Francis Collins: A Good and Faithful Servant
BioLogos congratulates Dr. Francis Collins for his incredible service at the National Institutes of Health!
BioLogos congratulates Dr. Francis Collins for his incredible service at the National Institutes of Health! Francis has announced that he will be stepping down from his role as Director, an appointment he has held since 2009 through multiple administrations.
The accolades are pouring in from all directions, naming his incredible scientific accomplishments, from the Human Genome project to the COVID vaccines.
Many also mention his character and his Christian faith. He is known throughout Washington for the integrity, service, and humility that he brings to his work. He is also known for his warm friendship and guitar playing (see Francis Collins and theologian N.T. Wright sing “Genesis).
Since telling his story of coming to Christ in his 2006 book Language of God, he has become known for embodying the possibility of harmony between world-class science with Christ-centered faith. He went on to win the prestigious Templeton Prize for science and religion in 2020.
Ultimately, Francis’ greatest legacy will be the lives he has changed (as I said in my video tribute last year). His early scientific discoveries alone have had an incredible impact. Just last week, I had dinner with a man whose wife is taking medication for cystic fibrosis, medication based on Francis’ research. He said “because of Francis Collins, I will have decades more of marriage with my wife, and we are able to have children.” They are expecting twins in a few months, a boy and a girl.
In 2009, Francis Collins founded BioLogos to be a place to address the questions of the next generation on science and faith, particularly young people in a crisis of faith over science. Today, science is still one of the top reasons that young people leave the church, whether the issue is evolution, vaccines, or climate. But today, BioLogos is here. Over 2 million people a year visit the website, listen to our podcast, attend our events, and use our high school curriculum. Our Common Question “Should Christians get vaccinated?” is a top search result in Google and has been viewed by over 250,000 people.
Our Insights videos tell the story of Francis Collins and others who have struggled with science and faith; young people can see that they are not alone. One person recently wrote to us “I went through this exact faith crisis in college, and I’m walking through it with a couple of my friends now. Love what you guys do at BioLogos.”
Francis Collins’ story, and the work he launched at BioLogos, continue to inspire authentic faith for today.
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At BioLogos, “gracious dialogue” means demonstrating the grace of Christ as we dialogue together about the tough issues of science and faith.
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