John Whitcomb

John Whitcomb

4 Sermons
John Clement Whitcomb Jr. (1924–2020) was an American preacher, theologian, and a leading figure in the modern young Earth creationist movement, whose ministry blended biblical exposition with a staunch defense of scriptural inerrancy. Born on June 22, 1924, in Washington, D.C., to John Clement Whitcomb, an army officer, and Salome Josephine Fuller, he spent his early years in northern China (1927–1930) before attending The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His education at Princeton University, where he earned a BA in ancient and European history with honors in 1948, was interrupted by World War II service in Europe (1944–1946), including the Battle of the Bulge. Converted to evangelical Christianity in 1943 at Princeton through Donald B. Fullerton’s ministry, he pursued theological studies at Grace Theological Seminary, earning a BD in 1951, and later taught Old Testament there from 1951 to 1990. Married twice—first to Edisene Hanson in 1953 (died 1970), with whom he had four children, then to Norma Pritchett in 1971, adding two stepchildren—he blended family life with his calling. Whitcomb’s preaching career gained prominence through his co-authorship of The Genesis Flood (1961) with Henry M. Morris, a seminal work that catalyzed the modern creationist movement by defending a literal six-day creation and global flood, influencing countless conservative Christians. He preached widely, emphasizing biblical creationism, dispensational theology, and premillennial eschatology, serving as a speaker for Answers in Genesis and president emeritus of Whitcomb Ministries, which he founded with Norma after his 1990 dismissal from Grace Seminary amid theological disputes. Author of over 20 books, including commentaries on Esther and Daniel, and host of the radio program Encounter God’s Truth, he died on February 5, 2020, in Indianapolis, leaving a legacy as a preacher whose rigorous scholarship and fervent faith reshaped evangelical engagement with Genesis.
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