Ilia Osephashvili was born on March 28, 1968, in Kvareli, Kakheti Region, Georgian SSR. Osephashvili is happily married with three daughters and one son. In his free time, he enjoys playing the drums and writing for his blog. He is a Bishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia. He is notable for his work on interfaith dialogue and human rights awareness for various groups through the EBC Georgia.

Education

He studied German language and literature at Tbilisi State University in Georgia between 1989 and 1994 and received a degree as a teacher of German language and literature. In 2006, Osephashvili received a certificate from the International Theological School for Ministers and Counselors. In 2011, he received a Master’s in Theology from Ilya State University in Georgia.

Work with the EBCG

Osephashvili first entered the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia in 1989 when he was told a story regarding the Gospel of John. Before this, he had no formal experience with religion due to its repression during the Soviet regime. He remarks that this experience introduced the Gospel to him as something that happened with real people, not just a story. Osephashvili was baptized by the church in late 1989. In 1991, he gained a position within the church as a missionary, teaching three days a week in local villages near Tbilisi. Following his first meeting with Archbishop Malkhaz Songulashvili of the EBC Georgia in 1999, Osephashvili began to devote himself to interfaith dialogue between Christians, Jews, Muslims, and various minority religions in the region. In addition, he commenced his work by organizing several events for human rights awareness for the Church.

By 2002, Osephashvili completed his missionary work and was assigned to Gori, Georgia where he was ordained as a deacon. In 2007, he was ordained as a priest and in 2008, was Consecrated as a bishop at the Peace Cathedral. Since then, he has sought to spread God’s message, fight for the dignity of all peoples, and assist in interfaith dialogue.