our guests who want to listen. Many times I speak on “Creation vs. Evolution: Why It Matters.” On other occasions I will speak on “Ape-men, Adam and the Gospel” or “Millions of Wears: Where Did the Idea Come From?” or some other topic.

At the beginning of each lecture, I ask how many in the audience are in the museum for the very first time. In each instance, most or nearly all of the hands go up, which is encouraging to see. We want to bring new people into the ministry.

After each presentation, I usually stay in one of our two bookstores to be available for questions, comments, or book signings. Whether at the museum or in churches and other venues where I speak, I meet a lot of interesting people, both young and old.

Often it is Christians who want to tell me how much my lectures—or perhaps the museum, some seminar by one of the AiG speakers, or our books and DVDs—have helped them to grasp the foundational truth of the book of Genesis. So many people tell me what a blessing the ministry has been to them and they encourage me to keep going.

Other Christians ask questions about such things as radiometric dating, dinosaurs, what’s wrong with the gap theory, why do so many Christians leaders not believe Genesis, etc. Sometimes it’s because they really want to know the answer. Other times it is because they have accepted evolution or the millions of years and they are raising objections to what I taught or what the museum presents.

Some people ask how they can get this kind of teaching in their church, and I point them to our web page where they can request an AiG speaker. Some ask how they can influence their pastor on this issue and I recommend this DVD, and Coming to Grips with Genesis and this little booklet.

Some people share their grief at the way a Christian college or seminary led them or their child astray because of the professors’ acceptance of evolution and/or millions of years. And I grieve with them. [See our list of Bible institutes, colleges, universities, and seminaries which affirm AiG’s statement of faith.]

Occasionally, non-believers come to me to raise objections. I’ve had a number of intense but friendly conversations with atheists, many of them lasting 30 minutes or more.

In each case I do the best I can to answer them and then point them to the best book or DVD to answer their questions in greater depth.

The Creation Museum has so many different ways for people to encounter the truth of God’s Word, whether they are Christians who agree with us and need to be strengthened, or Christians who disagree with us who need to be gently challenged, or non-believers who need to hear the truth explained and see it visualized and defended in a scientifically informed way—and to hear the gospel.

If you haven’t ever visited the museum, make plans to do so in the next 12 months. And encourage your Christian and non-Christian friends to do the same. It just may change their lives, too!

‑ Dr. Terry Mortenson

Ken