More than a year ago, the International Biblical Apologetics Association (IBAA), led by Igal German, joined the list of partners of the Pacific Association. After getting to know this organization more closely, it became clear that cooperation with it can be mutually beneficial. Get acquainted with what Brother Igal shared with O. Avetisova and see for yourself.
A. Please tell us a little about yourself: where and when you were born, how you ended up in Canada, Israel, and America, and where and what kind of education you received.
G. My name is Igal German, and I am a Messianic Jew. I was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, into a Jewish family, and my parents and I immigrated to Israel. I lived there for many years and came to faith in Jesus Christ there. I felt called to be a biblical scholar and a defender of the Gospel. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biblical studies at the University of Haifa (Israel), and then the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to pursue doctoral studies in biblical studies at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, Canada. After completing my PhD, I moved to Chicago, USA, where my family and I serve the Lord in various ministries and opportunities.
A. How and when did you come to the Christian faith?
From my teenage years in Israel, I experienced a deep spiritual hunger to know God and His Word. The Lord Jesus Christ opened my eyes to see the truth of God’s Word in Israel—in a local Israeli Messianic congregation, Beth Hesda, in Haifa—in 2004, and in 2005 I was baptized in water. I love preaching, leading Bible studies, and being involved in youth ministry.
A. You are the founder of the IBAA mission. Why apologetics? What drew you to it?
I did not come to apologetics by accident. Scripture contains a direct call—to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” I have said many times that this is not optional and not a narrow specialization for “a few individuals,” but a direct call from the Lord to the Church. Apologetics is a form of obedience to this call.
At the same time, I clearly saw a serious problem: among believers—especially in Russian-speaking, English-speaking, and Hebrew-speaking contexts—there is an acute lack of reliable apologetic materials that would help to:
- expose heresies and false teachings,
- navigate complex theological issues,
- and defend the biblical faith with clarity and responsibility.
I have spoken directly about this in ministry:
“Apologetics is not about arguments, but about defending the truth and caring for the Church.”
Many pastors and ministers simply do not have access to trustworthy resources. As a result, believers become vulnerable to cults, theological substitutions, and teachings that use biblical language but distort the very essence of Scripture. This leads to confusion, spiritual instability, and departures from the truth.
For me, apologetics is not an academic exercise. It is a practical ministry that helps believers understand what they believe and why, and provides tools for discernment. I emphasized this especially in one of my videos: “If the Church cannot discern truth from falsehood, it becomes defenseless.”
It was precisely this combination of the biblical call to contend for the faith and the real, deep need for trustworthy apologetic resources that led me to devote myself to this ministry and to found the International Biblical Apologetics Association, or Faith Defenders International (Bibleapologist.org).
A. IBAA is both a mission and an association. Why an association?
From the very beginning, IBAA was conceived not only as a mission but specifically as an association, and there were principled reasons for this.
- The international scope of the challenges
The problems believers face today—heresies, cults, theological distortions, confusion in understanding Scripture and the role of Israel—are global in nature. These challenges affect churches in different countries and cultures and require a response that goes beyond a single local ministry. - The need to serve the entire Church, not just locally
IBAA brings together evangelical and Messianic ministers, apologists, and Bible teachers from different countries, because experience, knowledge, and resources should serve the whole Church, not remain within a single project. That is why the ministry was built from the outset as a collaborative platform rather than a “personal endeavor.” - Ministry in different cultural contexts requires the involvement of different ministers
IBAA is an association because we work simultaneously in several cultural and linguistic contexts: Russian-speaking, Hebrew-speaking, and English-speaking. This requires a team approach and cooperation among ministers with different theological and cultural backgrounds.
Thus, IBAA is an association of people and ministries that consciously stand together to equip believers, defend biblical truth, and help the Church respond to modern challenges not individually, but collectively.
A. How and in what ways can the churches of our Association cooperate with you?
Churches and ministries that cooperate with IBAA can participate in the ministry in several practical ways.
- Prayer partnership
We invite churches to pray for the development of apologetic ministry, for the protection of believers from false teachings, for the spread of biblical truth, and for ministers and congregations that are currently under particular spiritual and cultural pressure. - Participation in training
Churches and individual ministers can take part in online courses, seminars, lectures, and conferences on biblical apologetics conducted by IBAA, as well as participate in the training of apologist-ministers in their regions and congregations. - Participation in creating apologetic resources
From the beginning, IBAA has been developing as an association in which ministers and Bible teachers not only use materials but also participate in creating them—developing courses, articles, books, videos, and training programs. This format makes it possible to address real questions faced by churches in different countries and contexts. - Use and distribution of materials in local churches
Churches can use IBAA’s apologetic resources—articles, videos, training materials, and publications—in teaching, small groups, ministries, and counseling work. - Invitation to local cooperation
Churches and associations can invite IBAA representatives to conduct seminars, courses, and training programs in their congregations, unions, and regional formats. - Support of the ministry
Cooperation includes prayer, informational, and financial support of the ministry, which makes it possible to develop resources and expand the work in Russian-speaking, Hebrew-speaking, and English-speaking contexts.
You can ознакомиться with IBAA’s materials on the Russian YouTube channel “Biblical Apologetics IBAA” and the English channel “Faith Defenders International.”
Olga Avetisova
