1921-2013

ICR’s website greeted the news of the passing of Duane Gish as “a mixture of sorrow and thankfulness”. That sums up the reaction of all of us involved in creation ministry.

Duane Gish

Photo from CreationWiki

Dr. Gish went to be with the Lord on Tuesday March 5th 2013. This followed a lifetime of researching and speaking on the subject of creation. The ICR website lists Dr. Gish’s many achievements. He earned his PhD at a secular university and was fully familiar with secular arguments against Genesis. For that reason, he was well placed to be a sort-of anti-Darwin bulldog. He was known for his reasoned and accurate arguments in favor of creation, and was among the first creation scientists to take to the floor in debating evolutionists and atheists, showing that belief in Genesis is both rational and intelligent. Eventually, many evolutionists advised against debating Gish, such was their expectation that they would lose!

In 1963, Dr. Gish was one of the founding members of the Creation Research Society, a worldwide fellowship of creation scientists with higher postgraduate degrees. It is my privilege to be a voting member of the CRS, and creationists owe a great debt of thanks to the pioneers who set the society up, especially Dr. Gish.

Dr. Gish wrote copious volumes of books and papers. One, in particular, could probably be said to be his flagship – “Evolution: The Fossils Say No!” In this marvelous book, Gish tore into the accepted mantra that the fossil record is evidence for evolution, showing rather that the existence of fossils supports the biblical account of the worldwide Flood.

In 1970, Gish joined the staff of the Institute for Creation Research, working alongside that other legendary father of the creation movement, Dr. Henry Morris. Not just ICR, but the whole creation movement has benefited beyond measure from the faithfulness, godliness and wisdom of Dr. Duane Gish.

All the staff at Creation Today wish to offer our condolences to Dr. Gish’s family and friends. For them, there will be sadness at losing a loved one. But for them, and for us, there is the joy of knowing that Duane Gish has gone to be with the Lord in glory, whom he served in this life with such distinction.