Vance Nelson is a prolific researcher whose work is making a significant contribution to the Christian/creationist movement. He is the author of the Untold Secrets of Planet Earth series: Dire Dragons, Flood Fossils, Monumental Monsters, and Amazon Expedition. He and his wife Korelei reside in the ‘oil sands’ province of Alberta, Canada, with their daughters, Emily, Hope, and Zoe. 

Vance was not raised in a Christian home. His salvation came at age 19, in part through reading a Gideon Bible he received at school when in Grade 5. Remembering the ‘Christian story’ in it, he became convicted of sin in his life and became a Christian. He then fully came to understand the Gospel by immersing himself in Scripture, which he came to love.

When he started witnessing to his unsaved friends, Vance says:

“They were quite shocked at the transformation in my life. They said that they saw a radical change in my demeanour, language, and just the topics of conversation that I would now discuss—particularly as I had memorized large portions of Scripture.”

A year later he enrolled at a Bible college and obtained a Bachelor of Religion with a specialization in Christian Ministry.

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The Dip Theo, BA, M Div. PhD
Dr Steve Kumar, Lecturer, Author & International Speaker. He has been speaking and writing on Faith and Philosophy for over twenty-five years. As a prominent New Zealand Christian Philosopher, he is gifted in presenting the relevance of Faith in Postmodern World. Following Socrates axiom “The unexamined life is not worth living.” He believes Faith must come with Reason, Knowledge with Wisdom, Science with Value, Business with Ethics and Education with Character.
For thirteen years, he has been training student at Excel School of Performing Arts. Dr Kumar has been a guest lecturer at more than twelve colleges and is regularly invited to speak at other campuses, conferences, and business groups throughout New Zealand, Canada, Australia, South East Asia, Europe and the USA.

He regularly lectures on World Views, Logic & Creative Thinking, and Philosophical Theology. He was invited to lecture on New Age Philosophy at William Carey University in California, special lectures on Epistemology to medical doctors at the Auckland Medical School. He is a visiting Professor at Christ’s University in Pacific.
He is a frequent guest on numerous radio and television stations and has appeared on public forum with notable scholars and thinkers, including Dr. Alister Gunn (head of Philosophy University of Waikato) and Prof Keith Campbell (Head of Philosophy Sydney University)
Dr Bill Cook, president of the NZ Rationalist .The Wizard of New Zealand.

He is the author of Think Why You Believe, Answering the Counterfeit, and Christianity for the Skeptics, which won the Hollywood ‘Angel Award’ for excellence in media. Soon to release The Art of Critical Thinking.

He received his academic training at Laidlaw College New Zealand, Covenant Theological Seminary USA, Faith Theological Seminary, Wittenberg University USA, Winebrenner Theological Seminary USA, California Graduate School of Theology.

As we engage in the business of life at the dawn of this Century, we appear oblivious to the shaping of our mind. Like the proverbial frog in the boiling water our mind is gradually heated that we lose our sense of reason. Absolute is relative, right is wrong and good is bad. Reality is what you perceive we are told, truth is a matter of your mind and it does not matter what you believe. How should we think? Socrates said “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Is the unexamined belief worth believing?

Don received both his B.Sc.Agr. (First Class Honours) and his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney. He worked for 20 years as a research horticulturalist with the NSW Department of Agriculture. His research included environmental adaptation of tropical/subtropical fruits such as mango, lychee and custard apple (Annona), floral biology, floral induction, breeding, environmental physiology (especially water requirements, effects of water deficits), plant taxonomy, and mineral nutrition. His research on floral induction of lychee and mango overturned long-held ideas whichhad been an impediment to the scientific understanding of these plants, as well as causing economic loss due to inappropriate management of these crops. He conducted a number of research projects that were externally funded, publishing his results in science journals.

Don joined the ministry in Brisbane, Australia in 1994 and has spoken around the world on the creation issue, showing the errors in the evolutionary ideas he was taught. He is co-author of The Creation Answers Book, One Blood, Answers to the 4 Big Questions, 15 Reasons to Take Genesis as History, and author of various booklets, including What about carbon dating? and What about arguments for evolution? Don is one of the three rotating editors of Creation magazine, and has written many articles for Creation as well as the in-depth Journal of Creation .

Dr Batten was the CEO and Managing Director of CMI-Australia from 2015 to 2022. He is now Senior Scientist, focusing on research, writing, and speaking.

Gary has been speaking on the creation/evolution issue since 1990. With a background in management and marketing, in 2002 he was invited to join the ministry full-time in Brisbane and eventually became its Head of Ministry. Much in demand for his popular lay talks on creation, Gary and his family relocated to America to serve as CEO of CMI-US from which he retired in July 2023. He was also elected to the position of CEO of CMI-Worldwide, CMI’s international Federation of ministries. He held this position from its inception in 2008 until mid-2016 when he decided to step down and concentrate on the task of managing the rapidly growing USA office and expanding the ministry’s reach in other areas. This included co-writing and producing CMI’s award-winning documentary Evolution’s Achilles’ Heels. 

Though he was once a convinced evolutionist, the creation message had a dramatic impact on Gary’s life. He is now a biblical creationist with a heart to communicate this life-changing information to the average ‘person in the street’. 

Concerned about the tremendous interest in UFOs and associated extraterrestrial beliefs, Gary undertook specialist research in an attempt to solve this seemingly baffling phenomenon. This led to his Amazon.com top 50 bestseller Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Connection —(the only creationist book ever to achieve this feat). This landmark book provides biblical answers to the many puzzling questions regarding UFOs, and whether there is intelligent, sentient alien life on other planets.

As a leading Christian authority in this area, Gary has travelled extensively around the world, speaking and conducting literally hundreds of interviews on radio, television and various media.

Gary has also undertaken the task of writing, producing and directing a movie-style documentary based upon his book called Alien Intrusion: Unmasking a Deception. It premiered in cinemas around the world in 2018. In 2019 Gary received an honorary doctorate (Ds.C.) from Whitefield Theological Seminary for his wide-ranging research into extraterrestrial phenomena. 

He is married to Frances (an experienced event manager for CMI) and they have four adult children. Together they authored the children’s book One Big Family: the truth about where we all came from. Gary has also coauthored 7 other books on creation.

Richard is CEO of CMI-Canada, and producer and co-host of the weekly, half-hour TV show Creation Magazine LIVE!. 

Richard has been speaking on the creation/evolution issue since 1994. The Canadian CMI office began as a room in his home in late 1998. As a speaker, he is known for his easy-to-understand scientific presentations. 

Richard grew up in a Christian home but by high school he had many unanswered questions about creation, Genesis and the accuracy of the Bible that greatly hindered his spiritual growth. This began to change in 1994 after hearing Dr Carl Wieland (from CMI-Australia) and subscribing to Creation magazine, and reading other resources on apologetics. 

Richard’s education and professional training is in electronics and he had the privilege of working on some of the most technologically advanced electronics for more than a decade before joining CMI. 

Richard is married and lives in Kitchener, Ontario with his wife and 5 children. 

Philip is a scientist and educator who lives and works in the United Kingdom. He studied biology and geology at the University of Wales (Swansea), graduating in zoology in 1989. For nine years he worked at a cancer research unit in chemosensitivity testing. During the 1990s, he was also a member of the Postgraduate School of Medicine, Bath University and (co-)authored a number of papers in secular medical journals (see longer bio for details). 

Philip became a secondary school science teacher in the late 1990s, but has worked full time in Creation ministry since 2001, speaking on Bible/science topics in churches, schools and universities. Since January 2007, he has been CEO of Creation Ministries International (UK/Europe) and is a contributor to Creation magazine, the Journal of Creation and CMI’s website. Philip trusted in Christ as a child and was raised in a strong Christian home to believe the Bible from the very first verse, but compromised with secular beliefs about origins in his late teens. During the course of his later, graduate studies he rejected evolution/millions of years on both scientific and biblical grounds. He came again to see the Bible as God’s completely trustworthy, infallible Word on scientific and historical matters—not just matters of Christian faith and conduct. Philip is married with five adult children and is a strong advocate of Christian education.He is author of Evolution and the Christian Faith: Theistic evolution in the light of Scripture and the contributing editor to Does Evolution Explain Everything About Life? and author of the children’s book Discovering the Truth about Dinosaurs. 

Mark received his B.Sc. (Hons) in Organic Chemistry from Victoria University of Wellington. Raised in a Christian home but with a science teacher mother who believed in evolution and long ages, Mark abandoned his faith as the ‘easy’ option when the conflict between these beliefs was made abundantly clear at university. 

After many years as an avowed atheist, Mark married Sherryl and the couple adopted three Russian orphans. Mark returned to faith in the late 1990’s when confronted by the fact that he couldn’t believe the children he was raising could possibly be the result of random chance. Having experienced the faith destroying effects of the secular education system first hand, Mark has a heart for reaching youth, in particular, with the Gospel and teaching that real science doesn’t contradict but actually confirms the truth of the Bible. 

Today Mark works full-time for Creation Ministries International as an events manager and speaker. He has been married to Sherryl for more than 30 years and, in addition to his three (now adult) children, has one grandchild. 

Born in England, Michael moved with his family to New Zealand as a child. He grew up in an encouraging Christian home; however, at church, was taught the gap theory with its associated ‘deep time’. During high school, a respected geography teacher presented strongly atheistic evolution in a convincing way. Growing doubts about creation, Genesis, and therefore the accuracy of the Bible put his spiritual growth on 

hold. This changed dramatically in 1993 with a compelling biblical creation presentation in his church. Michael subscribed to Creation magazine and avidly consumed resources on creation and apologetics. Over the years, this has revolutionised his relationship with God the Creator and appreciation for the absolute trustworthiness of His Word. 

Michael has always been fascinated by technology and what makes things work. His professional training is in electronics and he has worked for over thirty years as an electronics engineer and designer. In 1989, Michael stepped into the business world, founding an electronic/software design firm, for which he still works, although it now has an international parent company. As technical director, he was responsible for the design of leading-edge electronic hardware and software systems used in a wide range of applications with a particular focus on environmental monitoring. Through this he has gained broad experience in the earth and biological sciences, with the company’s systems installed internationally, primarily in government environmental agencies. 

In 2014, Michael and his wife, Desma, undertook an extensive overseas trip targeting major geological icons such as Mount St. Helens, Giant’s Causeway and Siccar Point. This included nine days rafting and hiking in the Grand Canyon—an experience Michael describes as transformational—as part of an in-depth geology trip with Canyon Ministries. 

Michael is a founding member of the Hamilton Friends of CMI group established in 1999 and is currently its leader/co-ordinator. Michael speaks for Creation Ministries International on a part-time basis. 

Michael and Desma have two adult children and one grandson. 

Mike commenced an apprenticeship with a New Zealand airline in Christchurch in 1981, earned his Private Pilot’s licence in 1983 and qualified three years later as an Aeronautical Engineer. Mike subsequently became a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer and earned a Certificate in Mechanical Engineering. 

After nearly 40 years maintaining jet engines, he is still passionate about aviation. He chose to shelve his flying to train as a CMI speaker but dreams of being back in the air, especially performing aerobatics. 

Mike’s first taste of the creation/evolution debate was hearing a creationist speak about the problems with conventional radiometric dating methods. 

Subscribing to Creation magazine was a significant step in strengthening his faith and he became equipped through the many creationist resources which now adorn his library. 

Having become convinced of the authority and truth of the Genesis account of creation, Mike wondered “Where to from here?”. He created an 8-week course called “Creation, evolution and the Bible” which he has been running for over 10 years. 

He remembers well the excitement of discovering that science had not disproved the Bible and is keen to encourage and inspire others to trust God’s word fully. 

Mike is heavily involved in his home church for over 20 years as a Worship Leader and running Alpha courses with his wife Lynda. He has two adult children who are both married and active in church life. 

Dr. Galloway has been an advocate for effective communication strategies, emphasizing the importance of reputation and trustworthiness. He believes that reputation is built over time through consistent actions and messaging. In a media landscape where small issues can accumulate and erode public perception, Dr. Galloway advises organizations, including the government, to develop a simple, key message that encapsulates their values and resonates with the public. This overarching narrative serves as a beacon, guiding decision-making and crisis management1.

During an interview on The AM Show, Dr. Galloway highlighted the need for an overarching narrative for the New Zealand government. He expressed concern that the government was at risk of suffering a “death of 1000 cuts,” where minor incidents could collectively harm its reputation. To counter this, he recommended a clear and memorable key message that reflects the government’s core values. For instance, the message could be as straightforward as “putting right the wrongs” or addressing specific issues, such as moldy buildings at Middlemore Hospital1.

Beyond his expertise in communication, Dr. Galloway has also explored the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and PR. His research delves into how AI impacts public relations practices, offering insights into the evolving landscape of communication. As technology continues to shape our world, Dr. Galloway’s work sheds light on the challenges and opportunities faced by professionals in the field1.

Dr Friedlieb Lorenz studied Physics at the University of Karlsruhe (KIT) and the University of Heidelberg, simultaneously working on two different post-graduate degrees. Part of his research was completed at a teaching hospital of Harvard University in Boston, MA. He obtained is Doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) from the University of Heidelberg in 2007. Being fascinated about physics, math, chemistry, and biology, he decided to pursue a career in Medical Physics, which saw him work on three different continents over the last two decades. He has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and presented his research findings at various international conferences, for which he received multiple awards. Moreover, he has done work in mathematical modelling, data processing, statistical methods, software development and process automation.

During his high school years, Friedlieb started to wonder if the faith that he had heard about in church and at home was more than just positive thinking. Would this faith provide a foundation that was solid enough to build his life upon? Some of the questions he had were related to the book of Genesis. He started to wonder if the Bible as a whole can be trusted. Through family members he came in contact with scientists who explained that a ‘young earth’ (i.e. ~6,000 years old) is not ‘unscientific’ at all and that scientific evidence rather confirms the biblical account of creation. He then studied this topic in more detail and read books of scientists who hold on to a Biblical worldview and present convincing scientific evidence in favour of the Biblical account of Creation. This strengthened his wavering faith greatly. In fact, it equipped him for tertiary studies to the extent that he was able to meet any challenges that met him during his student life with solid, reliable answers. During lectures, seminars, workshops, or his visit to CERN in Geneva, Friedlieb could clearly see that no result of any experiment has ever been in contradiction to what God’s Word is teaching.

After his move to New Zealand, Friedlieb came in contact with Creation Ministries International (CMI) through an event at a local church. In 2022, Friedlieb was called to take some time out of his busy schedule to train as a CMI speaker. He is passionate about sharing the Gospel and helping to strengthen people’s faith in God through this important ministry. His wife Lydia and/or their children generally accompany him on his speaking tours, as they, too, like to be involved in this ministry.

Shaun has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with first class honours, specializing in Soil Science, and a Graduate Diploma in Natural Resource Studies—both from the University of Queensland, Brisbane.

He became a creationist before he became a Christian, in his first university year. This helped him form a solid foundation on the Word of God that was able to withstand the evolutionary attacks levelled at his ‘young’ faith at university.

From 2005 to 2008, and again from 2010 until the present Shaun has worked for CMI as an editor and reviewer for the Journal of Creation, and has written numerous articles for Creation magazine, Journal of Creation, and CMI’s website creation.com.