Souls Saved, Lives Changed: The Lasting Impact of AiG

by Ken Ham on January 14, 2025
Featured in Ken Ham Blog

Well, the presidential election is over, the new administration will soon be sworn in, and all of America’s problems (and those of the rest of the world) will be solved, right?

Wrong!

You see, our hope is not in any particular government! Now don’t get me wrong, government matters, and we do need more Christians getting involved and leading with a biblical worldview. But ultimately, government and legislation are not the answer. The problems are spiritual and the answer to America’s (and the world’s) problems is spiritual.

The problems are spiritual and the answer to America’s (and the world’s) problems is spiritual.

I do believe God has raised up Answers in Genesis—with all the varied areas of ministry (books, curricula, attractions, social media, education, and so much more)—to be a cutting-edge ministry for this time. But I’ve been asked many times: how can we measure the spiritual impact of this ministry

The only way we will truly know the full impact of this ministry is when we get to heaven! But I do believe we can get an inkling of AiG’s phenomenal spiritual impact, which I will do my best to show you. As we do this, remember this verse of Scripture:

Jesus said, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

I want to show you that there has been a phenomenal amount of rejoicing in heaven as a result of the Lord using the AiG ministry. But first, let me share what I have found from my own personal experience.

Souls Saved and Lives Changed!

As I travel (and still do, though not as much as I used to) and speak and meet people (usually we have a meet and greet after I speak), I hear so many exciting testimonies. In November, I was in the UK for two conferences. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, a man told me he attended one of my programs in 1995, and as a result, he committed his life to the Lord, and it was so special for he and his wife to now be at this event in 2024.

I also heard numerous testimonies that were similar to many I hear in the US. I’m amazed and thrilled at the generational impact this ministry has had. I have been overwhelmed by the number of young parents who tell me their parents loved the AiG ministry and took them as children to one of our programs. As a result, they are now bringing their children up on AiG resources (I’ve heard this around the world), and many were able to bring them to the Ark, Creation Museum, or a speaking event.

It’s been such a blessing to meet many of these young parents who as children attended one of the special programs Buddy and I did for children and young people across America and around the world. Tens of thousands of children were impacted. How special to see the legacy continuing generationally. Buddy’s legacy lives on even though he is now in heaven!

There’s hardly a week that goes by when I don’t hear from people who were greatly impacted by my debate with Bill Nye in 2014. And I’ve met some who said they were atheists, but the Lord used that debate to lead them to saving faith. I also hear so many salvation testimonies in meet and greets and through phone calls, emails, and letters.

I’ve also seen large numbers of testimonies posted on social media, like this one concerning a father who visited the Creation Museum that I saw just a few days before writing this letter:

Text message: The Museum helped someone get saved

Our 40 Days of Christian Music festival at the Ark Encounter (and select days at the Creation Museum) has had an exciting spiritual impact. This concert series we do each year is evangelistic, with Bible teaching and a clear gospel presentation and challenge each day. Because of the way the gospel challenge is given, we believe the responses are sincere (and ultimately only God knows people’s hearts). Look at the responses from the past two years:

  • 40-40 endorsement
  • 40-40 endorsement

Wow! So exciting to see such spiritual impact.

At the Ark and Creation Museum, we have conducted surveys of many thousands of guests who have visited. Consider these results:

Survey results

That’s a very significant and phenomenal impact—over 60% indicating their Ark Encounter visit “extremely” or “very” much strengthened and better equipped them to defend their Christian faith!

Now consider this result:

Survey results

Think about this. Well over 1 million people visit our attractions each year (1.5 million total visits to both attractions), and our surveys indicate up to 30% are unbelievers. Now if 6.3% is a real statistic, that would mean 63,000 souls per million trust Christ for salvation each year as a result of the Lord using the attractions.

But that number might actually be low—these surveys are given shortly after a visit, but we hear of salvation testimonies that occurred months after a visit as people think about what they saw and the Lord works on their hearts. So we really don’t know the true number, but the above makes it clear the attractions are having a spectacular impact on people’s lives.

And it’s not just the attractions. Consider that this year around 15,000 churches used our Answers VBS program, impacting an estimated 1 million children. Many of those churches have told us of numerous children trusting Christ as Savior as a result.

There’s just no way, humanly speaking, we can know the true impact of this ministry, but I do believe it’s way beyond what we could ever imagine. God is good!

Should We Be Spending More on Charity?

As I was thinking about all this, I thought back to the time when we were building the Creation Museum and then again when we were building the Ark Encounter and had to deal with atheists, secular media, and some church leaders accusing us of wasting money that should have been spent on the poor.

Well, consider these recent headlines in the media:

  • Astronishing media headlines
  • Astronishing media headlines
  • Astronishing media headlines
  • Astronishing media headlines

Where are the atheists and certain church leaders and the secular news media outlets who denigrated Answers in Genesis for spending money on building the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter? These people claimed we should have spent the money on feeding the poor. Yet billions of dollars were spent on the recent presidential election and not one word from any of those who opposed AiG with accusations that the money should’ve been spent on feeding the poor.

Kamala Harris spent over $1 billion on her failed attempt to win the presidential election and apparently is also $20 million in debt, and yet nothing is being said about all that money that was totally wasted in regard to feeding the poor.

It just shows that the reason the secular media and certain church leaders and atheists denigrated Answers in Genesis over spending money on building attractions that have impacted millions of people spiritually, and have been an economic boon for Kentucky, is that of prejudice and discrimination against the message we proclaim. That’s the bottom line.

It shows the mind of the devil in the attack. It’s called the “Judas Proposition.”

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. (John 12:4–6)

The issue never has been about the feeding of the poor. The real issue is that God’s Word and the message of the gospel are folly to those who are perishing.

The evil one will always attack when God’s Word and the gospel are being proclaimed.

Secularists will never admit any benefits of the attractions because they are totally against the message. It’s miraculous how God has kept the ministry of AiG moving forward in spite of such opposition. God is at work! After all, it is his ministry. We are only caretakers of it and do our best to honor the Son in all we do, which is why the gospel is boldly and clearly presented through every aspect of the ministry.

Partner with Us!

I say all this to encourage you that your financial and prayerful support of Answers in Genesis is having eternal impact and providing the only solution to people’s and the nation’s problems—God’s Word and the saving gospel. That’s the best investment one can ever make.

As we begin this new year proclaiming the truth of the Bible and its message of salvation to a world that desperately needs it, would you prayerfully consider sending a gift this month—as well as designating a monthly recurring gift for our core ministry? Your donation of any size is a great blessing to Answers in Genesis.

Thank you for being a part of the AiG family and helping us impact millions with the most vital message in the universe and the solution all need to hear, understand, and respond to.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.

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