Georgia is a country in the Transcaucasia region. It is an intercontinental country, the most part of which is in Asia, and a part is in Europe. Georgia borders to RussGeorgia is a country in the Transcaucasia region. It is an intercontinental country, the most part of which is in Asia, and a part is in Europe. Georgia borders to Russia on the north, Turkey and Armenia on the south, Black Sea on the west and Azerbaijan on the southwest. The capital city is Tbilisi. The population is 4.483.800.

Georgia is a Christian country. Christianity was established in 326 AD in Georgia as the state religion. Georgia was the second country in the world after Armenia, which accepted Christianity as the state religion.

Today 88.6% of the population of Georgia is Christian; the majority follows the Georgian Orthodox Church. Around 2% are the followers of the Russian Orthodox Church, 5.9% of the Armenian Apostolic Church and 2% of the Catholic Church.

During the Soviet Union period in Georgia, every religion was prohibited in Georgia, as in other Soviet countries; however there were underground protestant Churches, which functioned that way until the collapse of the Soviet Union.

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, these Churches came out of the underground, only to face a different kind of persecution waiting for them.

Multidenominational and multinational Georgia has acquired great historical experience of tolerant coexistence of different ethnic and religious groups. It seemed that in such a country, intolerance toward a faith would be impossible, but the situation was not so easy. Despite the fact that the government acknowledges freedom of conscience and equality of the minorities, the influence of the dominant religion on public opinion and even on several deputies of the parliament is quite tangible. Insults toward the Protestants have almost become “a creed of faith” for those who tried to prove their ‘patriotism and devotion toward the homeland’. However, from the point of view of the law according to the Constitution each religious organization is eligible to be registered, to conduct their worship services freely, to spread their views unrestrictedly, whereas up to 2003 many times there were attacks on the Protestant Christians and calls to expel them from the country. There were assaults on the Pentecostals, Baptists, the Seventh Day’s Adventists and others; their religious literature was burned.

Police was blaming the victims in breach of public order; they were dismissed from their jobs for any reason, which could serve a slightest basis for it. In the reports of the US Department of State on Religious freedoms, many times concerns were expressed about this situation.

The situation changed after the Rose Revolution. Many extremist groups were neutralized; some people who had organized mass disorders were arrested. The Religious Council under the Human Rights Defense Office was enlarged, and set to work actively. For the first time unbiased information was published about history and activities of religious minorities; the question of teaching religion as a school subject was proposed for discussion so that the rights of the children of the Orthodox Christians were not violated. However, oftentimes the society is very intolerant toward the Protestants. They do not consider them as full members of the community and as real patriots.

Despite of all this, today Protestant Movement is thriving in Georgia, and each day more people come to Jesus Christ.

Recently the Parliament of Georgia amended several laws in the Civil Code, which allow any religious organization that has official status in any of the EU countries to acquire legal status in Georgia.

ia on the north, Turkey and Armenia on the south, Black Sea on the west and Azerbaijan on the southwest. The capital city is Tbilisi. The population is 4.483.800.

Georgia is a Christian country. Christianity was established in 326 AD in Georgia as the state religion. Georgia was the second country in the world after Armenia, which accepted Christianity as the state religion.

Today 88.6% of the population of Georgia is Christian; the majority follows the Georgian Orthodox Church. Around 2% are the followers of the Russian Orthodox Church, 5.9% of the Armenian Apostolic Church and 2% of the Catholic Church.

During the Soviet Union period in Georgia, every religion was prohibited in Georgia, as in other Soviet countries; however there were underground protestant Churches, which functioned that way until the collapse of the Soviet Union.

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, these Churches came out of the underground, only to face a different kind of persecution waiting for them.

Multidenominational and multinational Georgia has acquired great historical experience of tolerant coexistence of different ethnic and religious groups. It seemed that in such a country, intolerance toward a faith would be impossible, but the situation was not so easy. Despite the fact that the government acknowledges freedom of conscience and equality of the minorities, the influence of the dominant religion on public opinion and even on several deputies of the parliament is quite tangible. Insults toward the Protestants have almost become “a creed of faith” for those who tried to prove their ‘patriotism and devotion toward the homeland’. However, from the point of view of the law according to the Constitution each religious organization is eligible to be registered, to conduct their worship services freely, to spread their views unrestrictedly, whereas up to 2003 many times there were attacks on the Protestant Christians and calls to expel them from the country. There were assaults on the Pentecostals, Baptists, the Seventh Day’s Adventists and others; their religious literature was burned.

Police was blaming the victims in breach of public order; they were dismissed from their jobs for any reason, which could serve a slightest basis for it. In the reports of the US Department of State on Religious freedoms, many times concerns were expressed about this situation.

The situation changed after the Rose Revolution. Many extremist groups were neutralized; some people who had organized mass disorders were arrested. The Religious Council under the Human Rights Defense Office was enlarged, and set to work actively. For the first time unbiased information was published about history and activities of religious minorities; the question of teaching religion as a school subject was proposed for discussion so that the rights of the children of the Orthodox Christians were not violated. However, oftentimes the society is very intolerant toward the Protestants. They do not consider them as full members of the community and as real patriots.

Despite of all this, today Protestant Movement is thriving in Georgia, and each day more people come to Jesus Christ.

Recently the Parliament of Georgia amended several laws in the Civil Code, which allow any religious organization that has official status in any of the EU countries to acquire legal status in Georgia.