As a former "employee" of CSE and DAL, I would like to offer a word of caution. Presently, I believe the material of the creation account and have studied the material that was compiled by Kent Hovind. Our world needs to see the scientific evidence and discoveries that support the creation event. There are several ministries that are functioning in the United States that staff incredibly intelligent men and women who have the credentials and academic qualifications to explain and teach this awesome material. As of this moment, I know that Answers in Genesis, The Institute for Creation Research, and the works of Dennis Peterson are all Non Profit Organizations. I personally watched as several people were saved by the work of CSE and DAL. Yet, I and all other staff members who moved to Pensacola to work for CSE or DAL were told something thatwas not true. The “ministry” of CSE never existed because the entire organization was not connected, structered, or accountable to any type of religious qualifications provided by scripture or government classification. It was a for profit business and no “ministry” existed. After observing all the legal entanglements Kent had with the county, city, and the IRS, it was evident there was a hidden enigma unbeknown to us all. I personally offered Kent ideas, programs, and organizational material that would fix the "so called" problems and legal entanglements...and I was adamantly refused.
I will not go into detail at this moment to expound on all the deceptive and blatant lies that were used by the family to maintain their incredible amount of monthly financial support. I will simply sum up the end results of Kent’s work with a deciphering of the hidden enigma. In September of 1996, Kent and Jo formulated an Unincorporated Business Trust (UBT) with Capital Units (financial value stocks) which they each owned 100%. No one knew this UBTO existed except for Kent Andrew, Marlissa, and Eric. I did not know this until I discovered the manual that was left on the table by Glenn Stole the ministry's attorney just days before Kent and Jo were arrested. Upon my discovery of it, I told Kent that he had decieved us all and told him I would be moving my family back to Tennessee the following day. Four days later, the IRS arrested him and Jo.
This financial trust would be split at 33% among the children in the event of their death. If you have supported Kent over the years you have heard him expound on how he owned nothing nor did he have an income. He would say that the “ministry” paid for all of his expenses and needs. I also believed this even when we were seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars of support money coming into the ministry. The enigma started to unravel for me as I watched Hurricane Ivan almost destroy Pensacola in 2004 and watched the Hovind children use the park equipment to clean up residential yards for an alarming fee. While they were “gouging” the people (making $1000 dollars a day) for money who had trees blown over their drive ways and lying on their houses, the park workers were having to use their own personal money to purchase equipment to clean the “ministry” property so the DAL park could be reopened to the public. While the park workers were without electricity for eight days the Hovind children sat and ate popsicles in the air-conditioning that was powered by the generator donated to run the “ministry”.
The end result of this kind of deception results in loss of respect for the things of God. Especially to those of us who were there for the “right” reasons. Eric Hovind has now formulated a NPO and has found acceptance from many ministry venues that will use and promote him and the creation material. Yet, the enigma continues. His ministry is still built on the financial assets he seized from his fathers “deceptive” gain. I addressed Eric and some of his deception while I was serving on staff of CSE. The money that was given to further the “ministry” was used to build the children’s houses, renovate the children’s homes, and purchase more “property” for the family. I will petition you to find one former employee of CSE or DAL that will not support these statements. To sum up the end of this information…You can forgive a man for kicking your dog or scratching the paint job on your new truck, but when he says or does something to hurt your bride…you have to take him out! CSE has not been a church based ministry since September 5th of 1996. It is not a church! It can not be and should have never been represented as scriptural ministry. Other than purchasing items from the Creation Store, I would not recommend financially supporting a work that does not publish an apology or seek to correct the problems it cause to those who worked so hard to make it the successful work it became. My personal interest in this information results in the life of my 18 year old son who heard the lies with his own ears, saw the deception with his own eyes, and suffered from the financial meltdown. He is sick of church and the men who abuse it. If you feel that I am being too critical of the events that have influenced my family you may want to stop and consider the verses of scripture concerning the judgment on those who offend a young believer and realize that "owner" of CSE and DAL is guilty.
