Through my blog on the Back to God Ministries International’s Russian website, I can directly engage people in conversations about faith and challenge them spiritually. But it’s crucial to speak to them in their language.
Open dialogue—as opposed to a religious monologue—is more effective. Whenever I write my blog, I seek a reaction from my readers to establish a conversation. Then I can witness to them about Christ.
My own journey to faith helps me understand the struggles others have. I was born in 1974. My parents were not believers. They took me to Africa, where they served as Soviet diplomats. I was exposed to different cultures, but I didn’t know much about Christianity.
I was drafted at age 19 to compulsory military service. At that time, bloody interethnic conflicts were ravaging areas on the outskirts of the former Soviet Union. We were worried that we’d be dispatched to fight in one of them.
Feeling helpless, I tried praying for the first time in my life.
After my two-year military service, I started seriously searching for God. It turned out a high school friend had become a Christian and told me about salvation in Christ. I wasn’t ready to make a commitment yet.
But I kept reading the Bible I still have today. Then I started attending a youth group run by a local evangelical church. After countless discussions about faith and life, my new friends arranged for me to meet with the minister of their church.
From that meeting, I decided to devote my life to Jesus Christ. Soon I was baptized and joined the church.
With a background in journalism, I started writing the blog On Faith and Culture in 2009 for the Russian outreach of BTGMI. Every month, more than 5,000 individuals log on and learn about salvation this way.
I write for the Website kbogu.ru. I’m thankful there are so many possibilities today for witnessing about Christ through Russian media outlets. n
—Igor Popov is a Russian author who blogs for BTGMI.
About the Author
Igor Popov is a Russian author who blogs for BTGMI.
