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News and Reports

General news and updates to keep you in-touch with the latest at Vision Forum Ministries.

Finalists Announced! Christian Films Competing for $101,000 Grand PrizeNovember 26, 2008
Vision Forum Ministries is pleased to announce the feature finalists and semi-finalists for the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival Jubilee Awards. Each of these films will compete for category awards, for the Audience Choice Award, and for the largest single film festival grand prize of its kind in America — the $101,000 Best of Festival Jubilee Award. Read More
Calvin and Darwin: Worldviews in Conflictby Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., October 24, 2008
During the year 2009, the eyes of the world will turn to remember the anniversaries of the birth of the two most influential men of the last one thousand years — the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Their contrasting visions represent worldviews in conflict. Join us on July 1-4, 2009, in Boston, Massachusetts, as we examine the competing legacies of these giants of the last millennium as part of our Reformation 500 Celebration. Read More

The 2009 Christian Filmmakers AcademyOctober 17, 2008
Join America’s premiere training academy for Christian filmmakers and culture changers. Learn from a distinguished faculty and top independent filmmakers. Receive specialized training in the writing, directing, producing, financing and marketing of independent Christian films. Participate in hands-on training... Read More
Iona’s Gospel Lightby Dr. Joseph Morecraft, August 6, 2008
Iona sent missionaries throughout Europe, to the Mediterranean Sea, to the equator, through the travels of Brendan, to Iceland, and to North America. The global advancement of Christ’s kingdom that these Ionan missionaries helped to bring about transformed the world, and their amazing story is one that we should joyfully proclaim throughout the generations. Read More

Journey to the End of the Earthby Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., August 5, 2008
He was a young man in his early twenties when Joe uncovered the truth behind an ancient mountain legend. He had heard tales of mysterious rock scribblings hidden in the West Virginia foothills, and, after finding them, he would journey years later to a remote island in search of their source. Learn the story of how courage and Gospel hope launched a thousand ships and changed the world. Read More
From This Moment Onby Dr. Joseph Morecraft, July 28, 2008
With the families of the 2008 Scotland Faith and Freedom Tour gathered around, Dr. Joseph Morecraft shared these poignant remarks at the Martyrs’ Monument to the Scottish Covenanters, located in Greyfriars’ Kirkyard in Edinburgh. He urged that the Covenanters’ great sacrifice would compel those present to pray, “O Lord, from this moment on — at Greyfriars — I want to be holy and only Yours.” Read More

God’s Word Championed in Bransonby Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., July 23, 2008
Last week, approximately two thousand Christians came as families to Branson, Missouri, for an historic joint conference between Answers in Genesis, Vision Forum Ministries, and Voddie Baucham Ministries. God’s Word was championed as the foundation for Creation, culture, Christian apologetics, and family reformation. Read More
The True Foundation for Scotland’s Great Pastby Bill Potter, July 14, 2008
We are fond of talking about stones of remembrance, but who has more of them than Scotland? It is the goal and hope of we who possess Christ, the Eternal Cornerstone, to make the stones of the cities and fields of Scotland live again in order to learn the lessons God would have for our generation Read More

The Tide is Turningby Lael Weinberger, June 18, 2008
More than one hundred men from across the nation — attorneys, law students, businessmen, pastors, fathers and sons — recently gathered in Fredericksburg, Virginia, for the 2008 Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy. Both the faculty — including Col. John Eidsmoe, Chief Justice Roy Moore, and the Honorable Howard Phillips — and the students shared a common goal: to reclaim the field of law for God’s glory. Read More
Special Appeal: Help the Botkin Family Bring a Gospel Message of Family Discipleship to EuropeJune 2, 2008
The Geoff Botkin family has received just under a dozen important requests to speak at key locations in Scotland and England. My personal goal is to help them raise the 19,400 British pounds needed for a significant missionary journey that will illustrate the valuable lessons of biblical daughterhood, family discipleship, multigenerational faithfulness, and visionary parenting. Read More

A Puritan Family Reformationby Scott Brown, May 24, 2008
On May 9-11, over a hundred people gathered in Wake Forest, North Carolina, for the Puritan Family Reformation Conference. At the conference, we sought not only to document the historical and theological marks of this family reformation, but we also highlighted families whose testimonies exemplified this teaching, including those of Jonathan Edwards and Matthew Henry. Read More
Join Fathers and Sons for Mountain ExperienceMay 19, 2008
The father and son relationship is one of the defining relationships in the universe. Join Doug Phillips, Geoffrey Botkin, and “Little Bear” Wheeler on August 9-12 as they explore the power of this pivotal relationship during the 2008 Father and Son Retreat at Colorado’s beautiful Crooked Creek Ranch. Fathers and sons will hear thought-provoking messages that are designed to instill vision and will also participate in exciting outdoor activities. Read More

Prepare Yourself to Speak in the Gatesby Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., March 20, 2008
God has called men to rise to leadership in the family, the church, and the state. The 2008 Witherspoon School on Law and Public Policy will feature a distinguished faculty and will include important training on the biblical foundations of law and public policy and the relationship of Christianity to the Constitution and the American legal system. In addition, our special symposiums will address the defining issues of the 2008 elections, the future of the Second Amendment, and the defense of the local church. Read More
A Night to RememberMarch 17, 2008
The evening of April 14, 1912, was both the darkest and brightest night in modern maritime history. Even as 1,522 drowned in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, brave men and boys on board the Titanic saved hundreds of other lives by honoring the command “women and children first,” giving their own lives in exchange. Join us on April 14, 2008 for a special evening of tribute as we honor the sacrifice of these noble men. Read More

Christian Filmmakers to Receive the Top Cash Prize in WorldMarch 10, 2008
The San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF) has unveiled plans to give more than $100,000 to their annual “Best of Festival” Jubilee winner, the single largest cash prize in the world to be awarded by any film festival — secular or Christian. Doug Phillips, founder of the SAICFF, made the announcement earlier today at an official press conference at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Read More
Witherspoon School to Address Election Year IssuesFebruary 28, 2008
The year 2008 may prove to include the most significant Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy of the last decade. This “election year,” Witherspoon will address many of they key legal, ethical, and political issues facing the nation and the Church as America prepares to elect and install a new political regime. Read More

Lasting Reformation: May God Make it SoDecember 13, 2007
Over six hundred participants descended on Wake Forest, North Carolina for the NCFIC’s final regional conference for 2007. The conference — which focused on the reformation of church and home — included church leadership teams wanting to transition their churches to a more family integrated model, church planting teams from around the country, as well as individuals desiring a better understanding of biblical home and church life. Read More
San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival Announces 2007 Jubilee Award WinnersOctober 29, 2007
More than eleven hundred participants representing states from Florida to Washington and foreign countries from Scotland to Nigeria were on hand for the presentation of the Jubilee Awards during closing ceremonies at the fourth annual San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival held this last weekend. The top winner received a $10,000 grand prize. Read More

God’s Design for Church and HomeOctober 18, 2007
There is a new breed of pastor in this country — men who are not swayed by paycheck or peer pressure. There are hundreds of courageous, God-fearing pastors afoot in this nation, and they fear neither man nor mammon, for they have risked everything — all money and relationships and comforts — for faithfulness. Read More
Christian Filmmakers to Discuss the Influence of Disney on American CultureOctober 16, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas, October 16 — Christian filmographers will be taking a hard look at the influence of Disney on American culture as part of the Third Annual Christian Filmmakers Academy to be held October 22-24 in San Antonio, Texas. Read More

Dr. D. James Kennedy is with Jesus Christ in Heavenby Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., September 5, 2007
Once again, the Christian community has lost a giant of the Faith. Dr. D. James Kennedy died at his home just after 2 a.m. this morning. More than anything, Dr. Kennedy must be remembered as a preacher of the Gospel and of Christ crucified. But he was also one of the men who left the most significant and lasting influences on the Church in America during the last quarter of the twentieth century. He dedicated his life to fighting for the Lordship of Christ. We would be well-served to embrace the best examples of this from his illustrious legacy. Read More
Rich Fellowship and Renewed Visionby Sarah Elizabeth Keen, April 20, 2007
In this brief report, fifteen-year-old daughter Sarah Keen shares her personal observations from the 2007 Father and Daughter Retreat. Miss Sarah writes, “I am thankful to Vision Forum for giving fathers and daugthers a vision for this most special relationship. I know I enjoyed the special time with my daddy! Hope to see you there next year!” Read More

Ninety-Five Years Ago, the World Asked “Why?”by Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., April 20, 2007
Ninety-five years ago this week, the world was asking fundamental questions with the sinking of the Titanic: “Why would God allow thirteen hundred people to perish in the frozen waters of the North Atlantic ice fields?” Following the murder of thirty-two at Virginia Tech, the world once again is looking for answers. What we must recognize is this: that hope and grace can only be realized when we acknowledge that God is sovereign over all things — and that He works through tragedy to accomplish His purpose for His people. Read More
A Short Window, a Sacred Trustby Lindsay Keen, April 14, 2007
Fathers have a short window of time to prepare their daughters for virtuous womanhood, and they must take seriously this sacred trust. In this report of the 2007 Father and Daughter Retreat, Lindsay Keen relates how this theme and others were powerfully communicated to more than 560 fathers and daughters who gathered at Georgia’s Callaway Gardens. Read More

Panavision Agrees to Sponsor Christian Filmmakers Academy and Train Studentsby Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., September 19, 2006
Panavision, the motion picture industry’s leading designer, manufacturer, and supplier of high-precision camera systems has joined the San Antonio Christian Filmmakers Academy as a sponsor. We are pleased to announce that, this year, Panavision will be sending James Finn to the Academy to lecture on cinematography and the future of high-definition technologies. Academy faculty believe Panavision is well positioned to take advantage of the emerging markets for the capture of images in digital format and the use of digital technologies for post-production work. Read More
The History and Impact of the Geneva Bibleby Dr. Marshall Foster, September 15, 2006
We at Vision Forum Ministries are greatly heartened that the 1599 Geneva Bible—the Bible carried by the Plymouth Pilgrims and the great English Reformers—is being published once again thanks to the fine work of Tollelege Press. We stand in support of their effort to bring this faithful translation of God’s Word and incomparable study Bible to Christians of the twenty-first century. And we thank Dr. Marshall Foster for this inspiring and fitting tribute to the history and impact of the Geneva Bible which will be included in the opening pages of this historic reprint. Read More

Why Should I Come?August 31, 2006
The San Antonio Christian Film Academy is not just another film school. If you are an aspiring filmmaker, learn ten reasons why you should consider attending our distinct event. Producing Christian films is not for the faint of heart. If you think you have a place in cinema, you need a sense of responsibility and the leadership skills you will learn at the Academy. Find out if you’ve got what it takes to wrestle tigers, harpoon sharks, and believe the Bible. Read More
The Message of the Mayasby Michael Billings, August 3, 2006
At Vision Forum Ministries’ History of the World Mega-Conference, Doug Phillips shared a powerful message entitled, “A Terrifying Beauty: The Message of the Mayas” wherein he told the story of an ancient nation whose scientific and aesthetic ability was remarkably advanced, yet who sacrificed their children. Could America go the way of the Mayas? Read More

Ordinary, Yet Faithfulby Hannah Zes, August 3, 2006
Throughout all of history, the people of God have triumphed in advancing His Kingdom. Their vision extended far beyond their own lifetime, and we have been blessed because of it. Yet many of those whom God has used to bring about His mighty plan of redemption have been ordinary — seemingly insignificant believers who He raised up for a critical hour. Read More
History with Hands and Feet, Heart and Soulby Scott Brown, August 3, 2006
I was a history major in college, and I cannot tell you how many hours I spent reading book after book and listening to lecture after lecture where there was no understanding of the meaning of history. We students were thus bored to tears. Not so with Vision Forum’s History of the World Mega-Conference. It was history, but with hands and feet, heart and soul. Read More

The Message of History: Kiss the Sonby Matthew L. Chancey, August 3, 2006
In Genesis, we read of the fall of man. Adam and Eve were assured that the Redeemer of mankind, the very Son of God Himself, would be born through the woman and crush the head of the serpent. A war was thus inaugurated, the battlefield the soul of man. Ever since then, every nation on earth has had to make one of two choices: kiss the Son or serve the serpent. Read More
A Feast for the Mind and Soulby Allen Wolfe, August 3, 2006
We’ve all enjoyed those moments when we are leaning back in a great restaurant with family and friends after having sufficiently stuffed ourselves on our favorite dishes. That’s what the History of the World Mega-Conference was like — intellectual meal after meal, day after day. Read More

History Under Godby Sarah Zes, August 3, 2006
“History under God,” Rushdoony wrote, “rests in total meaning and purpose and gives man a glorious inheritance and destiny.” In this article, Miss Sarah Zes explains how this principle was powefully communicated by the speakers who take the stage at Vision Forum’s recent History of the World Mega-Conference. Read More
Discipleship and Dominion: A Hopeful View of Historyby Tait Zimmerman, August 3, 2006
A proper understanding of the past, present, and future is crucial to laying the foundation for effective dominion-taking and a multi-generational vision. Looking at the past, we are encouraged as we see God’s faithfulness and providential hand towards those who seek after His ways and do His will. In the present, we labor diligently in obedience with the hope that we run not as one beating against the air, but in assurance of future success. Read More

No Missing Linksby Marc Moss, August 3, 2006
As Christians, we are barraged with the incredulity of the world as is marvels that we “still believe” in a universal flood, or the Tower of Babel, or creation according to Genesis instead of Darwinian evolution. When offered the opportunity to express our rationale for our views, we often fall into an emotional defense because we lack a grasp of the Big Picture of a young world history. The History of the World Mega-Conference filled in the missing links. Read More
A Historic Conference on Providential HistoryJuly 28, 2006
They came from Australia and New Zealand and Japan, from Hawaii and Florida, and from Alaska and California to attend Vision Forum Ministries’ History of the World Mega-Conference this month. Nearly one thousand home educators, Christian school students, moms and dads, and children came to hear one dozen scholars present sixty-eight lectures on diverse subjects covering more than six thousand years of earth history. Read More

A Night to Rememberby Bill Potter, April 21, 2006
On April 14, 1912, the R.M.S. Titanic struck an iceberg while traversing the waters of the North Atlantic. The disaster claimed the lives of 1,523 souls. Yet in the midst of the tragedy, men sacrificed their lives so that women and children might live. On April 14, 2006, the Christian Boys’ and Men’s Titanic held their tenth annual Titanic Dinner in honor of these brave men. Read More
Providential Fathers, Victorious Daughtersby Sarah Zes, April 14, 2006
The Lord is turning the hearts of fathers to their daughters and the hearts of girls to their daddies. Nowhere was this more evident than in Pine Mountain, Georgia where nearly five hundred fathers and daughters gathered for Vision Forum Ministries’ 2006 Father and Daughter Retreat. Read More

A Retrospective on 2005, A Vision for 2006by Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., December 22, 2005
In 2005, the Vision Forum team collectively traveled more than a quarter of a million miles around the world. Read Doug Phillips’ retrospective on 2005 along with the outreach plans that Vision Forum Ministries has put before the Lord for 2006. Read More
Remembering 2004by Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., December 14, 2004
Vision Forum Ministries remembers the blessing of the Lord in 2004. Read More

Our American Birthrightby Roy S. Moore, August 20, 2004
One nation under God was their cry and declaration, Upon the law of Nature’s God they built a mighty Nation. For unlike mankind before them who had walked this earthen sod, These men would never question the Sovereignty of God. Read More
Baby William Updateby Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., September 4, 2003
Two years ago I would have never thought to ask God for a special-needs child and the heart-wrenching months of trial and tears after his birth. But now, I would never trade William for ten thousand “normal” babies! Read More

Who Is America’s Sovereign?by The Honorable Howard Phillips, August 20, 2003
Those who framed our great Constitution acknowledged that, as God’s creatures, we must hold the Federal government accountable to us, so that, as God’s stewards, we can be accountable to Him. That is our duty, and the Constitution recognizes the fact of the duty we owe our Creator and provides the means for us to do our duty. Read More
A Glorious Week in New Englandby Hannah Zes, March 13, 2003
What a glorious week it was for me to walk the beautiful autumn-arrayed grounds of New England that had, three and four hundred years prior, been tread by a more noble band of self-sacrificing men and women. Each day I was challenged as I gleaned truth from yourself and the other well-spoken guides, and each day my theology was strengthened, my love for history increased, and I departed with a greater desire to know more. Read More

Home School Mission to JapanApril 4, 2001
In March 2001, Doug Phillips joined CHEA of Japan as keynote speaker for the first-ever national Christian home school evangelism tour in the 1,600-year history of the nation. Joined by his wife and two sons, Doug preached a message of family revival, the blessing and necessity of home education, and the turning of the hearts of fathers to their families. Read More