The Engine of Answers in Genesis

When people see the size of Answers in Genesis—an organization that now encompasses a wide range of ministries and initiatives—I’m often asked in interviews, both by secular and Christian media, if this is what I imagined all those decades ago when we started AiG.

Well, my answer, with a touch of irony, usually goes something like this:

“Oh yes, this is exactly what we planned 50 years ago when we stepped out in faith to begin a creation apologetics ministry. The Creation Museum, the Ark Encounter, Answers Academy, book and curriculum publishing, a speaking and conference ministry, translation ministry, social media outreach, a streaming platform, and all the other facets of the ministry—yes, we planned it precisely this way.”

And then I laugh.

People get the point. We had absolutely no idea this is where the ministry would be today. But it’s a reminder that:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9)

As my wife, Mally, has said to me, “It’s just as well God didn’t reveal all He had in store for us, or we probably would have been like Jonah and run away.”

It is also vital that we not neglect the “engines” that run the ministry—the behind-the-scenes work that powers everything else.

I thought about that recently, as this is normally the time of year when we launch our end-of-year fundraising campaign. In recent years, we have focused on new exhibits and upgrades for the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. And those are certainly important.

But it is also vital that we not neglect the “engines” that run the ministry—the behind-the-scenes work that powers everything else.

Most people, including many of our supporters, don’t realize the extent of what goes on behind the scenes to feed and support all the various departments and outreaches.

I often think of Answers in Genesis as somewhat like two power-generation stations:

1. The power generator for all the ministry outreaches: A vital component of this is the content we research, write, and provide.
2. The power generator for the operations and the organizational structure that enables the ministry to function effectively.

By God’s grace, approximately 80% of our operating budget is generated through revenue from the attractions, curricula, educational resources, and other streams, and the remaining 20% comes from donations. That is a much healthier position than when we first started Answers in Genesis over 30 years ago, when we were almost entirely dependent on the faithful giving of supporters.

Even so, many vital aspects of the ministry—including much of the research, content development, and the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that powers all our outreaches—cannot sustain themselves through earned revenue alone. They continue to rely on the generosity of those who share our vision.

I’ve told the story before about a missionary couple in Ethiopia whom my parents supported many years ago. They sent an urgent request for funds to purchase a motorcycle so they could travel to remote villages to teach God’s Word and proclaim the gospel. They also requested support for a refrigerator to keep their food from spoiling.

Well, they received twice as much money as they needed for the motorcycle—and not a single donation for the refrigerator! Fortunately, the excess funds for the motorcycle were enough to cover the refrigerator as well

People understandably get excited about helping missionaries take the gospel to remote villages. They’re often not quite as excited about helping keep their food from spoiling!

The point is that most people don’t see all that goes on behind the scenes at Answers in Genesis. They experience the finished product—the world-class attractions, exhibits, teaching, animals, gardens, programs, conferences, and resources. Praise the Lord for that! But behind all of it are what I have been calling the “engines” of the ministry.

Hours and hours of work go into researching and producing content for new exhibits, updating existing exhibits, developing scripts and videos, preparing signage, creating curricula, and producing resources. Sometimes substantial funding is required up front before a project can ever begin generating revenue.

For the past few years, a family foundation has generously provided a matching gift for our end-of-year campaign. Because you, our supporters, have responded each year and matched those funds, this foundation has continued to stand with us and has even increased its dollar-for-dollar matching gift commitment (more on that later).

This year, we approached them about something a little different. We asked if they would consider providing a matching fund to help strengthen the “engines” that drive all the departments and outreaches of Answers in Genesis.

They immediately understood how important this is. The “machinery” behind the scenes must continue to function effectively if the outward ministry is going to continue growing and impacting people.

So what are some of these behind-the-scenes needs?

There is curriculum development. We recognize the urgent need to reach younger generations and equip them to stand boldly in this morally degenerating culture. We want to produce more church, Christian school, and homeschool curricula that are truly grounded in a biblical worldview.

There is research. So much research is needed to ensure we are fully informed as we produce videos, write exhibit scripts and articles, develop curricula, respond to current issues, and equip Christians with answers.

There is the planetarium. It has been a tremendous teaching tool, but technology wears out and needs to be replaced. Programs also need to be updated and new ones produced so we can continue teaching astronomy from a biblical worldview.

There is training and continuing education for our staff so our team remains equipped with the latest technology, information, and skills needed for the ministry’s many outreaches.

There are educational programs and labs for students at the Creation Museum, the Ark Encounter, and Answers Academy. There are camps and day camps designed to help parents train their children. None of these just happen. They require preparation, equipment, staffing, and planning.

There are conferences at the Ark and Creation Museum and speaking at conferences across the nation. Yes, we charge fees to help cover basic costs. But if we charged what these conferences actually cost when you include teaching staff, support staff, preparation, production, and all the other details, many people simply could not attend. So these are subsidized to a degree.

There are the zoo animals, habitats, and programs. We have zoos at both attractions because our signage and live animal programs present information from a biblical worldview. Most zoos are ardently evolutionary. Admission helps with day-to-day upkeep, but animals need to be replaced, habitats upgraded, and programs developed. Our zoo presenters spend countless hours training animals and preparing programs that equip people.

There are the gardens, our horticulture operations, and the Creation Museum conservatory. Our gardens display the handiwork of God in creation, and we want our grounds to reflect the glory of God. Plants need replacing, grounds need maintaining, and we want to add many more plants described in the Bible to the conservatory. All of this takes funding, staffing, planning, and ongoing care.

There is technology—VR headsets and other A/V equipment that wears out, breaks down, and needs to be replaced or upgraded. There is grounds and maintenance equipment, such as mowers that are used constantly and eventually must be replaced. And of course, there are recurring expenses such as various utilities that keep everything functioning day after day.

There are exhibits in progress at our design and fabrication center. Many people don’t realize it can take months of totally subsidized work to research, plan, design, and prepare an exhibit before we can even present it publicly and raise funds for it to be built and installed.

There is our Department of Public Safety. In today’s fallen world, this is absolutely necessary. Our team uses K9 units, special detectors, medical equipment, trained personnel, and other resources to help ensure the safety of our guests and staff. Our K9 units are also made available free of charge to outside law enforcement agencies in various situations, opening wonderful doors in the community. Our security team conducts training for law enforcement officers from across the United States and other parts of the world, with optional Bible study opportunities. What an outreach!

And then there is our staff—our greatest asset. Many have families, some with large families, and we want to care for them in a way that honors the Lord. Scripture tells us that a workman is worthy of his hire. Staffing is one of the largest costs of the ministry, but it is also one of the most necessary. Many of our staff go far beyond what is expected because they believe in this ministry.

There is also our translation ministry. We have an obligation to disseminate the information God has entrusted to us to the rest of the world. That is part of the great commission. But translation work has to be highly subsidized, particularly in countries where people simply cannot afford what people can in the United States or where the Christian population is very small. The internet and AI are helping us greatly, but this still requires technology, staff involvement, services in other countries, and ongoing funding.

There is social media. Even 10 years ago, would we have imagined it would become one of the major ways of communicating information to the world? Today, people expect quality video content through YouTube and other platforms. We continue to build our social media team and invest in studio equipment so we can produce engaging biblical worldview content that reaches people where they are.

We have to be very careful and restrict the advertising that accompanies social media because many ads are not consistent with our moral and biblical convictions. And that revenue only covers a portion of the budget, which means this outreach must be subsidized. But what an outreach it is! We now have over one million YouTube subscribers, and our videos have been viewed millions upon millions of times. Every day, people around the world are being exposed to the truth of God’s Word.

There is Answers TV, our streaming platform containing more than 7,000 programs. It allows us to preserve decades of teaching and resources while providing new programming for all ages.

Yes, we charge a subscription fee, but we are competing in a world of low-cost streaming services backed by millions of subscribers. We simply do not have the subscriber base of companies such as Netflix. So Answers TV continues to require significant subsidy. Nevertheless, we believe it is a strategic ministry investment—a place where families can access trustworthy biblical content without being inundated by the world’s messaging.

And then there is Answers Academy.

We started a Christian academy to use the expertise the Lord has given this ministry to build a model Christian school—one that would help us produce truly biblical worldview curricula. Frankly, there is not much available today that we would testify consistently teaches from a truly biblical worldview.

We want to produce curricula for Christian schools that can also be used by homeschools and churches, while developing online curriculum. Many people have asked if we could take Answers Academy “to the world.” We believe the Lord may be opening doors for that.

Investment in Answers Academy helps provide STEM learning tools; library and literacy resources; athletics and physical education equipment; fine arts, drama, and performance materials; Bible curriculum development; and professional development for teachers and administrators.

As I often say to people, we don’t lack vision!

And God has always provided for our needs, although I admit that at times we have struggled. It has often seemed to me that conservative Christian ministries that truly stand on God’s Word and teach the truth are often the ones that struggle financially. We have had foundations that support what they would call relatively conservative Christian ministries turn us down because of our stand on six literal days and a young earth. That has happened on a number of occasions.

Behind the Ark Encounter, the Creation Museum, the conferences, books, videos, school, curriculum, translations, gardens, animals, security, research, and all the other outreaches, there are “engines” that must keep running.

Much of this work is not glamorous. Much of it is not seen. Much of it does not pay for itself directly.

But it is essential.

And praise the Lord for a foundation that understands this and continues to stand with Answers in Genesis. Once again, this foundation is providing a very generous matching gift, and they agreed on the importance of strengthening the internal “engines” that drive the rest of the ministry.

In a way, I see this as God preparing the ministry for even bigger things in the future.

The foundation has graciously offered to match all gifts, dollar-for-dollar, to AiG’s core ministry—the “engine”—from now through December 31, 2026, up to $12 million, for a total end-of-year campaign of $24 million!

As I alluded to earlier, the foundation has graciously offered to match all gifts, dollar-for-dollar, to AiG’s core ministry—the “engine”—from now through December 31, 2026, up to $12 million, for a total end-of-year campaign of $24 million!

This foundation has been so encouraged by the tremendous impact of Answers in Genesis—and by the incredible way our faithful supporters have risen to meet their challenge year after year—that they have offered the largest matching gift in AiG’s history! Wow! What an extraordinary blessing this could be, providing a tremendous boost to help advance the entire ministry and proclaim the truth of God’s Word and the gospel to even more.

Would you prayerfully consider making a generous gift today to help us take full advantage of this matching opportunity? Your gift will be doubled through the match, and it will help strengthen the very engines that power so many outreaches, reaching millions of people with the truth of God’s Word and the gospel.

Thank you for standing with us. We are so grateful for your prayers, encouragement, and faithful support.

In Christ,
Ken