wfn.org | ABCUSA: Ecumenical Service in Republic of Georgia Celebrates Unity

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

by Eleanor P. Lundy, American Baptist International Ministries

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 3/21/03)--Hundreds of
worshipers thronged the Cathedral Baptist Church in Tbilisi, Republic of
Georgia on March 14 for an ecumenical service, undaunted by a previous mob
attack staged by religious extremists. The president of Georgia, Eduard
Shevardnadze, attended the service along with numerous Christian and state
dignitaries from across Europe.  

Unprecedented security measures were in effect surrounding the Cathedral
Baptist Church (formerly named Central Baptist Church). Some 600 policemen,
along with snipers from the presidential guard stationed on the roofs of
surrounding buildings, protected the entire area. Loudspeakers carried the
service to crowds outside the church, which was filled to overflowing. 

Bishops and leaders of the Georgian Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman
Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran and Evangelical Baptist churches greeted
Shevardnadze and then entered the church in solemn procession. Among many
distinguished guests were ambassadors, university professors, and
representatives from governmental and private organizations in the United
States, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Israel and Romania,
as well as the European Union, the Vatican and the Council of Europe. 

Highlights of the worship service were remarks by Shevardnadze and French
Ambassador Mireille Musso, as well as liturgical dance and singing by a
combined choir of Catholics and Baptists. A letter was read from the Rev.
Dr. Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the World Council of Churches,
expressing support for the inter-church gathering and denouncing criminal
acts of intolerance against minority churches in Georgia. At the end of
service Shevardnadze received an icon representing Jesus Christ, the Prince
of Peace, entering Jerusalem as a gift from the church. "This was a grand
and unforgettable occasion," said the Rev. Malkhaz Songulashvili, pastor of
Cathedral Baptist Church and president of the Georgian Baptist Union. 

A mob led by defrocked ultrafundamentalist Orthodox priest Basil
Mkalavishvili had disrupted a previous attempt to hold such a service, on
Jan. 24. Windows were smashed and some of those gathering for worship were
beaten and robbed in the attack. 

"We believe the Presidential visit to the Cathedral Baptist Church is a
milestone in the development of the religious life of Georgia," said Pastor
Songulashvili, who reiterated his determination to fight for religious
liberty and remain faithful to ecumenical commitments. He expressed thanks
to International Ministries and other partners for their prayers and support
in this struggle. "This worship service at the Cathedral Baptist Church was
a victory which is particularly encouraging in this Lenten period," he said.

The Rev. Dr. Reid S. Trulson, American Baptist International Ministries area
director for Europe and the Middle East, noted that the struggle for
religious liberty has yet to be won in many parts of Europe. "The Baptists
of Georgia are exercising great courage and wisdom as they work for equal
treatment under the law for people of all faiths," he said. "This is at its
heart a spiritual struggle. I urge American Baptists to hold them up in
prayer."  

K/2003ABNS/03ABN45

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA x2077
/ (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org