Early Life

Soon after the birth of Malkhaz Songulashvili in 1963, the Soviet Union launched a policy of zero tolerance towards religion. His father, Lado Songulashvili, was an ordained Baptist minister who helped smuggle Christian literature into Georgia during the Soviet times. The State planned to have Malkhaz taken from his family because of his father’s dedication to the Christian faith. However, the family was able to prevent their son being taken away.

As a child, Malkhaz and his siblings refused to join the Communist Youth Organization known as the Komsomol. This made their childhood very difficult. Malkhaz also faced discrimination from teachers for his dedication to his Christian faith. His societal standing was severely limited, which affected his future career options within the Soviet Union.

Malkhaz applied to Tbilisi State University even though it was unlikely that he would be accepted without a letter of recommendation from the Komsomol. Much to his surprise, he was accepted to the University! The school later realized the oversight of no letter of recommendation from the Komsomol. Since two years had passed since this mistake, and due to his excellent performance in the classroom, Malkhaz was permitted to stay.

EDUCATION

Songulashvili’s early education was at the Vakhtang Songulashvili School in Digomi, and continued his studies at Tbilisi State University where he earned a Master’s Degree in History and Pedagogy in 1987. He then attended the Institute of Oriental Studies in Tbilisi where he studied Biblical Hebrew under Dr. Nisan Babalikashvili from 1983 to 1986. In addition, Songulashvili performed doctoral research under Prof. Paul Fiddes and Dr. Paul Freston through the Oxford Centre of Mission Studies and Regent’s Park College, Oxford, England. While at the University in England, Songulashvili studied Old Greek, Old Georgian, Biblical Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, French, and German. In addition, he is fluent in Georgian, English and Russian, and has some ability in several other languages. In 2013 he returned to Tbilisi.

CAREER

After graduating from Tbilisi State University, Songulashvili became a lecturer on Medieval History, History of the Early Church, Later Church History, Old Testament, and Biblical Hebrew at his alma mater until 2006. Since 1993, Songulashvili has lectured at numerous universities around the world including: The University of Amsterdam, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and in the USA, Meredith College, Mars Hill University and Duke University, the University of South Carolina, and Mercer University. As a world-renowned religious scholar, Songulashvili has participated in numerous conferences and retreats worldwide as both liturgical leader and keynote speaker. He was a participant in the 8th and 9th Assemblies of the World Council of Churches as well as the 7th and 8th World Assemblies of the United Bible Societies. In both 1988 and 2005 Songulashvili attended the Baptist World Congress, and in 2010 the Edinburgh Conference.

Songulashvili was the leader of an archaeological group in the Lori Gorge Expedition with the Centre of Archaeological Studies at the Georgian National Academy of Sciences during the first half of the 1980’s. Lori Gorge is in Armenia, on the border with Georgia.

Songulashvili worked as a Bible Translator for the Georgian Orthodox Church from 1986 to 1989 and a Bible Translator for the UBS Representation in Georgia from 1996 to 2001. He also translated C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia in the year 2000. Songulashvili published several religious texts that he translated, such as the Modern Georgian Bible (1989), Revised Version of the Georgian New Testament (1993), a meaning-based translation of the New Testament (2018), and the New Georgian Bible (2001). Songulashvili published his doctoral work through the Baylor University Press titled, “Evangelical Christian Baptists of Georgia: The History and Transformation of a Free Church Tradition”. In 1992 he became the Director of the publishing house “Bibliotheca Cristiana” where he continued to write and translate until 1996.

Songulashvili was Consecrated on November 14th, 1994. He was Principal of the Baptist Theological Seminary from 1992 to 1999. From 2002 to 2006, he served in Tbilisi as Principal of the School of Elijah the Prophet. He also served as Primate of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia from 1994 to 2013. Most notably, Bishop Songulashvili was installed as Archbishop of the EBCG on October 15th in 2005, a position he held until he resigned from his archiepiscopal responsibilities on December 20th of 2013 over disagreements with the Synod of the church. In addition to his role in the EBCG, he served as the Representative of the United Bible Societies in Georgia from 1996 to 2003. He joined the Third order of the Society of St. Francis in 2004 and has been a member ever since.

Malkhaz Songulashvili currently serves as the Metropolitan Bishop of Tbilisi and the Senior Pastor of Peace Cathedral. He focuses on promoting interfaith dialogue. Bishop Songulashvili has served as Director of the Beteli International Humanitarian Association since its founding in 1999 and continues to do so. This organization is a refugee center for the elderly, those fleeing from conflict, and all other marginalized members of society who don’t receive help elsewhere. After stepping down from his position as Archbishop of the EBCG in 2013, Songulashvili has served as a Professor of Comparative Theology at the Ilia Chavchavadze State University where he specializes in Christian, Muslim, and Jewish theology.

FREEDOM, PEACE AND JUSTICE WORK

After the Second Russian Chechen War in 1999 there was a large increase in Chechen refugees surging into Georgia. Malkhaz Songulashvili helped raise almost $300,000 U.S. dollars to aid refugees. Bishop Songulashvili helped the Cathedral Baptist Church (now known as the Peace Cathedral) organize a school for refugee children and provided medical assistance to hundreds of people in need. The arrival of the Chechen refugees is what ultimately inspired the creation of the Beteli Center which is meant to be a home for elderly refugees and provides a place of shelter for those who have no one advocating for them in society. Bishop Songulashvili helped raise money for the Beteli Center and oversaw its creation.

Bishop Songulashvili made it a priority for himself and the Evangelical Christian Baptist Church of Georgia to promote democracy and equality. They promote this message throughout Georgia and the world. He has done this through various causes including the Freedom and Justice Movement in Kiev, Ukraine where he was working alongside Archpriest B. Kobakhidze and Archpriest Z. Tevzadze in 2004 in an attempt to help Ukraine gain free elections are create a parliamentary republic instead of one where the president has most of the power.

In March of 2006 Songulashvili went to Belarus to attend a demonstration that promoted fair and free elections. During the demonstration Bishop Songulashvili along with Archpriest B. Kobakhidze and Mr. L. Gogiashvili were arrested and detained. They technically did nothing illegal though and were therefore deported to Ukraine and were prevented from entering the country again for the next five years instead of being charged with a crime.

After Georgia was invaded by Russian troops in 2008, Songulashvili visited places such as the city of Gori which was under Russian control. He was instrumental in providing aid to those in need. He helped the Gori Baptist Church aid those with no one to turn to; work that continues to this day through the Gori Baptist Church Soup Kitchen and Care Center.

Songulashvili is deeply committed to interfaith dialogue. He delivered a Khutbah-sermon in the North Oxford Mosque in 2012. In 2013 he hosted conversations about Muslim – Christian dialogue in Qom, Iran, meant to further build meaningful relationship between the two communities.

Songulashvili was an early supporter of the Rose Revolution and because of that, faced many attacks such as the burning of Bibles and books (including thousands of copies of books the bishop had written), organized raids on religious minorities and the beating of clergy from non-Orthodox denominations. Baptist clergy, women and children were insulted, and a published list of ‘enemies of Georgia’ included Bishop Songulashvili. Government television channels even called for the physical elimination of Malkhaz Songulashvili. These efforts seemed to have been supported by the state though it cannot be proven. After his arrest along with others, Songulashvili was asked to speak at the trial. He spoke for three hours about Christianity and its values. When asked by the judge what he wished to happen to the accused he said, “I demand that these people be pardoned and released from the prison”. Due to the request that they all be released “the Christian concept of forgiveness received major press coverage”.  Songulashvili wrote that this acted as a major “step in favor of reconciliation between Baptists and Orthodoxy”.

May 17th is the International Day against Homophobia and on that day in 20??? there was meant to be a thirty-minute-long silent protest in Tbilisi to stand against homophobia in Georgia. Instead, thousands of counter-protesters were organized. What was meant to be a short, peaceful protest devolved into angry and violent demonstrations that shook the world. Two days before the violence broke out Songulashvili issued a statement which said, “When a person’s value is degraded and insulted because of his or her sexual orientation, whether directly or indirectly, it is the most holy duty of every citizen and of every religious person to stand up for justice and the equality of minorities who are wronged and belittled”.

THE PEACE PROJECT

In response to rising Islamophobia, Anti Semitism and xenophobia, Songulashvili introduced the
Peace Project, which brought into being the Peace Mosque, Peace Synagogue and Peace Place,
all under the same roof. The project is meant to demonstrate in a tangible way, a deep
commitment to interfaith peace. The Peace Project was completed and inaugurated in 2022-
2023 in partnership with the “House of One (Berlin) and numerous Jewish, Muslim and Christian
friends of the Peace Cathedral”, Thus the Peace Cathedral became a unique place of religious
peace and inclusion.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

At the award ceremony to honor Bishop Songulashvili as the first recipient of the House of One Peace Award, the former President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Christian Wulff lauded Songulashvili by saying: ” We honor Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili for his tireless, courageous commitment to tolerance and dialogue. We are honoring a special person with outstanding services to humanity, fraternity and the dignity of every human being… He takes unpopular positions on equality for women and oppressed minorities”.

In response to rising Islamophobia, Anti Semitism and xenophobia Songulashvili introduced the Peace Project, which brought into being the Peace Mosque, Peace Synagogue and Peace Place, all under the same roof. The project was meant to demonstrate a tangible way, a deep commitment to interfaith peace. The Peace Project was completed and inaugurated in 2022-2023 in partnership with the “House of One (Berlin) and numerous Jewish, Muslim and Christian friends of the Peace Cathedral”, Thus the Peace Cathedral became a unique place of religious peace and inclusion.

Songulashvili has been recognized throughout the world by religious and secular organizations for his work for peace. Some of the notable awards are:

Golden Cross by Patriarch Bartholomew, Istanbul, 1993
Ecumenical Canon of Norwich Cathedral, Norwich, 2005
Ecumenical Canon of Wakefield Cathedral, Wakefield, 2006
Lambeth Cross by Archbishop of Canterbury, London, 2006
Order of St George by Patriarch Philaret of Kiev and All-Ukraine, Kiev, 2008
Order of Christ the Saviour by Patriarch Philaret of Kiev and All-Ukraine, Kiev, 2011
Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi by the Mayor of Tbilisi, Tbilisi, 2013
Order of St Nicolas by the President of Georgia, Tbilisi, 2013

Pro Fide 2014 Award by the Friends of Martyred Church, Helsinki, 2014
Shahbes Bhati Freedom Award by the First Step Forum, Berlin, 2015
Ambassador of the House of One, Berlin 2016
Guardian of Tolerance Award by the Public Defender’s Office, Tbilisi, 2017
The Equality Award, Tbilisi, 2019
House of One Peace Award, Berlin 2023

Songulashvili continues his work for equality and democracy in Georgia. He participated in the protest the repressive “Russia law”, along with tens of thousands of citizens of Georgia. He travels all over the world speaking for the cause of peace. Songulashvili is recognized as not only a Christian Scholar, but for his extensive knowledge of and respect for other faiths and his ability to teach about their similarities and differences. He continues his work at the Peace Project as it evolves and grows. Songulashvili has hosted countless numbers of visitors as the Peace Project attracted and gained the support of individuals and organizations throughout the world. The site has been visited by the last three United States Ambassadors to Georgia, the German Ambassador to Georgia, the Archbishop of Canterbury, clergy and scholars from all over the world. Visitors from churches, students from many universities.