An Exponential Impact
As I look back on over 25 years of ministry, there is one program that stands out as likely the most impactful Canyon Ministries has had in opening the eyes of people to the truth found in Genesis. I say “likely” because this side of heaven, we have no idea of the total impact the ministry has had over the years. Even those things we do know, we only see dimly as the ripple effect of connecting with just one person can be far-reaching.
The program is the Christian Leaders Trip (CLT). Through our scholarship program, from 2008 through 2023 we raised well over 1 million dollars to send 360 men from 36 countries representing over 170 organizations on a special week-long trip through the Grand Canyon. Partnering with Answers in Genesis (AiG) and with the ongoing support of Cedarville University, the CLT Leadership Team exposed Christian leaders to the geological evidence in the Grand Canyon we believe powerfully confirms the literal history in Genesis about Noah’s Flood and the age of the earth.
The CLT was aimed at “influencing the influencers” such as presidents, deans, and professors from seminaries and Bible colleges with direct influence over the teaching of the Old Testament (specifically Genesis 1-11), as well as leaders of large ministries with an emphasis in apologetics, senior teaching pastors from large churches, as well as several up-and-coming PhD students. Here is a list of the CLT participants.
What did we get from the funds and the countless hours spent organizing these trips? It is impossible to realize all the fruit of the CLT, but here are just a few concrete examples of the impact we saw.
Who has come on the trips and what happened afterward?
• Del Tackett (creator of the “Truth Project”) helped develop and host the influential films, Is Genesis History? and Mountains After the Flood. Click on the image above to hear Del’s comments on the trip.
• Thomas White, President of Cedarville University, was inspired by the trip to write this article in the university’s magazine.
• Jeremy Lyon, Old Testament professor at Truett McConnell University, helped launch the Creation Theology Society and has written two books related to creation and the Flood.
• Clayton Schultz, Director of The WEST Institute, developed CLT-style trips for their students.
• Marvin Olasky, long-time Editor-in-Chief of WORLD magazine and dean of World Journalism Institute, wrote in the cover story for the September 2010 WORLD:
“If you’ve traveled to some of the world’s exotic places but not rafted through the Grand Canyon, you’ve missed perhaps the most mysterious and spectacular one. And if you’ve brushed aside young-earth theories as not worth a close look, you’ve been unfair. I recommend this great combination of education and enjoyment.” See full article here.
What other written materials have been produced as a result of the trip?
• Content of Russian and Spanish commentaries on Genesis were influenced by trip participants. Also, Dr. Bill Barrick (CLT leader) was asked to write what will be the only truly “young-earth” English Genesis commentary.
• Many papers and articles have been written on what they learned on the trip for magazines, journals, and online sites.
What about media interviews and presentations?
• All members of the CLT teaching team have done radio interviews with CLT alumni.
• Several seminars for seminaries, colleges, and churches of participants have been conducted by the CLT team.
What other impacts have resulted?
• A prominent Russian pastor copied the idea of the CLT to organize a similar kind of river trip for pastors and youth leaders in Russia.
• Several young-earthers who regularly teach Genesis or apologetics have told us the trip caused them to make major changes to their course materials.
What is the “ripple effect,” or long-lasting impact?
• The information learned by participants is passed on to others. We will likely never know the ripple effect of who has been impacted. Here is just one example.
Just to give you an update, I recently started teaching through Genesis at my church (currently in Gen 4). I have used pictures from the trip in my teaching and several of the resources y’all provided in my preparation. It has proven invaluable. After I taught on creation from Gen 1 and showed some of my pictures, I had a gentleman come up to me and want to talk more. He teaches 5th grade science at one of our public schools. He wanted some of the resources I shared so that he could slide some of it into his earth science teaching plan.
Tom Vail
Founder, Canyon Ministries
Next Step
In 2023, we launched what would be the last CLT. For several reasons, including the rising cost of the trips, we prayerfully decided that the CLT had run its course. But the need to teach the next generation of Christian leaders still exists, now maybe more than ever. To meet that need Canyon Ministries is shifting its focus from the CLT to the CFI (Creation Field Institute).
The Creation Field Institute offers a unique opportunity for the next generation of creation advocates. Through partial or full scholarships, this program will be accessible to a wide range of participants, regardless of financial background.
The CFI programs are ideal for college-age students and older, particularly those passionate about creation science, biblical apologetics, and Christian education. Whether participants seek to become guides, educators, or simply deepen their knowledge, they will leave the program empowered to share their faith and defend biblical truth confidently. These longer length programs are designed with an ideal size of 10 participants. This smaller group structure allows for more personal attention from instructors, fostering an intimate and highly interactive educational environment. The smaller group size also facilitates easier logistics for field trips, ensuring participants can fully engage with each location and receive hands-on guidance in their studies.
The Creation Field Institute also creates unique opportunities for supporters to invest in a program that trains the next generation of creation science leaders. Scholarships will help future leaders participate in the program and contribute to the development and expansion of the institute.
By offering a comprehensive, hands-on training program, Canyon Ministries provides a transformative experience that goes beyond traditional classroom learning. Students will gain firsthand exposure to the undeniable evidence supporting the biblical accounts of creation and history, enabling them to articulate and defend a biblical worldview with clarity and conviction.
If you were a CLT supporter in the past, or feel this project has merit, would you prayerfully consider supporting the Creation Field Institute? With your help, as we did with the CLT, we can make significant impact of the next generation of Christian leaders. If you have question about the program, please contact our Executive Director, Nate Loper.
