answers in genesis grand canyon tour

Canyon Ministries Grand Canyon Christian Tours

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4-Hour Biblical Creation + Sunset Tour • Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

Half-day Grand Canyon Christian Hiking Tour on South Kaibab Trail

All-day Grand Canyon • Indian Ruins • Volcano • Christian Tour

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Canyon Ministries Grand Canyon Christian Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

For His Renown

That the glory of the Lord might cover the dry land as the waters cover the sea

The Grand Canyon with Canyon Ministries and Answers in Genesis

For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to visit the Grand Canyon.

In the mercy and kindness of God, I got to go on a trip for Christian Leaders with my good friends Andy Naselli and Jason Derouchie , and I have definitive proof that my new friendship with Mike Wittmer has changed his life .

A few logistics and some stray comments before I attempt to combine words to get across the four big things I want to say about the trip: The expedition was made financially possible by Answers in Genesis , Canyon Ministries , and The Master’s Seminary . I don’t know who the donors were (each of us received a $3,300 scholarship), but I hereby register my gratitude for their generosity.

Let me also say that if you’re looking for a way to contribute financially to a Bible teacher or Christian leader having a great time on the river with Christian brothers discussing the age of the earth, the flood, and the Canyon, this is a great cause .

Or, if you’re looking for an exciting and educational vacation, why not plan a trip through the Canyon? You won’t find a better guide than Tom Vail of Canyon Ministries. The man knows where to find a shaded campsite, how to run a rapid, how to explain the Canyon’s geology, how to relate to all kinds of people, and even how to cook a birthday cake down there on the river. I’ve heard he catches rattle-snakes if they enter camp (seriously–thankfully no need to this time), and the power of the gospel is heard in his testimony and seen in his actions. Go to the Canyon Ministries website to book your trip.

We entered the river at Lees Ferry, and we helicoptered out 190 miles later, just past Lava Falls. I had never ridden in a helicopter. I had never been white water rafting. I had never been to the Grand Canyon. I had never slept under the open heavens–no tents necessary with no bugs and clear skies. I never imagined I would eat so well on a rafting trip.

I had no idea the Colorado River was so cold–47 degrees–and wouldn’t have expected bathing and doing laundry in it to be so easy (ok, it took a couple days to get used to the shiver-inducing cold of the water). Nor could I have imagined that the Little Colorado River would look like the clear blue waters of the Caribbean, or that flash flooding upriver could make the water of the Colorado look like Chocolate Milk. Willy Wonka would be proud.

I had no idea that the connections between the geological evidence about the formation of the Canyon and the Genesis flood were so strong.

I’m hoping to go back with my wife and kids (once they get old enough) and as many other family members as possible.

My four big take-aways from the trip have to do with the immensity and beauty of the Canyon, the relationships strengthened and formed, the power of the flood, and the joy of homecoming.

Immensity and Beauty

If you want to feel small, high thee up on that ledge above Deer Creek Falls that leads to Upper Deer Creek. Jason Derouchie has nerves of steel. He was standing right next to that ledge! I was with Mike Wittmer trying to get as close to the cliff sloping up behind it as possible. Eventually we agreed it was better not even to look at those guys who were so close to it. Especially when Nate started mocking us by acting like he was going to lunge off the ledge. Crazy. I was claiming Psalm 121:3, “He will not let your foot be moved.”

But from that ledge you can see a long, long way, and it’s Canyon as far as eyes will go. Enormity. Immensity. And it goes a lot farther than weak human eyes take in.

At the end of the trip we received Tom Vail’s book, Grand Canyon: A Different View . When she saw it, my lovely wife said, “This is what I was hoping for from the books we got from the library; these pictures are far superior.” Its message is, too.

The size of the place is awesome.

At one point you’re a mile deep from river to rim. As you pass through the Upper Granite Gorge and the Middle Granite Gorge (we choppered out before the Lower Granite Gorge), you’re in canyons within the Canyon, and the walls of granite rise so steep and high that the outer rim cannot be seen.

It is big. And it is beautiful. Variety, radiance, harmony, wholeness: glory seen there.

Relationships

Thirty-two men on two boats rafting down the Colorado River. Away from wives, kids, and work responsibilities. No cell phone signals, no laptops, no blogs, twitter feeds, or facebook pages. Walls of rock rise on either side of the river. Eat. Raft. Eat. Raft. Hike. Raft. Eat. Sleep on a cot on a piece of sand in a bend of the River. When you wake up you’re with the same guys ready to sit on the boat again for hours. Plenty of time to talk. Long conversations punctuated by blasts through drenching rapids.

What a blessing to walk through life with Christian brothers. There is indeed a unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There were four men from the UK, an Australian, and Americans from California and Virginia, Minnesota and Georgia, and a bunch of places in between. It was a blessing to strengthen old friendships and start new ones.

What a gift is friendship, yea, brotherhood–sweetened by the knowledge of the true and living God, faith in his Son Jesus Christ, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

That massive and beautiful Canyon was cut by water. A lot of water moving fast. A catastrophic amount of water. It’s stunning, really, to look at the Canyon and imagine how much water moved through there. Sea water, no less, as evidenced by many, many fossils of salt-water critters.

Anyone who has read the opening pages of my recent book knows that I love guided tours. Even better than some device with a recording is a live tour guide who is a good teacher and likes to answer questions. Andrew Snelling was our live and in person geologist through the Canyon. You can check out his writing in short or long form. In addition to Andrew guiding us through the rocks, Bill Barrick was there to guide us through relevant passages of Scripture. What a blessing to be taught by these men.

We had many discussions of the age of the earth as well, and Terry Mortenson took the lead in these. I’m a convinced young-earther who thinks that flood was global. As World magazine’s books of the year demonstrate, this is a hot topic. Some have recently advocated the idea that what threatens fidelity is not the idea of an old earth but of theistic evolution . With that I’m sympathetic, and I also think the Preface to the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy is relevant to this dispute, as it shows men humbly contending earnestly for the truth. For this we should strive as we engage old-earthers (among whom, apparently, we find Augustine, Thomas Chalmers, C. H. Spurgeon, B. B. Warfield, James M. Boice, and Wayne Grudem).

Consider the attractive power of the earnest humility expressed in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. In the Preface the framers begin by asserting the significance of the issue:

We see it as our timely duty to make this affirmation in the face of current lapses from the truth of inerrancy among our fellow Christians and misunderstanding of this doctrine in the world at large.

Then a few lines down there is this challenging graciousness wrapped in an invitation to continue the conversation:

We offer this Statement in a spirit, not of contention, but of humility and love, which we propose by God’s grace to maintain in any future dialogue arising out of what we have said. We gladly acknowledge that many who deny the inerrancy of Scripture do not display the consequences of this denial in the rest of their belief and behavior, and we are conscious that we who confess this doctrine often deny it in life by failing to bring our thoughts and deeds, our traditions and habits, into true subjection to the divine Word. We invite response to this Statement from any who see reason to amend its affirmations about Scripture by the light of Scripture itself, under whose infallible authority we stand as we speak. We claim no personal infallibility for the witness we bear, and for any help that enables us to strengthen this testimony to God’s Word we shall be grateful.

Amen. May the Lord give us grace to engage in these disputes with a similar spirit.

The waters of the Colorado are powerful, as can be seen in this clip (note how the guy seated front left has his hat knocked off his head when the water rushes over him, and enjoy Derouchie’s fist pumping enthusiasm when he has passed through the waters):

All this water, however, does not appear to be now widening the river’s banks or deepening its channel, which seems to indicate that the Canyon was cut by a catastrophic, unprecedented, and unrepeated flow of water. My mind can barely begin to imagine the fury of the raging waters of Noah’s flood. Praise God that Jesus was baptized in the flood-waters of God’s wrath so that those who trust in him are delivered, as Noah was in the ark.

My gratitude to those who made the trip possible runs deep. I’m thankful for those who made it financially possible, but the deepest waters of thanksgiving flow toward my family. My sweet wife rejoiced in the opportunity to hold down the fort with our four kids, and my heroic dad came to help while I was away. The deep channels of their sacrificial love caused soaring heights of joy when I finally got home. I am the most blessed husband and father in the world.

To have that woman throw her arms around my neck.

There are pleasures that can only be felt in this permanent, exclusive, monogamous, comprehensive, interpersonal, organic union of one man and one woman called marriage .

Praise God.

My sons prepared for my arrival with a note taped to the door of our home, “Dad’s Home, Yippee!” And they made a lap-book of the Grand Canyon . Is it possible to describe what I felt when those three boys, 7, 5, and 3 years old, clambered out of the van and sprinted down the sidewalk at the airport to fling themselves into my arms? I hope they have sons like themselves, and I hope the Lord gives them each a wife like their mother. And then there was the joy of that wobbly five month old baby girl, with her bright-eyed smile and delightful pre-word baby cooing.

The Canyon was enormous and beautiful. The friendships renewed and formed full of joy and promise. The thought of the flood-waters of judgment that cut those rocks, leaving beauty in the wake of destruction (ahem, God’s glory in salvation through judgment) evokes praise for the Maker of the mountains. Coming home to my sweet wife and our four little ones is like stepping into a dream come true.

And all of it is mercy.

Cue organ to blast out the Gloria Patri:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, amen, amen.

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13 Comments

An edifying post, Dr. Hamilton. Always a pleasure reading your posts!

This is just how I remember it. Great writing that captures the experience. I’m grateful to God for the trip, the sponsors, Tom Vail, and your new friendship. My wife mentioned something that I hadn’t thought of–that I don’t have normal opportunities to spend that much alone time with other men. That was undoubtedly part of the richness of the experience. But it’s still good to be home!

PawPaw was hugging that slope too. He and Anna coined the phrase, I’m brave but not that brave as Cora & I looked over the edge. I guess it’s true that some apples don’t fall far from their tree. I’m glad you had a great time!

As I understand it, Augustine wasn’t “old earth” in the modern sense of the term. There is a recent Answers Journal article on the subject that can be found here:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/arj/v4/n1/examining-augustine-genesis-commentaries

Glad to see godly men spending time in fellowship and standing in awe of the wonders of His creation. And for the sponsors, this looks to have been a great investment and I am sure it will bear much fruit.

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Jim, Am coming to this a little bit late, but so glad you had a great time. I agree with Robert above that it is good to see Christian leaders spending time in fellowship and standing in awe of the wonders of God’s creation. Just a programming note however. Your link above, in the fourth paragraph “this is a great cause” leads to an ‘error page’. For those of us like me, who want to contribute to seeing more Christian leaders like yourself have the advantage of scholarships, you might want to look at that link. Blessings.

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Do tell how the many layers of limestone found within the canyon walls (a very fine-grained, sedimentary rock that requires calm, shallow waters to form) managed to be deposited during a cataclysmic event.

Learn a little geology like I have and you’ll see the Biblical flood (a rip off of the Utnapishtim flood epic) for the sham it is.

Hope you’re doing well, Jim. It was a thrill to be on that trip with you and the other leaders!

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A Creationist Sues the Grand Canyon for Religious Discrimination

The national park wouldn’t let him collect rocks for research.

“How did the Grand Canyon form?” is a question so commonly pondered that YouTube is rife with explanations. Go down into the long tail of Grand Canyon videos, and you’ll eventually find a two-part, 35-minute lecture by Andrew Snelling. The first sign this isn’t a typical geology lecture comes about a minute in, when Snelling proclaims, “The Grand Canyon does provide a testament to the biblical account of Earth’s history.”

Snelling is a prominent young-Earth creationist. For years, he has given lectures, guided biblical-themed Grand Canyon rafting tours, and worked for the nonprofit Answers in Genesis. (The CEO of Answers in Genesis, Ken Ham, is also behind the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter theme park .) Young-Earth creationism , in contrast to other forms of creationism, specifically holds that the Earth is only thousands of years old. Snelling believes that the Grand Canyon formed after Noah’s flood—and he now claims the U.S. government is blocking his research in the canyon because of his religious views.

Last week , Snelling sued park administrators and the Department of Interior, which administers the national parks program, because they would not grant him a permit to collect 50 to 60 fist-sized rocks. All research in the national park is restricted, especially if it requires removing material. But the Grand Canyon does host 80 research projects a year, ranging from archaeology digs to trout tracking.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal advocacy group that filed the lawsuit on behalf of Snelling, alleged discrimination by the park. “National Park Service: Research in Grand Canyon okay for geologists … but not Christian ones,” read the headline on their press release. (Interior department and NPS spokespeople declined to comment because of the pending litigation.)

If the permit application hit a nerve, it’s because young-Earth creationists have a bit of an obsession with the Grand Canyon. Where geologists see billions of years of rock layers carved out by a persistent flow of water, young-Earth creationists see sediments laid down in Noah’s flood. As the flood receded, they believe , water became trapped behind natural dams, until it finally broke through in a “catastrophic erosion” that carved the Grand Canyon.

This is the story told on religious rafting trips organized by companies like Canyon Ministries, for which Snelling also works as a guide. In 2004, a book by the Canyon Ministries founder Tom Vail caused a stir when it was sold at the national park’s bookstores .

It’s all part of an uneasy relationship between the park and young-Earth creationists. The park does permit the rafting trips, and it has allowed creationists, including Snelling according to the lawsuit, to work in the park before. Another prominent young-Earth creationist, Steve Austin, took photos of nautiloid fossils in the park and used them to argue that the creatures died during the flood . “I think the NPS has felt a bit stung by past creationist research in the Grand Canyon,” says Steven Newton , who teaches geology at College of Marin and serves as the programs and policy director for the National Center for Science Education, a nonprofit that opposes teaching creationism in public schools.

Exactly why the park did not grant Snelling’s application is, of course, now the subject of a lawsuit. His project did involve collecting a sizable number of rocks, which can invite more scrutiny. In an email to Snelling filed as part of the lawsuit, a park officer said the project was not granted because the type of rock he wanted to study can also be found outside of the Grand Canyon. The park solicited peer reviews from three mainstream geologists. One mentioned the rocks could be found elsewhere; all three overwhelmingly denounced the work as not scientifically valid, a criterion the park also uses to evaluate proposals. Snelling, who holds a Ph.D. in geology, did not disclose his Answers in Genesis affiliation, nor did he explicitly say he wanted to prove the Grand Canyon is young in his initial permit application, but the reviewers became aware of his reputation.

Geology as a profession has struggled with what to do with young-Earth creationists, whose beliefs are contradicted by literal mountains of scientific evidence. Shut them down, and you get cries of censorship—like this lawsuit. “This just so plays into their hands,” Newton says about the national park’s treatment of Snelling’s application. Newton favors letting creationists do their research and then arguing on the merits of their science. But allowing them to present at scientific conferences, others say, is lending creationists legitimacy.

“That’s really a tough question because in science we want to be the type of community where people can bring about ideas that are controversial,” says Stephen Moshier , a geologist at Wheaton, a Christian liberal arts college in Illinois, and a former president of the Affiliation of Christian Geologists. The problem, according to Moshier, who is not a young-Earth creationist, is that they want mainstream geologists to be open to new ideas, but it’s the young-Earth creationists themselves who have proved inflexible in the face of new evidence contradicting their ideas. “Often I read things by young-Earth creationists where I think they really ought to know better. Many of them have excellent training in the geosciences,” he says. (Snelling declined to comment because of the lawsuit. Four other young-Earth creationists who study the Grand Canyon did not respond to requests for comment.)

That the Grand Canyon is the stage where this conflict now plays out is no coincidence. The canyon is such a potent example of the power of small changes over time—of what’s possible on geological time scales. “Look through any introductory geology textbook, any sedimentology textbook, and the Grand Canyon is going to be there in either full color or on the whole page,” says Moshier.

Last year, he and other Christian geologists published a book titled The Grand Canyon, Monument to an Ancient Earth , directly refuting young-Earth creationists who cite the canyon as evidence of Noah’s flood. “It wouldn’t be of any use writing about the Appalachian Mountains—even though I think we can make a stronger case for an ancient Earth there because the geology is so complex,” says Moshier. “Because they make a big deal out of the Grand Canyon and use it as a lab for young-Earth creationism and flood geology, that’s naturally where we had to focus the book.”

When young-Earth creationists invoke God, they are tapping into a real sense of wonder about the Grand Canyon. It’s easy—in fact all too human—to wonder how so small a river could have carved so vast a chasm. One partial answer is that the Glen Canyon dam has quelled the spring floods that originally bored through rock; the lazily winding Colorado River that you see today is not the river that formed the Grand Canyon. But also, humans are bad at intuiting the consequences of deep time. Once you add enough zeros to number of years they all start to sound the same.

It’s hard to imagine how much can happen in geological time. About 1.7 billion years ago, a series of volcanoes crashed into what would become the continent of North America and created mountains taller than the Himalayas today. Those mountains eroded back down to hills to form the rock that now rests at the base of the canyon. Over countless millions of years, a shallow sea expanded and contracted over the area, laying down the sediment that would become the sandstone, shale, and limestone layers. Plate tectonics then pushed those rock layers up and up to became the Colorado Plateau. And finally, flowing water carved its way down 1.7 billion years of rock.

It’s hard to imagine, but there is wonder and grandeur in this imagination, too.

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The Grand Canyon

Testimony to the biblical account of earth’s history.

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• Format: DVD
• Dimensions: 5.25" x 7.5"
• Length: 55 minutes
• Technicality: Layman
• Ages: Teens – Adults
• Published: 2009
• SKU: 30-9-302
• Includes optional English subtitles

Grand Canyon offers some of the most breath-taking vistas in the world, but did the tiny Colorado River really carve this massive feature? Dr. Snelling explains the formation of the canyon in light of the global Flood of Noah’s day, not slow and gradual processes.

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Grand Canyon offers some of the most breathtaking vistas in the world, but did the tiny Colorado River really carve this massive feature? Evolutionary thinking about Grand Canyon requires the passage of millions of years. Dr. Andrew Snelling uses diagrams, beautiful photographs of the canyon, and first-hand knowledge to dismantle this story. Then, using the biblical Flood as his starting point, Dr. Snelling shows how Grand Canyon bears testimony to rapid erosion as a result of the waters left behind by the global Flood.

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1-928-251-3000, [email protected], website design by nate loper, © document.write( new date().getfullyear() ); canyon ministries flagstaff, arizona, make an impact.

What We Do, We Do Together!

Our founders.

Inspired by his newfound faith, along with what he felt was the best explanation for the geology he spent years surrounded by in the canyon, Tom felt compelled to share the wonders of the Grand Canyon from a biblical perspective.

United by their passion for sharing the beauty and significance of the Grand Canyon, Tom and Paula embarked on the journey of founding Canyon Ministries. Since its inception, the organization has been dedicated to offering river trips, daily tours, and backpacking adventures that provide thousands of participants each year with a unique perspective rooted in God’s Word.

Discover more about Tom and Paula’s remarkable journey and the rich history of Canyon Ministries by exploring their story .

OFFICE & OPERATIONS

Executive Director

Nate has been with Canyon Ministries since 2014 and became our Executive Director at the end of 2020, following Tom Vail (our founder) and Jon Albert in this role. Prior to joining our team, he served as a pastor and school teacher for over 12 years.

He has traveled the nation teaching in churches, schools, and Christian universities and has also led tours through dozens of national parks and natural history museums in both the United States and the United Kingdom for the past 20 years.  Apart from graduating from seminary in Denver, his post-graduate studies are in ancient civilizations and archaeology.

Guest Services and Communications

Director of Operations

Adam Huff is the Director of Operations for Canyon Ministries. He also oversees the growth and development of our backpacking program.

He and his wife Jen, along with their two amazing kids moved to Arizona from northern Kentucky, where he was employed with Answers in Genesis for 11 years, and served as the Director of Operations for the Creation Museum.

Katrina Mendez

Backpacking coodinator.

Bryce Brothers

Office administrator.

Bryce serves as our Office Administrator and oversees guest relations. For years he has been and continues to be part of the Canyon Ministries team as a guide as well.

Bryce grew up in Northern Arizona and is quite familar with everything we have around here. If you call our office, Bryce’s cheerfulness is sure to help make your planning your Grand Canyon experience great from the very start.

Jon & Kathleen Albert

Resources, events planning.

Jon was our Executive Director from 2013–2020. He now is part of our resource development team and remains as a river guide for Canyon Ministries. Kathleen oversees the planning and management of events and group tours.

Together, they have recently founded Gloryview Ranch , a partner ministry designed to engage couples and families in abundant and biblically centered Christian living.

GRAND CANYON GUIDE TEAM

From rim to river and everywhere between, our entire team is dedicated to making your grand canyon experience the trip of a lifetime.

They are also highly experienced in leading people in God’s great outdoors, specifically the Grand Canyon and areas throughout the American Southwest.  Our team members share a biblical worldview and our same Foundational Beliefs .  More importantly, every team member has an understanding of why the Grand Canyon and surrounding area is significant from a biblical perspective and will convey that to you on each and every tour we conduct.

Get to know the folks who are our boots on the ground and feet in the water !

Jon Albert has been a wilderness guide since 1992 around the U.S., Canada, and the Dominican Republic. The wilderness has always been a powerful place of worship for Jon. God has enabled him to apply his passion for the outdoors to the advancement of the kingdom.

Jon has been studying geology in grand canyon since 2008 and has an infectious joy for life and the lord, which impacts every trip he guides. he has this to say about leading a trip, “spending time in the grand canyon is like being invited into the workshop of a master craftsman and listening as he displays and explains his work. leading a trip in the grand canyon is like being the one who opens the door to the workshop and excitedly says, ‘listen to the master.’”.

About Bryce

Bryce has been a long-time resident here in northern arizona and has a wealth of knowledge about its various highlights and history. he is also a fantastic storyteller and communicator., before joining our team full-time, bryce was at coconino high school for years, where he was an english teacher and headed up one of the top speech and debate teams in northern arizona, apart from having the best smile on our entire guide team, bryce is a great “people person” and loves sharing the beauty of god’s creation at the grand canyon with folks from around the world..

Bryan Osborne

About bryan, bryan osborne holds a master’s degree in the art of teaching from lee university. bryan taught bible history in a public school for 13 years, and has been teaching christians to defend their faith for nearly 20 years. bryan is a speaker and author for answers in genesis., bryan is also a leader on our grand canyon river trips, where he focuses on teaching creation and biblical apologetics..

Dr. Terry Mortenson

About terry, terry has an mdiv and a ph.d. in the history of geology, and is well-informed on the relationship of the grand canyon, geology, and scripture.  after serving with campus crusade for christ for 26 years (mostly in eastern europe), he joined the staff of answers in genesis in 2001 as a speaker, writer, and researcher., a revised version of his ph.d. thesis was published as the great turning point: the church’s catastrophic mistake on geology—before darwin .  he also co-edited and contributed to coming to grips with genesis: biblical authority and the age of the earth , which gives an in-depth biblical, historical, and theological defense of young-earth creation., terry has lectured on creation and evolution in over 25 countries and has helped lead many trips through the grand canyon.  terry’s knowledge and passion for helping people see the connection between biblical teaching and the age of the earth are obvious both in and out of the grand canyon.  he also serves as an associate member of the canyon ministries board of directors..

Luke is a prolific writer of biblical apologetics material and church history.  Having written over 1,000 articles for CARM, he has a great way of communicating spiritual significance across a wide range of God’s creation.

Kathleen Albert

About kathleen, besides loving jesus, jon albert, and their three kids, kathleen loves the color purple. kathleen also loves hiking she’s hiked hundreds of miles through yellowstone, the boundary waters in minnesota, grand canyon, and trails all over northern arizona. she has a degree and background in travel and business management, and has worked as a corporate travel agent for ten years. one of her favorite times was spent working in and exploring yellowstone, our nation’s first national park, which was established in 1872., kathleen has gone on multiple river trips with canyon ministries, and is always a delight to our guests. she also manages our office and guest relations. if you don’t see her at our flagstaff office, you can probably find her horseback riding or cleaning up after her chinchilla..

Emily Cable

About emily, emily cable is out one our outstanding backpacking guides.  having lead christian wilderness adventures and backpacking trips for years now, emily has probably out-hiked anyone else on our team  when she’s not helping lead trips for canyon ministries, emily serves as a guide with solid rock outdoor ministries in laramie, wy., emily’s incredibly uplifting and encouraging personality is further complimented by her years of experience and wisdom in the outdoors.  if you want to get on her good side, bring her a bag of quality coffee at the start of your trip.  you’ll have a friend for life.

John Kelley

John is an arizona native who loves hiking and exploring in god’s amazing creation. john attended northern arizona university in flagstaff, az, where he received his bachelor of science in physical sciences with an emphasis in mathematics., since he recognized god’s call on his life in seventh grade, john has enjoyed serving god through various opportunities of leadership, pastoring, and teaching. after graduating college john has gone on to teach students in both arizona and alaska, co-hosted “grace talk” (a weekly round table radio talk show), and has led hundreds of people on tours in flagstaff, grand canyon, and israel., john remembers his first river trip in the grand canyon as the time genesis chapters 1-11 went from “black and white to living color” and compares that experience to the first time visiting israel where “the bible came alive as it never had before.” john’s passion for god’s love and truth is evident each time you interact with him..

Bob retired after decades of serving the State of Arizona and its citizens as a Highway Patrol Officer, and is now part of the Canyon Ministries team. Bob has a great deal of knowledge about the Grand Canyon, and has spent more time hiking its trails than anyone else at Canyon Ministries.

Bob’s intrigue and love for the grand canyon dates back to the mid-’80s when he took his first backpacking trip exploring the south rim. being thoroughly captivated by god’s majesty through his creation, the canyon has since held a special place in his heart and spirit. when you have a tour with bob, you will undoubtedly hear his passion for proclaiming god’s word at the canyon, and using god’s creation as a great way to communicate that..

Dr. John Whitmore

John earned his ph.d. from loma linda university in california.  he now serves as a professor of geology at cedarville university, where he started the geology major and has been teaching since 1991. prior to that, he taught high school science and math and spent time working for the united states geological survey., john serves on the board of the creation geology society and is a member of the creation research society and the geological society of america (gsa). his publications include many gsa abstracts, journal articles, book chapters, popular articles, and an adventure book titled the great alaskan dinosaur adventure ., john speaks internationally on the topics of creation, geology, and noah’s flood, and has helped lead many river trips through the grand canyon.  he is one of the the world’s leading  geologists on the coconino sandstone, and has been conducting research and publishing papers on it and other geology found in and around the grand canyon for years..

Dr. Bill Barrick

Bill is a leading hebrew scholar and served as a professor of old testament and the director of doctoral studies at the master’s seminary for 19 years. he also served as the biblical editor for creation research society quarterly for a number of years., a former missionary in bangladesh working in bible translation and theological education, bill has been teaching, researching, and writing on the exegesis of genesis 1-11, particularly noah’s flood and the historical adam, for many years.  he is also well informed on the geology of the southwest united states, having participated and led numerous river trips through the canyon over the years.  he is also a sought-after speaker and teacher, and travels worldwide teaching at conferences, churches, and universities.  he also serves as chairman of the canyon ministries board of directors., while bill’s knowledge of the grand canyon is extensive, he specializes in the connection between the bible, the flood, and the grand canyon. as a biblical and hebrew scholar, his background allows him to relate to those of all levels of biblical understanding.  being in the outdoors has formed a major part of his life since childhood. besides loving to fish and hike, bill’s activities have included rock climbing, canoeing, wilderness camps, wildlife research with the national science foundation, and interest in survival techniques..

Dr. Danny Faulkner

About danny, danny has a ph.d. in astronomy from indiana university. for over 25 years, he was on the faculty of the university of south carolina lancaster, where he taught physics and astronomy.  danny retired as a full professor and now holds the title of distinguished professor emeritus., in january 2013, he joined answers in genesis and its creation museum full time.  he is the editor in chief for creation research society quarterly and on the board of creation research society.  danny has published more than a hundred papers in various astronomy and astrophysics journals and is the author of universe by design ., danny helps lead our special geology by day, astronomy by night river trips, where he brings a world-class telescope to show folks the amazing starry skies here at the grand canyon, as the “heavens declare the glory of god” overhead.  danny’s breadth of knowledge about the universe and the night sky will fascinate you, and may even keep you up at night.

Nate has been leading trips and tours throughout the Southwest for over 20 years, and has spent over 800 days guiding and teaching in the Grand Canyon National Park.  Having lived in the Four Corners most of his life, he has a passion for Native American culture and Wild West history and has led trips for organizations like Tour the Southwest and various Flagstaff school trips to local ruins and historic sites.

Over the years, he has guided multi-day trips to multiple national parks, as well as creation science and biblical archaeology tours through museums and sites around the world.  nate and his wife also lead a 7-day london christian tour in england, her home country., while originally on track to study geology, nate felt god call him into ministry, where he switched paths and became a pastor for 12 years in colorado and california.  now able to combine both his passions of science and god’s word, nate still loves working with students and school groups at the canyon, and is great with kids on our tours.

Dr. Andrew Snelling

About andrew, andrew possesses a ph.d. in geology from the university of sydney, and is one of the leading creation geologists in the world.  he has done extensive research in the canyon over the last 25+ years, and has compiled numerous books and dvds on geology and radiometric dating. dr. snelling has published more than 30 technical articles and papers in secular journals and books and has worked as a geological consultant in the mining industry for private companies and national and international governmental research organizations., as a research scientist and professor of geology at the graduate school of the institute for creation research, he was a lead researcher on the 8-year radioisotopes and the age of the earth (r.a.t.e.) research project on radiometric dating methods, completed in 2005., dr. snelling is currently the director of research at answers in genesis, travels around the world to speak on creation geology and related sciences, and is the author of earth’s catastrophic past, geology, creation & the flood .  he also serves as a river guide and an associate member of the canyon ministries board of directors..

Hunter Berggren

About hunter.

Guy Forsythe

Guy and his wife cindy moved to sedona, az from ohio in 2003, after working as a high school technology teacher for 30 years. in 2004 they founded crying rocks ministry, where they publish a creation science journal that is mailed to every address in sedona four times a year. the newsletter explains the evidence for a created young earth, and often features technical geology information about formation in the area., guy is also a speaker to churches and creation groups, and has published a paper (co-authored by john whitmore, another canyon ministries guide, and paul garner) as a result of discovering geological features in the coconino sandstone that had never before been mentioned in the professional geology literature, and support the growing theory that the coconino was laid down by water, rather than being an eolian, dry desert deposit., guy was a rim tour guide with canyon ministries for a number of years before “hanging up his hat” and enjoying the beauty of the red rocks of sedona, where he remains a hiking consultant for our team and resource for sedona geology..

Dr. Jeremy Lyon

About jeremy, jeremy lyon earned a b.a. in religion from carson-newman college, a m.div. in advanced biblical studies and biblical languages, and a ph.d. in old testament from southeastern baptist theological seminary. , from 2012 to 2014, he served as full-time professor of old testament at southern california seminary, where he developed a graduate-level apologetics concentration and taught courses on old testament, biblical hebrew, and creation apologetics.  he is currently an associate professor of old testament and hebrew at truett mcconnell university and a teacher on our grand canyon river trips..

Tom founded Canyon Ministries in 1997 after over 15 years of leading trips through the canyon.  He began guiding as a non-believer, gave his life to the Lord and began investigating some of the problems he always had with the evolutionary explanation he taught on canyon geology.  As he learned more about the biblical model, creation, and the flood, he found it gave a much better explanation of what he saw in the canyon, and it became the focus of the ministry.

Tom is the author of grand canyon, a different view and co-author of the true north series , which includes guidebooks on the grand canyon, zion and bryce , and yellowstone and grand teton national parks.  over the years tom has led countless people on river trips through the grand canyon, including many pastors, professors, and leaders on our annual christian leaders trip ., since the founding of canyon ministries, there has been tremendous growth and expansion.  the legacy of a lone boatman who fell in love with jesus stands strong to this day, in the hearts of thousands who have gone on grand canyon tours and trips for over 25 years..

Eddy Bressler

Eddy has lived in flagstaff for over 25 years, and is the only one on our guide team to have biked the entire arizona trail from mexico to utah.  that’s over 800 miles  this also includes the portion of the trail which crosses the grand canyon, where he carried his bike the entire 22-mile kaibab trail, with 6,453ft of elevation gain.  to say eddy is an avid outdoor adventurer is quite an understatement.  just ask him about some of his recent adventure races such as “the fearsome four” and the “hole to hump”., beyond his physical strength, his real strength shines through in the love he shows people, and the personal ways he connects with each of our guests.  eddy’s zeal for life is infectious.  he has a powerful testimony of living most his life as an atheist rejecting god, and then coming to faith by the truth being revealed through creation.  eddy received his master’s degree from northern arizona university in the field of forest genetics…and it was the science of genetics that eddy says, “showed me that evolution cannot possibly happen at the genetic level.  so if evolution is not true, then what about this god i’ve been rejecting all this time.  is god the real truth”, with eddy’s passion for helping others experience god through his creation, he is one of the most energetic guides that will help make your backpacking, hiking, or rim tour experience one you’ll never forget..

Adam joined Canyon Ministries in July 2018. He moved to Arizona from northern Kentucky, where he was employed with Answers in Genesis for 11 years, and served as the Director of Operations for the Creation Museum .

An avid outdoor enthusiast, adam has logged hundreds of miles hiking in various terrains at locations across the country.  having a passion for backpacking and camping, adam is thrilled to be able to serve at canyon ministries, where he can combine his love for the outdoors with his passion for creation apologetics.  he enjoys exploring the southwest with his family, learning all that he can about its fascinating geology and history in order to better serve as a guide in the grand canyon..

About Katrina

Besides being a rim tour and hiking guide, Katrina is an avid backpacker and helps oversee the logistics and coordination of our backpacking trips.  If you’re on a backpacking trip with us, there’s a good chance she’ll be the one answering your questions and making things happen behind the scenes.

Paul Weaver

Paul received a masters of ministry and served as a youth pastor for more than 20 years.  during these years, he guided backpacking trips for his youth group, men’s groups, and for other churches as well.  he served as a full-time rim tour and backpacking guide with canyon ministries, but passed away suddenly in october of 2022., paul loved the connections that came from being a team on a backpacking trip and enjoyed friendships with people he met on trips years ago. he believed that studying the bible in the wilderness is a great way to deepen our understanding of god and our relationship with him. paul loved friends, food, football, and traveling with his family.  , he will forever remain in our hearts and part of our team on the other side of eternity., canyon ministries board of directors.

Clay Miller

Vice Chairman

Gary McCaleb

Associate board members.

Matthew Peterson

Canyon Ministries