First Baptist Covington is hosting a conference Sunday and Monday featuring Dr. Terry Mortenson, who gained fame challenging the premise that evolution is valid as science.

His Christian organization in Kentucky is named Answers in Genesis and houses the 70,000 square foot Creation Museum where literal Biblical interpretation is showcased. Enormous dinosaurs roam next to the Garden of Eden’s rivers and the Noah’s Ark replica has a soundtrack of thunderstorms and flood waters lapping.

Yet Mortenson’s beliefs may hold some provocative surprises for creationism supporters as well as skeptics. His undergraduate degree in math is from the University of Minnesota. His Ph.D. in the history of geology is from England’s University of Coventry.

"I don’t believe creationism should be taught in schools," he said in a phone interview. "If they don’t believe in creationism, teachers who are evolutionists probably wouldn’t do a good job of presenting it anyway."

He said his organization wants teachers with doubts about the theory of evolution to be allowed to discuss flaws in the theory in class. "If a student told me he wanted to present his data showing two plus two equals five, I wouldn’t call the ACLU and threaten to sue," he said. "I would let him talk then I would discuss mistakes in his data and problems with his reasoning."

The Answers in Genesis website posts Mortenson’s jammed travel schedule. Yet he candidly describes how the majority of Christians regard creationism. "Most Christians have not even thought of this issue," he said bluntly. "Some accept the Big Bang theory but no Darwin’s theory."

The latter approach is unacceptable to Mortenson. And he said there will be time during his evening speaking engagements for attendees to question him.

He will speak at First Baptist during this Sunday’s services at 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. and again that evening at 5 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. He will speak on Monday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. and again at 7:20 p.m.