Norm Geisler’s son wants to spread father’s legacy with 2020 film, new resources
The son of prolific author and apologist Norman Geisler hopes to continue to spread his work and legacy through a new film, translations of his books and other new resources.
David Geisler, president of Norm Geisler International Ministries and adjunct professor of Apologetics and Evangelism at Southern Evangelical Seminary, previously announced the upcoming film “Norm Geisler Not Qualified” last month.
As part of a tribute to his father, who passed away in July at age 86, Geisler told those gathered at the 26th annual National Conference on Christian Apologetics in Charlotte, North Carolina, about the film.
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Geisler provided The Christian Post with new details about the movie, including that the scheduled premiere event will be June 14 at Calvary Church of Charlotte. Calvary Church was the home church of his parents.
“That’s a Sunday night and we’re going to invite all the Christian lay and ministry leaders from all over Charlotte to come. There will be a red carpet kind of thing,” said Geisler.
From there, Geisler hopes to multiply the audience for the film to include several host churches based throughout the United States.
“Our strategy is to host the movie and then have that host church invite the churches in that area to come,” he explained. “People can contact us if they’re interested in hosting in a certain area of the U.S.”
“We’re going to use the movie to talk about my father’s debates, we’re going to talk about some of the things he’s taught.”
Geisler viewed the movie as “a hook” for providing other resources, including a work book based off of his father’s materials and possibly a follow-up documentary in the near future.
NGIM was also looking into translating many of his father’s most notable books into languages, especially Spanish, Chinese and Arabic, according to Geisler.
“God wanted to use this as a vehicle to have a greater impact on the Body of Christ,” said Geisler. “To build stronger foundations for the church and secondly, to better equip the church to reach the lost in our generation because we live in a post-Christian world.”
“It became clear to me that God wanted this movie to be more than just a documentary to talk about the great things my father did in the 70s, 80s and 90s.”
‘An amazing legacy’
Author of more than 100 books who frequently engaged in debates over issues like evolution, the existence of God, and sexual ethics, Norman Geisler passed away weeks shy of his 87th birthday and about two months after he retired from teaching at SES.
Norm Geisler was active in Christian apologetics and teaching, having helped to co-found Southern Evangelical Seminary as well as Norm Geisler International Ministries.
“He has left behind an amazing legacy that will continue to have a ripple effect for many years to come,” stated the Norman Geisler Ministry Page on Facebook in July.
David Geisler told CP that he remembered attending his father’s debates, calling him a “great communicator” who would amaze debate audiences with his abilities.
“I never prayed for my dad’s success when my dad debated someone. I would just pray that God would have mercy on his opponent,” commented Geisler.
Months after his father’s passing, Geisler explained that it has been a “really sobering” time for him, calling it “an emotional rollercoaster for me.”
“It’s been really rough because he and I used to travel together and speak. It was really sobering even before Ravi [Zacharias] said it to me at the funeral — ‘they’ll never be another Norm Geisler.’”
“I feel quite a bit of responsibility in ways that I’ve never felt before and I was very happy just to live in quiet isolation and do everything I can to promote my dad, but God seems to have other plans for my life now.”
Zacharias' comment has stayed with him, with Geisler explaining that it led him to wonder, “if that is true, that there’s never going to be another Norm Geisler, what is it that I can do that will help make sure that what he did in his life is extended long after people forget his name?”
“I feel like that’s my role,” he said regarding efforts like the 2020 film and having his father’s work translated into more languages.
He explained that in his ministry, he talks about “the difference between a designed life and a directed life.”
“God has designed me in certain areas in terms of evangelism and then I’ve been trained in apologetics,” he said.
“But also God is directing me to combine my father, combine [my mentor] Edmund Chan, and my materials in a way that hopefully will benefit the Body of Christ.”
