Pastor
Zaal Tkeshelashvili

• Pastor Zaal was born on February 6, 1964, in Kutaisi city, Georgia (country).
• The rite of baptism was performed on him in his childhood at St. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Kutaisi.
• In 1980 he finished Kutaisi 41st Pysics-Mathematical Public School named after Andrea Razmadze.
• In 1980 he started his study at I. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Faculty of physics.
• In 1980 he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior in Tbilisi Evangelical-Baptist Church (so called “on Kakhovka”) and was baptised by complete immersion under water according the Bible. The abandonment of Orthodox religion caused him neglection and persecution from his family and society.
• At the University a lecturer in Atheism failed him several times because after questioning him if God really exists, he answered that Bible says He does. It was clear the lecturer had information about him as believer. On that ground he was going to be expelled from University and only after rector’s exclusive personal intervention he was allowed to continue his study.
• Because of his belief he officially refused to be a member of Young Communist League so called Komsomol. As a result he was repressed from the Communist Party committee and Young Communist League.
• In 1985 he graduated from the faculty of physics at I. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University as well as secondary faculty of Journalism of the same University. He was granted a rank of lieutenant as military officer as all able-bodied male students were undergoing training at the Military Faculty (voyennnaya kafedra).
• From 1985 to 1993 he was working at I. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University as nuclear physicist and research-worker, department of cybernetics of Kutaisi University and Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Science (IKI RAN).
• In those years he got actively involved in national liberation movement against Soviet regime.
• He sent an open letter to Dmitry Yazov, The head of Soviet military forces, where he protested Soviet occupation of Georgia and renounced his rank as Soviet military officer. A military order came from Kremlin to take punitive measures against him. The order was partially carried out.
• In 1988 he embraced the doctrine of baptism with the Holy Spirit at the service of a little group that was separated from the Evangelical-Baptist Church. As a result he was compelled to leave the Evangelical-Baptist Church due to doctrinal disagreement with Church leadership.
• Still in Soviet Georgia he founded underground Christian newspaper “Evangelist of Georgia”; also, he was actively working with evangelical mission “Evangelist of Georgia”.

The 1990s

• In 1990 he got in contact with believers of Pentecostal Church.
• He was engaged in part time job in TV Company “Rioni” as journalist.
• He founded a mission “Immanuel”, held conferences and massive evangelical crusades.
He established a publishing house “Immanuel”, was publishing the newspaper “Immanuel” and distributing throughout Georgia for revival among Pentecostal Churches and establishing a new Church communities as well. Later, he launched the magazine “Nugeshismtsemeli” (“The Comforter”).
• He graduates from the Moscow Theological Seminary of “Assambly of God” with Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology and Christian Education.
• He established contacts with international Christian organizations: “Assembly of God“ (USA), “Slavic Mission” (Sweden), “Livets Ord” (Sweden). He hosted them and made the basis for broad mission work in post-Soviet Georgia.
• At Global University (Irving, Texas, USA) he was filmed in Georgian version of documentary “Great Question of Life”.
• He became a correspondent to the magazine “Hope” (Vancouver, Washington, USA).
• In 1996 he started his ministry as a Pastor spreading the Word of God in Tbilisi.
• He was elected to be president of “Association of Evangelical Christians of all Georgia”, the official organization of the Pentecostal Church of Georgia. After a short period of time, due to certain reasons, he declined the position.
• Having disagreement on major issues with ministers of Pentecostal Church he left his position keeping nothing.
• Since 1998 he as a Pastor leads the body of Christ’s followers - the Evangelical Church.

The 2000s

• From 1999 to 2000 he with his wife - Pastor Nino, and friends went through persecutions because of their beliefs by the State and religious criminals. During those attacks he had got several injuries, especially to his one eye.
• From 1999 to 2001 he and his wife had three court processes against police to defend freedom of their belief and expression (lawyer Lia Mukhashavria).
• In 2002 Pastors Zaal and Nino Tkeshelashvili had filed a complaint in the Constitutional Court against the Parliament of Georgia (lawyer Tinatin Khidasheli, GYLA). Their application was partially upheld and the amendments had been made to the law of Georgia “on Assemblies and Manifestations”: “To uphold the application of the claimants to declare as unconstitutional Article 8 para. 5 as well as the provision “the decision there of shall be taken by a competent representative” of Article 14 para. 1 of the Law of Georgia “On Assemblies and Manifestations”. Since then all Georgia benefits from the freedom of speech and expression.
• In 2003 he and his wife with church congregation had another court process after the group of religious fanatics raided the joint Christian prayer meeting. • The facts of Pastors persecution and their struggle for the freedom were included in many reports of international human rights organizations, including twice in reports on religious freedom of US Department of State.
• A documentary about Pastors and the Evangelical church was made by Assembly of God to support believers in Georgia. The film has been seen by many church congregations in USA.
• In 2004 Pastor Zaal in cooperation with World and European Evangelical Alliances took his first steps to form the Evangelical Alliance of Georgia. After several working meetings that were arranged by him a memorandum of cooperation of all Protestant Churches of Georgia had been achieved.
• Since 2004 he has established friendly and close spiritual connections with community of the Christian Churches of Elada (Greece), Bulgaria and Albania.
• Since 2005 the Evangelical Church has been a founder of the Council of Religions under the Public Defender of Georgia.
• In 2006, once again Pastors faced resistance from the State. Because of her orthodox belief the Notary had refused to certify documents required for official registration of the Evangelical Church. Pastors disagreed with personal advice of the chairperson of Notary Chamber of Georgia to find another Notary Public. With the help of Public Defender’s Office, Pastors fought for their rights in legitimate ways and succeeded. That fact had made possible to other Protestant Churches to get their official status without any hindrance.
• In 2008, Pastor Zaal invited lawyers of “Advocates International” from different European countries in Georgia and at the symposium he founded the affiliate organization of “Advocates Europe”.
• From 2010 to 2011 he completed his studies at Faith International Training School in Sayreville (New Jersey, USA) and Haggai International Institute (Maui, Hawaii, USA).
• In 2012 the Evangelical Church of Georgia started to build its own church building by faith. By God’s leading and help, after five years of tireless work the building was completed.
• From 2019 to 2020 a lawsuit full of lies and based on forged documents was filed against Pastor Zaal in Tbilisi City Court. It was an attempt to declare his Pastoral activity illegal and accordingly to prevent church from functioning. Pastor Zaal along with his wife and church congregation won the case in court and this way he retained a status of a minister free from any manipulation and influence.
• To this day, he is a Pastor of Evangelical Church of Georgia spreading the light of God’s word along with his wife, daughter Shorena and friends.

Pastor
Deborah Nino Tkeshelashvili

• Pastor Nino Tkeshelashvili was born on February 12, 1968, in Tbilisi city, Georgia (country).
• In 1985 she finished Vekua Pysics-Mathematical School 42, Tbilisi, Georgia.
• In 1990 she graduated from the faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics at I. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
• From 1991 to 1993 she began working as a graphic designer for the newspapers 7 Dge, Mimomkhilveli, Akhali Taoba.
• In 1992 the rite of baptism was performed on her at St. Nino Orthodox Church in Tbilisi.
• In 1993 she had a spiritual experience with Lord Jesus Christ in her own room at home and became a believer of the Living God.
• In 1993 she was baptized according to the Bible by full immersion under water.
• In 1996 she studied in Mariannelund’s Folkhogskola, InterConnect training course (Mariannelund, Sweden).
• In 1998 she answered God’s calling for her life and bravely started her public preaching and ministry.
• She went through many attacks, insults and rejection from religious circles as a minister, especially as a woman preacher.
• She has been relentlessly discredited for years. At the same time there was ongoing pressure on her husband, Pastor Zaal, because of his support to her as a woman Pastor and preacher.
• Over the years, because of her free and uncompromised preaching, she was getting different types of messages of threats and hatred.
• Since 1999 she has been going through persecutions and judicial proceedings with his husband and the church congregation.
• From 2006 to 2010 she is studying at the International Black See University and earns PHD in Business Administration.
• From 2019 to 2020 once again she has been attacked from religious circles and went through court trial to retain a status of a minister free from any manipulation and influence.
• To this day, he as a Pastor of Evangelical Church of Georgia spreads the light of God’s word along with his husband, daughter Shorena and friends.