About Us

IABC helps people stand on their own two feet as

1. responsible readers of biblical texts,
2. effective builders of families,
3. vibrant leaders in churches,
4. and contributing members of society.  

We promote responsible, contextual, and conversational readings of biblical texts in the following ways:  (1) LIVE online classes and recordings of classes; (2) our main website with information and pathways to various programs; (3) our blog outreach; (4) our books; and (5) our YouTube channel.

Under the leadership of Dr. Gary D. Collier, we have communally developed the PROBE approach for reading biblical texts. Our goal is to engage biblical authors (through their texts) in conversation through active listening. We pursue an active and ongoing conversation with God, and we seek to impact how people around the world engage biblical texts. 

Our contact form is open to all for questions or feedback about our programs, content, or efforts.   

A Personal Statement from
Gary D. Collier

Director of IABC
I sent the following to the IABC community
in an email on 12/23/2020.

We are—all of us together at IABC—engaged in a marvelous and unique experiment:  in our case specifically, to allow God’s wonderful spirit to empower us to impact people near to us and far with the good news of Jesus Christ through ongoing responsible, contextual, and conversational encounters with our ancient scriptures.

We live in a world that has always been and is still obviously bent on strife and conflict and on living in the dark, pressing an agenda that is increasingly against the faith we hold dear; and it seems clear that many in our churches are content with vapid renditions of “life in the Word,” apathetic about any kind of depth or understanding.

With this statement, we do not champion any kind of notion of elitism or arrogance about biblical texts; we press, instead, that our ancient texts are worthy of being considered—seriously—in the terms they present themselves, and not at all in the amuletic, lamp-rubbing ways so many seem to have adopted in our time.

Socrates is said to have uttered at his trial, that “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  I think it is appropriate to adapt the statement as follows:

“The unexamined Scriptures are not worth keeping.”

We are on a quest, you and I and all of us together. I thank you sincerely for being part of it, for supporting it, and for engaging in it.

Faith Statement

We promote responsible, contextual, and conversational Bible Study in a healthy environment of supportive engagement.

• Above all, we honor Christ as LORD.
• We hold ancient biblical texts to be precious and sacred, worthy of our best focus and highest attention.
• We approach the study of biblical texts energetically, while aiming at faithful interaction with intellectual integrity. 
• We are Christians from all over North America, Canada, and Europe serving, teaching, and leading in many different churches.
• We are not a church or traditional school, and we are not associated with any particular academic institution, church, denomination, or other para-church organization. 

There are many "statements of faith" by Christians around the world, against which we bring no quarrel, save those which speak well of the ancient texts in all the right words, and list all the right doctrines, but which act in ways of neglect or abuse of them all.

Our "Expression of Faith" here is intentionally broad, and deliberately focused on the study of ancient biblical texts. As simple and inadequate as this may be, it is an offering of faith nonetheless, trusting that our feeble efforts and writings will more fully attest to the joys and longings of our hearts than any traditional list of "right doctrines" can satisfy.