Saint Nino Mission is reshaping faith in Georgia, where Orthodox Christianity dominates. The Saint Nino Mission reflects a renewed Episcopal Church in Georgia, and it draws worshipers seeking tradition and openness. Georgia sits between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, and it embraced Christianity early. New figures still guide its story because Saint Nino, a fourth-century evangelist, remains central.
A Woman’s Legacy Shapes National Faith
Tradition says the Apostle Andrew first brought the gospel to Georgia. But Saint Nino, believed to be from Cappadocia, became the nation’s chief Christianizer. Rufinus of Aquileia wrote that she baptized the queen and reached the king while in captivity. Both saw miracles, and she urged Emperor Constantine to send an envoy. Priests then came to teach and serve the Eucharist.
Easter Worship Rises in a Tbilisi Wine Cellar
On Easter Sunday, worshipers filled a former wine cellar-turned-chapel in Tbilisi. They celebrated liturgy at the Episcopal Mission of Saint Nino. Nana Abuladze, a prizewinning writer and scholar, joined the community in July 2024. She came through a personal connection, but she stayed because she felt a sense of unity and neighborly love.
A Young Founder Builds a New Home
Thoma Lipartiani entered the Episcopal Church in 2019 at a convocation in Geneva. He also obtained a license to minister and founded the Tbilisi congregation of about 100 people. In 2018, he started a student-led prayer group that used Anglican liturgy. Raised Roman Catholic, he once served as an acolyte during Pope Francis’ 2016 visit.
Seeking Tradition and Progress Together
Lipartiani said young Georgians wanted answers that their dominant tradition no longer gave. He sought orthodox doctrine, traditional liturgical worship, and progressive social teachings. Zaal Jugeli, a seminary graduate, joined early after feeling sermons found elsewhere leaned towards nationalism and fundamentalism. Abuladze arrived after a film screening, and she chose the Saint Nino Mission for its closeness to Catholic liturgy. Supporters praise the Episcopal Church in Georgia for sacraments, community, and openness, but detractors may question its progressive stance and its challenge to entrenched Orthodox identity.
Seminarian Renews Anglican Witness in the Republic of Georgia
Photo by Mike Swigunski on Unsplash
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