MARTYN ISLES IS BACK

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Since Martyn’s short stint at Answers in Genesis many of us have been wondering what God has next in store for Martyn. It had to be connected to evangelising with a focus on young people because that is the talent God has given him.

Well now we know: Martyn Iles is set to Launch Two New Digital Platforms to Reclaim the Cross and Reimagine Christian Education. At the Crux and Proto are two initiatives designed to proclaim Christ and shape young minds with gospel-centred education.

“At the Crux” is designed to meet growing cultural curiosity about Christianity with a renewed focus on the gospel.

Speaking directly to a generation disillusioned with empty ideologies, Iles said the time had come to stop “simply opening conversations” and instead “bring them all the way to the cross.”

The announcement comes amid what Iles describes as a “resurgence of Christian interest.” Whether that looks like Joe Rogan going to church, Jordan Peterson promoting the Bible, or Donald Trump punctuating “a press conference with, ‘We love you, God’”, for many, “Christianity is interesting again” and is not limited to high-profile political or media figures, but particularly to young men.

At the Crux: Meeting the Moment

The name, “At the Crux”, has been deliberately chosen and crafted to carry three layers of meaning, with three promises:

  1. A promise of clarity. As in the phrase, “the ‘crux’ of the issue”, the word also signifies something of foundational importance, yet expressed simply and clearly.
  2. A promise of relevance. Finally, in being ‘at’ the crux, Iles determines that the new platform will be ‘at’ a decisive moment.
  3. A promise of the gospel. In Latin, crux means “cross,” pointing directly to Christianity’s central and always-relevant message.

In earlier seasons, Iles was best known for his widely viewed series “The Truth of It” and “Living in Babylon”, which tackled modern culture through a biblical lens. Those efforts drew strong audiences and made Iles a familiar name among Australian and international Christians. Now, with At the Crux, he intends to be even more explicit in gospel proclamation.

“I want to take up the curiosity that’s simmering out there – not just to answer people’s questions – but to bring them all the way to the cross,” he said.

The initiative reflects what Iles sees as a God-given moment: to speak into our modern culture not with the “wisdom of man,” but with the clarity and conviction of Christ crucified.

Proto: Reimagining Christian Education

In addition to At the Crux, Iles and his team have unveiled a second major project – “Proto”, a comprehensive Christian education platform designed to equip children from ages 5 to 18 with a robust biblical worldview.

Built in partnership with experienced educators, software engineers and policy experts, Proto promises a cutting-edge app experience tailored for Christian families. It aims to support parents and educators – whether homeschooling or using other educational models – with tools to instil faith, knowledge, and critical thinking from a Christian foundation.

Key features under development include:

  • Bespoke Christian curriculum aligned to international academic standards
  • Substantive and age-appropriate content across core subjects
  • Leading Christian educators as content creators
  • Advanced AI-powered assessments and personalised progress tracking
  • Parental controls and content safety features
  • Free foundational content with extended features available through subscription
  • Community tools to foster local connection among Christian families

Ultimately, the team behind Proto plans to offer not only worldview training but also full-spectrum academic coverage – integrating humanities, sciences and electives into a Christ-centred education model.

Iles leads both initiatives as Chief Executive Officer, bringing years of experience in Christian advocacy, law and digital content. Formerly the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, which grew by more than 400% during his tenure, he is known more recently for serving in executive leadership with the US-based Answers in Genesis apologetics ministry.

Iles has announced that he is joined by a distinguished team of co-founders, including:

  • David Cook, Chief Technology Officer, is a Silicon Valley veteran who helped build Apple iTunes and contributed to platforms like Netflix and YouTube. Converted six years ago, Cook now devotes his technical expertise to Christian mission.
  • Dr Paul Henderson, Chief Education Officer, is a global education expert who has advised prime ministers, authored national curricula, and holds advanced degrees from Cambridge, Aberdeen, and other leading institutions.
  • José Ziebarth, Chief Product Officer, is the former Head of Privacy at Facebook and an anti-corruption and de-bureaucratisation reformer in Brazil’s government. Once an atheist, he became a Christian seven years ago and now home-educates his three sons with his wife.

“These projects are ambitious—but they’re timely, strategic, and already underway”, Martyn revealed.

“Early support has been encouraging, and we’re praying for provision to fully launch At the Crux and accelerate the build of the new platform.”

At a time when biblical truth is often sidelined or diluted, Iles aims for At the Crux and Proto to fulfil a dual commitment: to proclaim Christ crucified and to raise up the next generation in truth.

Those who want to financially support Ilies’ efforts to present Christianity’s centuries-old core claim in a new format can do so here.

ANSWERS IN GENESIS – A BIBLICAL AUTHORITY MINISTRY

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Ten years later Ken Ham reflects on his debates with prominent atheist Bill Nye. The article is titled “What Was the Most Important Thing Said at the Nye Debate 10 Years Ago?” This is an extract from the article featured in Ken Ham’s blog on March 16th, 2024.

Our supporters know that Answers in Genesis has always been a ministry with an emphasis on biblical authority and the gospel. Now, we certainly deal with issues of the age of the earth, fossils, and so on, as they are used to attack biblical authority in our day. The emphasis is on apologetics, providing people with answers to the questions of the day that really attack and undermine God’s Word. But we never divorce what we present from the truth of God’s Word and the saving gospel message. And so many have told me this came through clearly at both debates with Bill Nye.

There was one time in particular during the second debate at the Ark—when I was presenting the gospel clearly to Bill Nye—it was as if he let his guard down and acknowledged our desire was to see him saved for eternity. But then the brick wall went right back up.

In a way, he reminded me of the account of the rich man coming to Jesus as recorded in Mark 10 and Luke 18. This man asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. At the end of the conversation,

He [Jesus] said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” Luke 18:22–24

He just couldn’t give up the things of this world. I’ve thought about this concerning Bill Nye. For him to turn from the world to Christ would mean he’d have to give up his TV fame, his secular friends who would no doubt scoff and scorn him for his conversion, and so much more. Humanly speaking, it would be so hard for him to do this. Yet, as Jesus stated for us all to be reminded of, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36

As I have said many times, issues like evolution, abortion, gay marriage, LGBTQ, and gender are all the same problem—the problem of building one’s worldview on man’s word. They are just different symptoms of this problem. And being the same problem, they all have the same solution—believing the truth of God’s Word and trusting Christ for salvation.

That’s why for me it’s always been vital for the Answers in Genesis ministry (including the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter) to be bold about the truth of God’s Word and the gospel.

Yes, we provide a lot of answers to scientific and biblical questions, but just like at the debate, there’s no point doing this if we are not pointing people to the most important message of all—the message of salvation.

Answers in Genesis will always be a biblical authority ministry, boldly and uncompromisingly standing on God’s Word, equipping with apologetics, and presenting the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Your prayers and financial support are vital to the ongoing ministry of AiG. They enable us to continue to proclaim the truth of God’s Word and the saving gospel message to countless people who desperately need to hear it, as well as to inspire and equip Christians to be bold in their faith.

Be assured your financial support will be used to “contend for the faith” so we can do all we can to see people saved for eternity. And please remember to pray especially for Bill Nye this month and for all the different aspects of the AiG ministry.

I’m so grateful for your prayers and support—they enable AiG to reach millions for Christ every year, just like my debate with Bill Nye did 10 years ago. Thank you for being a part of our family.

Since Martyn Isles joined AIG as CEO, and I saw the results of his recent tour of Australia with Ken Ham for the “Living in Babylon” series, I strongly recommend Australians to support this ministry. 10,000 attended the meetings in Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne and many connected online. Martyn announced at the meetings that he is committed to see 6 million John’s gospels delivered to homes in Australia. This is on top of the 1 million delivered to homes during his time with ACL. Please make sure you hear the messages delivered by both Ken and Martyn at these four Australian meetings you will then want to make sure others do as well. Go to answersingenesis.org › outreach › living-in-babylon