Front-Page Cincinnati Enquirer Report on Museum Anniversary

In a great piece of journalism, Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Kari Wethington wrote a major article (with beautiful photographs) on the first anniversary of the opening of the Creation Museum. It is so encouraging to see a secular newspaper reporter not only write a fair report (not an anti-AiG agenda-driven piece, as we sometimes see from major news sources) on the Creation Museum and the AiG ministry, but also to do so accurately. Two related articles with more photographs appear on page 10. The headline to today’s front-page Cincinnati Enquirer article (Sunday, May 25, 2008), which was also the front-page article in its sister paper across the Ohio River, the Kentucky Enquirer, was:

A PRAYERFUL PLACE

Creation Museum heads into its second year BY KARI WETHINGTON

The reporter then began the article with:

Deb Minnard begins every work day in prayer, standing side by side with her colleagues at the Creation Museum in Petersburg.

Minnard, 53, left her native Michigan last winter with her husband to move to Kentucky to work at the museum.

“I love working where you have prayer in the morning with the people you work with,” she said.

Here are some more excerpts from this excellent article:

All 280 staff members of the museum and founding ministry, the nonprofit Answers in Genesis, begin their days in prayer before visitors arrive.

[. . .]

“It’s humbling to think that God would allow us to be part of this,” Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham said.

“I think because it honors God’s word, honors [H]im as creator, that we would say that God has mightily blessed us.”

[. . .]

THE VISITORS

For some of the museum's visitors, it's the perfect family vacation spot. It's also a popular faith-building getaway for churches, as a field trip for Christian school groups and home-schooled families[.]

[. . .]

“We always want to see people converted to Christ, to Christianity, but we know that's not going to happen to everyone that comes,” Ham said. “We want to challenge everyone’s thinking. You never know what seeds you’re sowing.”

Answers in Genesis publishes books and a glossy magazine; hosts a popular Web site with regularly updated articles and blogs; develops DVDs; produces a syndicated radio show; sends speakers around the world; and hosts small, intensive training courses for speakers and educators.

In the last two years, the ministry has also increased its outreach to non-English-speaking countries. It has 75 translation projects in the works.

[. . .]

KEEPING UP WITH CROWDS

To keep up with larger-than-expected crowds, the museum has added extra cafés and seating, doubled its restrooms, opened a two-story Dinosaur Den exhibit, added to its botanical gardens and walking trails and opened a petting zoo featuring llamas, miniature donkeys and goats.

New programming, including a lecture series, children's reading program and theatrical performances, was introduced.

And there’s more construction to come, with plans under way for an additional parking lot and a small auditorium on museum grounds to host speakers and educational events and seat several hundred people.

There will be more rotating exhibits in the next year[.]

[. . .]

FOCUS ON CHILDREN

Many features that will be introduced in the next year are focused on the museum’s younger visitors[.]

[. . .]

“The secularists are out there, and they're pushing all sorts of information to children—they’re going to hear enough about evolution over the years,” Ham said.

[. . .]

“Our policy is to influence people and to see others converted to Christianity,” Ham said. “We are in the business of influencing lives, which then influences culture. We are not involved in politics or directly involved with school boards. I know there are people in those battles who use our materials, but that's the whole point—it’s individual lives that influence culture.”

NEXT UP

The museum opened debt-free but quickly took out a line of credit to pay for publicity and hire additional staff. Ham said the museum is slowly paying off the remaining $5 million of that debt.

While the museum continues to plan for expansion, Ham said those changes will be made slowly, as funding allows.

[. . .]

Ham and Looy are optimistic that the museum's second year will also be successful.

[. . .]

Ham said the first year at the museum has been full of lessons and has kept the ministry busy: “We have lots of ideas and lots of vision, it’s just the getting the time to do it.”

I encourage you to read the entire excellent article: “A Prayerful Place.”

PHOTOGRAPHIC REVIEW

Because of this major article, and so we can all just stand back and see what God has done and give Him all the praise and glory, I’ve included a photographic review of AiG/Creation Museum happenings over the past few days:

1. The new dinosaur stamp collection exhibit off Palm Plaza
2. The new Palm Café (serving Mexican food!)

   

3. The new Petting Zoo (entrance)

   

4. Signing books in the Dragon Hall bookstore

   

5. The new restrooms out front

   

6. Food Services director Daryl cooks lunch (donated by food supplier JTM) for members

   

7. Free Homemade/UDF-brand ice cream

   

8. Fireworks celebration Friday night

   

A PSALM OF PRAISE: PSALM 33

1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is right, And all His work is done in truth. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. 13 The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14 From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; 15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. 16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken