Here’s an update for anyone interested in the outcome of the meeting I had with the trip organizer:
He was a YECist as I suspected, but more of the lean-that-way-after-hearing-the-elevator-pitch variety than the hardcore literal-is-the-only-valid-interpretation variety. He was very open to my perspective and asked a lot of questions about my opposition to YEC. After some lengthy introductions, we touched on the merits of YEC vs old-earth science and how the church might provide a vehicle for education of at least the church leaders if not an offering of something the general congregation can participate in.
I did actually find out yesterday that the tour company has direct ties to AiG, so I gave the trip organizer several examples from the AiG website showing their dismissive, condescending, legalistic attitude toward Christians that disagree with them. The tour company’s website is fairly innocuous in comparison, but they do claim their tour presents a “biblical creation perspective,” as if the Bible can only be interpreted in the YEC way. I object to that terminology, but I didn’t find anything mean-spirited like on the AiG site.
In the end I reiterated that my request was two-fold: 1) that the church leaders hear out a science-based Christian viewpoint, and 2) that they reexamine their implicit connection to AiG by way of encouraging the patronizing of the tour company (as a response to some concerns in this thread, I verified that the church/tour relationship consists solely of advertisement of the church’s trip series on the church’s own website, nothing directly financial in nature).
The trip organizer is going to take my concerns to the head pastor and we’ll see what happens from there. Thanks to all who chimed in. I’m really glad I posted here! It was very helpful.
Edit: “other Christians” => “Christians that disagree with them”