This is the text of a letter to Creation magazine subscribers that went out in early December, but prepared earlier.

From Philip Bell,* member of Board of Directors, CMI-UK/Europe.

*and formerly speaker and Deputy Chief Executive with Answers in Genesis (UK/Europe)

17 November 2006

Dear friend(s)

You may recall my name, but may not be aware that I resigned from AiG-UK on conscience grounds (in May), along with Rachel Revell (formerly Finance Manager) and Tim Matthews (formerly IT coordinator). I left AiG before the end of June.

Despite our deep concerns over the actions of our former employer, and its associated organisation, AiG-USA, we have so far exercised restraint in order to protect all ministries from any fallout. Writing about such problems is inevitably an ugly business and you may find some of the following upsetting, but, having prayed long and hard about it, we strongly believe it is time to speak out.

Recent public statements in AiG-UK’s Answers Update, and even more serious and misleading ones in letters sent direct to various folk by AiG-UK CEO Monty White, mean that, for the sake of integrity, I am breaking my silence, with Rachel and Tim’s full approval. An additional impetus for this decision is that long-standing attempts by CMI to have a biblical face-to-face meeting with all parties have been formally rejected in a recent letter by AiG-US (along with further innuendo and allegations).

Two detailed responses for UK folk—one is a much more detailed letter from me, the other a point-by-point response to the claims in the Monty White letter—have been prepared so that, if you wish, you may peruse them on the internet (www.CreationOnTheWeb.com/bell).

Some of the points these longer statements address are:

• It is false and misleading to imply that I agreed to help CMI (by being an unpaid UK-resident director for CMI-UK) while still working at AiG. Prior to being told by Monty White to leave the office (26^th June) and to cease all involvement with AiG-UK, the thought of becoming a CMI director had never crossed my mind.
• Our direct knowledge of AiG’s long-in-place plans to produce their own magazine, ultimately to replace Creation magazine. The knowledge that AiG-UK expected Creation subscriptions to wither, while expressing a ‘desire to distribute’.
• Our comments on the alleged ‘Data Protection Act’ excuse for certain actions.
• Our very deep concern over how CMI was treated, particularly re Creation magazine in the USA, and serious intellectual property issues.
• Rachel, Tim and I were not induced to resign by CMI—I had reluctantly resigned from AiG leadership back in February 2006 and resigned fully in early May. We attempted to act with integrity at all times.
• The admirable restraint shown by Dr Carl Wieland and others to this point in time.
• Distressing observations we made of attempts, by senior AiG (US and UK) figures, to undermine CMI by direct attacks on the character of individuals, including very serious innuendo.

If you have been in receipt of information which has cast doubt on the integrity of Creation Ministries International (concerning the way CMI have dealt with this whole sad matter), I would urge you to prayerfully consider what I have written. If you require to read the more detailed information but have no way of accessing the web, please write to our office and we will send you the printouts (enclosing a stamped-addressed return letter would be appreciated, but not necessary).

I and the others involved deeply regret having to go public in this way, but feel, before the Lord, that AiG’s recent misleading public statements give us no choice if we would avoid gross injustice and damage to the reputation of the ministry of CMI. Please pray for all the folk involved in these dark times in which the vital message of the Bible’s truth is more important than ever—as is integrity.

Yours sincerely in Christ

Philip Bell