About Biblical Freedom

In March 2017, Girchi created the Christian, Evangelical, Protestant Church of Georgia, also known as the Church of Biblical Freedom.[55] Its purpose was to use a military conscription loopholes allowing people to evade service if in a religious position. The Church has since then been officially registered with the Ministry of Justice and claims having helped close to 50,000 young men avoid conscription[56] (although the Ministry of Defense has disputed those numbers and estimated 12,000 conscription evaders only[57]). While some have argued that the entity was not a legitimate religion, some its leaders have argued that it falls within the definition of an established religion and holds a concrete faith that can be associated with Christian anarchism. Individuals that seek to be ordained as priests of the Biblical Freedom Church are asked to donate 50 lari to the organization.

Its first "High Priest" was Nikoloz Oboladze. The current Church leader is Levan Jgerenaia ("Levan I").

Despite receiving legal recognition, public authorities have been highly critical of its activities. Former Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze called it a "threat to national security", while Defense and Security Committee chairman Irakli Sesiashvili called its actions "wrong and unjustifiable". As Minister of Defense, Irakli Gharibashvili called the Church a "disaster" and pledged to curtail it.[59] Several opposition groups, including the United National Movement and European Georgia, have backed its existence and the use of the legal loophole.[60] In April 2018, the pro-Russian Alliance of Patriots introduced a bill backed by the majority that would have banned insults to religion and was meant to target Girchi's religious arm.[61] In April 2017, the Agency of Religious Affairs requested a list of personal data of its clergymen, a move that was condemned by civil society.[62] Georgian Dream would eventually pass a bill reforming military conscription by criminalizing evasion through "forms of deception", although the requirements did not directly impact Girchi.[63] In March 2023, the Parliament is considering a bill that would close the religious loophole for conscription, except for members of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

In February 2021, the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church denied communions, baptism, marriage, and funeral rights to those who had been ordained as priests of the Biblical Freedom Church, a move that proved controversial.[64] In 2019, the Girchi organization issued an anathema against then-Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani and Public Development Agency Director Soso Giorgadze for their attempts to close down the church.