Have you noticed an interesting phenomenon in God’s wonderful creation? Birds of a feather flock together… That certainly seems to be true of Homo sapiens as well, especially when it comes to those who hold to a Young Earth position.

 

Ken Ham, the YE crowd’s icon, has developed quite a following, as evidenced by the attendance numbers at his Creation Museum.  A September 3, 2010, Religion News story indicates the following:

 

“We have consistently surpassed our own forecasts for attendance,” said Mark Looy, a co-founder of the museum and spokesman for the center. Last month (August), theCreation Museum counted more than 1.2 million guests since it opened in 2007, he added.”

 

The $27 million Creation Museum, which opened on May 28, 2007, was funded by donors who made contributions to Ken Ham’s Answers in Genesis (AiG) organization. A July 2006 MSNBC article provides some insight into AiG’s successful fundraising effort. The article states: “Mark Looy, a vice president at Answers in Genesis, said the museum has received at least $21 million in private donations. He said two anonymous donors have given $1 million, and he expects the museum to be debt-free when it opens next May.”

 

In his blog post entitled “Nine year old saves all year for Creation Museum”, Ken “F.F.” Ham writes: Karen sent me this email report the following: “AiG customer service representative Karen (who has been processing donations given through the AiG website) excitedly told me today about a nine year old who saved all year to support the Praise God! One supporter writes, My nine year old son, has been saving all year long to give something to Answers in Genesis. So here it is. When most children are spending their money on video games and iPods, one of our young supporters sent his year end donation of $103.00. It’s so encouraging to see a heart for the Lord at a young age. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it. May the Lord be exalted in 2007!”

 

Who gave those millions of dollars to AiG to build the Creation Museum? The Religion News article cited above provides the answer, as follows: “If you go back to the issue of private funding—there was no government money involved in this project—you will see that about $5 million came from big donors, but by and large the other contributions came from individuals who were giving $25 or $50 from all over the country,” Caradonio said. “With that many people invested in the project, you have built a huge audience that says, `Hey, I’ve put some money into this, and now I want to see the place.’ That became a tremendous incentive for people to visit.”

So what is Ken “F.F.” Ham’s secret?

 

I believe it stems from the Christian homeschool community. What those outside of the homeschooling network probably don’t realize is that Ken Ham has been in high demand at Christian homeschool conferences and churches for some time. Ham has established quite a following with them over the years.

 

Please don’t misunderstand. I think homeschooling can be a wonderful option for families who are concerned about their children’s future. In fact, when my daughters were young, I homeschooled them for FOUR years. During the years I was involved, homeschooling was still a purist movement from my perspective.

 

In the spring of 1998 (a year before I stopped homeschooling), I attended the North Carolinians for Home Education Annual Conference (for the third year in a row) and heard Doug Phillips address a large crowd of homeschooling families. Here are some of the topics he discussed at that conference: “A Home Schooler’s Vision of Victory,” “The Influence of Evolution on American Law and Politics”, and “From Fear to Eternity”. From what I remember, Doug was a motivating speaker who really captivated his audience.

 

Some time later I began receiving a snazzy homeschooling catalog from an organization called “Vision Forum”. It was filled with books and other merchandise that homeschooling families might like to buy. My initial reaction was somewhat favorable, although I found the prices to be high. Looking back, I am grateful that I never ordered anything from Vision Forum.

 

According to his website, Doug Phillips started Vision Forum in the fall of 1998, which ironically was around the time my family began to look at other educational options besides homeschooling. A new Christian school had opened up close by, and my husband and I submitted applications for our daughters for the upcoming school year. In the fall of 1999 they began attending that wonderful Christian school, and both have since graduated.

 

Twelve years have passed since I first heard Doug Phillips at the homeschooling conference I attended. It has become extremely obvious that Phillips and his ilk are PATRIARCHS who want to dictate to others how to live their lives. If you are not familiar with Doug Phillips or Vision Forum, I would recommend that you review the tenets of biblical patriarchy, which can be found here.

 

Here are a few of those tenets, which can be found at the above link:

 

“God ordained distinct gender roles for man and woman as part of the created order. Adam’s headship over Eve was established at the beginning, before sin entered the world.”

 

“While unmarried women may have more flexibility in applying the principle that women were created for a domestic calling, it is not the ordinary and fitting role of women to work alongside men as their functional equals in public spheres of dominion.”

 

“God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply” still applies to married couples, and He “seeks godly offspring.” He is sovereign over the opening and closing of the womb. Children are a gift of God and it is a blessing to have many of them, if He so ordains.”

 

“Education is not a neutral enterprise. Christian parents must provide their children with a thoroughly Christian education, one that teaches the Bible and a biblical view of God and the world. Christians should not send their children to public schools since education is not a God-ordained function of civil government and since these schools are sub-Christian at best and anti-Christian at worst.”

 

“Fathers are sovereign over the training of their children and, with their wives, are the children’s chief teachers. Christian parents are bound to obey the command personally to walk beside and train their children. Any approach to Christian education ought to recognize and facilitate the role of fathers and mothers as the primary teachers of their children.”

 

“The age-integrated communities of family and church are the God-ordained institutions for training and socialization and as such provide the preferred pattern for social life and educational endeavors. The modern preference for grouping children exclusively with their age mates for educational and social purposes is contrary to scriptural wisdom and example.”

 

“Both sons and daughters are under the command of their fathers as long as they are under his roof or otherwise the recipients of his provision and protection. Fathers release sons from their jurisdiction to undertake a vocation, prepare a home, and take a wife. Until she is given in marriage, a daughter continues under her father’s authority and protection. Even after leaving their father’s house, children should honor their parents by seeking their counsel and blessing throughout their lives.”

 

“Fathers should oversee the process of a son or daughter seeking a spouse. While a father may find a wife for his son, sons are free to take initiative to seek and “take a wife.” A wise son will desire his parents’ involvement, counsel, and blessing in that process. Since daughters are “given in marriage” by their fathers, an obedient daughter will desire her father to guide the process of finding a husband, although the final approval of a husband belongs to her.”

 

“Fathers need to exercise discernment in the choices they make for their families and not simply drift with the cultural tide. Egalitarian feminism is an enemy of God and of biblical truth, but the need for care goes beyond this threat…”

 

You may be wondering, what does any of this have to do with Ken “F.F.” Ham… Everything!!!

 

Now that you have some idea about the biblical patriarchy that Doug Phillips and Vision Forum embraces, you may be interested in the following headline on the Christian News Wire:

 

“Vision Forum Honors AiG’s Ken Ham with George Washington Man of the Year Award”.

 

The June 27, 2007 article begins as follows:

 

“Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis and the visionary behind the newly opened Creation Museum has been awarded the "2007 George Washington Man of the Year" by Vision Forum Ministries. The announcement was made by Vision Forum president Doug Phillips before an audience of nearly 2,000 gathered in Hampton, Virginia, as part of the opening ceremonies to the Jamestown Quadricentennial: A Celebration of Our Providential History…

 

The news that the award went to Mr. Ham brought a lengthy standing ovation and shouts of acclamation from the men and women in attendance.

 

"Ken Ham is the esteemed 2007 recipient of the George Washington Man of the Year Award because we believe him to be an individual whose vision and persevering spirit are noteworthy for giving hope to the next generation and defending the cause of Christ in our nation. Specifically, Ken's uncompromising defense of Genesis, and his long battle to open the Creation Museum, is one of the most singular contributions of our generation," observed Phillips.

 

"This milestone that Ken achieved earlier this year with the opening of a world-class museum is of such significance that there was no debate whatsoever that he should be the recipient of this award in 2007," Phillips explained.

 

Each year, Vision Forum gives the George Washington Man of the Year Award to recognize and honor that man who most clearly demonstrates, through their public courage, the stalwart spirit and mature leadership embodied by General George Washington. Each winner receives a large bust of Washington in conjunction with the award. While Mr. Ham was unable to be personally present for the 2007 award ceremony, he expressed his gratitude for receiving the honor in videotaped remarks that were played following the award's announcement.

 

"On behalf of the entire staff of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, I must say I am so honored to accept the George Washington Man of the Year Award," commented Ham, after which he spoke of his heart for his adopted country.”

 

Yes, Ken “F.F.” Ham has many adoring fans throughout the homeschooling community nationwide. Just last April Ham addressed a huge gathering at the “Christian Heritage and Family Discipleship & Homeschooling Conference” in Washington state. To see the vast evidence of Ham’s tremendous influence among homeschooling families, just Google “Ken Ham” and “homeschool conferences”.

In 2008 “approximately two thousand Christians came as families for an historic joint conference between Answers in Genesis, Vision Forum Ministries, and Voddie Baucham Ministries in Branson, Missouri”, according to the Vision Forum website. These relationships are significant! Ken Ham advertised this conference in Branson on the AiG website.

 

In 2009 Ken Ham was among the keynote speakers at the “Sufficiency of Scripture” conference held by the National Center for Family Integrated Churches (NCFIC). Others speaking at the conference were: Doug Phillips, Voddie Baucham, Joe Morecraft, Kevin Swanson, Paul Washer, and Scott Brown. Some of the workshop speakers were: Geoffrey Botkin (whose daughters wrote So Much More (see our post), William Einwechter (whose writings are sometimes featured on the Vision Forum website), and Andy Davis, who serves as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Durham, NC and is a council member of the Gospel Coalition.  It’s important to note that Scott Brown heads up NCFIC and is a close friend of Doug Phillips.

 

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of how Ken Ham raised $27 million to build his Creation Museum. I’m certain his reach goes far beyond homeschooling circles, but he has definitely become the hero of those homeschoolers who support Young Earth Creationism. As I begin to wrap up this post, did you hear that world renowned theologian R.C. Sproul has renounced his belief in Old Earth Creationism and embraced Young Earth Creationism? It’s true. Matt Kennedy wrote an article in 2008 entitled “Reformed Theologian RC Sproul Changes his Mind about Creation”. Here’s an excerpt from the article: “A noted evangelical, R C Sproul, has announced a conversion from having previously accepted the theory of evolution as valid science. He now accepts both the Biblical and scientific evidence that the world was created in 6 literal 24-hour days and possibly as recently as around 6,000 years ago. R C Sproul is the author of some 60 Christian books. He has now stated on the record: ‘For most of my teaching career, I considered the ‘framework hypothesis’ to be a possibility. But I have now changed my mind. I now hold to a literal six-day creation. Genesis says that God created the universe and everything in it in six twenty-four-hour periods.’” Pretty incredible… Here’s another link that explains Sproul’s sudden change of position: What you likely don’t know about Sproul is that his son, R.C. Sproul, Jr., is a close friend of Doug Phillips. Here’s an article about R.C. Sproul, Jr. on the Vision Forum website. 

 

R.C. Sproul, Jr. made headlines four years ago when he was defrocked by the Westminster Presbytery for spiritual abuse, among other things. You can read the official report at this link: 

 

R.C. Sproul, Jr. has recently moved to Florida and will serve on the faculty of a new Bible college that is being built on the grounds of Ligonier Ministries and Saint AndrewsChurch in Sanford, Florida.

 

Doug Phillips has also been accused of spiritual abuse by a former member of his church, called Boerne Christian Assembly in San Antonio, Texas. You may find this link of interest. As some of these scattered puzzle pieces are being connected in this post, I hope you are beginning to picture what has been going on very deliberately behind the scenes with the establishment of the Creation Museum and the advancement of Young Earth Creationism. We are not yet finished with this topic, so stay tuned…