Fellow Christians and Creationists File Lawsuit
Against Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis
by CFR Staff
June 4, 2007
ADDITONAL ARTICLES ON THE CREATION MUSEUM The Marketing of Bedrock The Creation Museum: Faith and Science at the Crossroads The Trouble with Fred and Wilma: Why the Creation Museum is Bad for Christians Aljazeera Covers the Creation Museum Grand Opening  Dr. Carl Wieland, Managing Director of Australia based Creation Ministries International says "We have had a lot of angry former subscribers (still only a tiny fraction of the 35,000 or so that were misled) contact us saying that they are not only relieved to find we and our magazine still existed, but angry that they had been given the impression by clever wording that the magazine was no longer available in the United States, period.”  Creation Magazine 
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    Ken Ham (left),Clarrie Briese (center), Brandon Vallorani (right) On Monday, May 28, Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis, proudly presided over the grand opening of the $27 million Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. On Thursday, May 31, half a world away in Brisbane, Australia, Ham's former business partners and fellow creationists, Creation Ministries International, filed a lawsuit in Queensland Supreme Court against both Answers in Genesis, the American based non-profit corporation that owns the Creation Museum, and Ken Ham individually. Creation Ministries International, represented by the top Brisbane law firm of Hopgood Ganim Lawyers, based their claim on a searing investigation conducted by Mr. Clarrie Briese, a highly respected former New South Wales chief magistrate. In its June 4 online edition, The Australian reports: The suit focuses on a dispute over the Australian organisation's production of a creationist magazine, sold in the US to more than 35,000 subscribers, and has led to revelations about the three-year battle between the two ministries. A 40-page report, written by Mr. Briese and obtained by The Australian, reveals a bitter power struggle across the Pacific that began with a challenge to the power Mr Ham allegedly wielded over the ministries. A magistrate between 1982 and 90, Mr. Briese found in his report that Mr. Ham and his US organisation had launched a campaign after his leadership was challenged by his US deputy, Brandon Vallorani, who was then sacked, and Australian leader Carl Wieland, who was later allegedly the subject of innuendo about his private life. According to Mr. Briese's report, the campaign last year also involved John Mackay, a former associate of Mr. Ham in Queensland, who was excommunicated in the 1980s after making allegations of witchcraft and necrophilia against a fellow member of the ministry. The joint Australian-US push for reforms came amid concerns over Mr Ham's domination of the ministries, the amount of money being spent on his fellow executives and a shift away from delivering the creationist message to raising donations. In his report, Mr. Briese said Mr. Ham and the US organisation responded with sackings, bullying and, in some instances, "unbiblical/unethical/unlawful behaviour" towards the Australian ministry that he suspected was intended to send it into bankruptcy. "The report recommends that if CMI is to fulfil its fiduciary responsibilities to protect and safeguard the Australian ministry, CMI, and have a recalcitrant Answers in Genesis-USA brought to account for the serious wrongs it has committed," he said, "CMI has no option left except to bring AiG-USA before the secular courts, the 'powers that be ordained by God' under Romans 13." The 18 page lawsuit lists an extensive series of charges against both Answers in Genesis and Ken Ham. Among other claims, Creation Ministries International says Answers in Genesis violated its distribution agreement for Creation Magazine in the United States, failed to hand over its list of 35,000 subscribers when the distribution agreement was abruptly terminated, terminated the agreement without giving proper notice, and failed to exercise fiduciary responsiblity as Creation Ministries International's agent in the United States. The suit also claims that Mr. Ham failed to act properly as a director and officer of Creation Ministries International from 1980-2004. Using information secured in that capacity, the suit claims, Mr. Ham acted in a manner that benefited Answers in Genesis and damaged Creation Ministries International. Creation Ministries International is seeking a minimum of $250,000 from Answers in Genesis, plus damages. According to the Creation Ministries International website, the lawsuit is a last resort, taken only after Answers in Genesis refused to participate in the kind of dispute resolution process that is Biblically recommended between fellow Christians. Creation Ministries International had been preparing the lawsuit for several months, and had initially planned to file it prior to the grand opening of the Creation Museum on May 28. As that date drew near, Creation Ministries International made a special effort not to file the lawsuit on the day of the grand opening. As Creation Ministries International Executive Director Carl Wieland tells it: " We commenced the process months ago, when our options were expiring, but not before telling AiG and asking them to bring it all to a halt with an urgent settlement meeting - rebuffed. We had no control over the timing, in fact would have much preferred that it happened many weeks prior to the opening. But then at the end, when it looked as if it might interfere with the opening, we gave strict instructions that it not be served on the Monday or Tuesday, even if ready, but our lawyers faxed AiG a courtesy copy of what was going to be filed so that the Board meeting over that weekend (they only have them infrequently as they live scattered across the US) could have the opportunity to fully contemplate the seriousness of both the legal aspect and the Clarrie Briese report. So the lawyers filed it as soon as that was possible, which had to wait till they had confirmed AiG's registered address, but we did not want it served to interfere with the opening or cause embarrassment at it." Mr. Briese has a prior relationship with Creation Ministries, International. A favorable interview of Mr. Briese by Carl Wieland, Executive Director of Creation Ministries International, is displayed on the official website of Creation Ministries International. Creation Ministries International Executive Director Carl Wieland had the following comment on the lawsuit for Christian Faith and Reason Magazine: " It is all out in the open - we don't propose to comment further other than what is on the web, where we have opted to be totally open and transparent, despite the obvious downside." Neither Mr. Ham nor Mr. Vallorani had responded to requests for comments at the time this article was published. |