Wine, horses and mountains: that is how we were first introduced to the country of Georgia. Not to be confused with the American state, Georgia is a small country of 3.5 million, that sits on the very eastern fringes of Europe, between the Black Sea and magnificent Caucasus Mountains.
A third of Georgia’s population live in the capital, Tbilisi. With a long and proud history, Georgia claims to be the country that invented wine 8,000 years ago, and the third country to adopt Christianity as a national religion in 337AD. Orthodox Christianity is fundamental to Georgian identity. The Georgian culture is extremely social, and revolves around food and wine with regular feasts. People are welcoming and very hospitable.
“A visitor is a gift from God”
– Georgian proverb
Geography
Georgians are no strangers to war, having been invaded from every side, by the likes of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the Ottomans and the Persians. Most recently, Georgia was part of the Soviet Union, gaining independence in 1991. Despite this, they have clung tightly to their cultural identity. What’s more, through centuries of persecutions and martyrdoms in attempts to convert them, they have stood firm in their Christian heritage.
Religion
The Orthodox Church in Georgia makes up 80% of the population. So why do they need mission workers? The sad truth is that, by and large, the Orthodox Church does not teach the Bible. Church services focus on the Divine Liturgy, which contains some scripture, but is read in Ancient Georgian (a bit like us hearing a service in Latin). Many Orthodox Christians are actively discouraged from reading the Bible for themselves. Most will visit a church occasionally, but only to light a candle, pray and kiss icons. In practice, this means Orthodox Christians are unlikely to hear the gospel in a language they understand. There is a small, faithful evangelical church, but it is shrinking by 0.6% every year.
Evangelism is difficult
Within the last 20 years, violent persecution of evangelicals has changed to a subtle marginalization. To reject Orthodoxy is seen by many as a rejection of Georgian identity, and people will be shunned by friends and family.
The church is lacking trained teachers
When the Russians were in power, they closed every theological training institute in the country. To this day, theological training is hard to find, even within the evangelical church. As a result, false teachers have led people astray.
Change in the air
Having recently been accepted as a European Union candidate, public sentiment is strongly pro-Europe. In Tbilisi there is a sense of discontentment with the government and the Orthodox Church. Many young people feel that both are manipulated by Russia, which invaded Georgia most recently in 2008. 2024 has seen protests on the streets of Tbilisi against a new law, which is perceived to bear Russian fingerprints. While the future is uncertain, it feels as though many are searching for the hope only the gospel can bring.
Please pray that …
- those who are disillusioned with the Orthodox Church would find Jesus in the words of the Bible.
- the evangelical church would be bold to evangelise the lost, even in the face of rejection and shame.
- God would raise up trained leaders in the churches, to feed the sheep of God, and guard them from falsehood.
Georgia is …
1.39% evangelical
9.7% non-religious
9.4% Muslim
80.4% Orthodox
(<1% Other)
3.5 million people
proud of her history and culture
a country of mountains with 2,672 prominent peaks
Joseph Stalin’s birthplace – in a little town called Gori. You can still visit the house in which he spent his early childhood.
and Georgia claims the invention of wine.
“What you give away is yours, what you don’t is lost.”
– a quote from Shota Rustaveli, the most famous Georgian poet
Words: Luke and Claudette, who are language-learning in Georgia