Category Archives: Armenian

AEWC, Armenian, Church, Uncategorized

Happy Birthday Armenian Evangelical Church

All of us who are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses… let us run with perseverance in the career that is open to us. Hebrews 12:1

Rev. Joël Mikaélian

At the time of writing, new parliamentary elections have just taken place in Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan’s party has won the majority of seats in the National Assembly. We congratulate him and pray that God will grant him the wisdom to govern the country. In recent months, our people have gone through a lot of difficulties. They were forced to an unjust peace, to the abandonment of part of their lands in Artsakh, despite the heroic resistance of our army. Many lost their lives, others were injured for life. We must honor these heroes and pray for them and their families. We must pray also for a just solution so that our people can live in peace on their land. The history of mankind is made up of a succession of glorious pages, and others more painful. But we believe that our people will know other glorious pages.

If this is the case with the history of men, it is not so with the history of God. The history of God is certainly inscribed in this time, but also and above all in eternity. It has no end. Heroes of faith, women and men of faith, have been writing the pages of it for thousands of years (cf. Hebrews 11).

For more than 17 centuries, the Armenian Church, with all its heroes of faith, has entered this history. It has enriched it with its faith and piety, together with many other churches.

The Armenian Evangelical Church became part of this history 175 years ago. She was born in Constantinople (today’s Istanbul) on July 1, 1846, following a desire for reform within the Armenian Apostolic Church. Since that date, it has not ceased to develop and to contribute to the good of our people, through its piety, its educational and social works. After the Genocide of 1915, she has spread and developed all over the world, without forgetting its Armenian roots. Today she is present in Armenia, Artsakh and in several countries of the world. She is an integral part of the great Church of Jesus Christ.

“All of us who are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses… let us run with perseverance in the career that is open to us.”

Today we want to continue to write this history, together with all the other Churches, in the great history of God, for the good and salvation of our people and for all peoples.

May God bless our churches and our people!

Happy Birthday to the Armenian Evangelical Church!

Rev. Joël Mikaélian
President of the Armenian Evangelical World Council
Issy-les-Moulineaux, June 24, 2021

Armenian Evangelical Holy Trinity Church, Pera, Istanbul (founded July 1, 1846)

«Մե՛նք ալ, քանի որ շրջապատուած ենք ա՛յսչափ վկաներու բազմութեամբ, …համբերութեա՛մբ վազենք մեզի առաջարկուած մրցարշաւը։» Եբրայեցիս 12. 1

Այս պատգամը գրելու պահուն, Հայաստանի մէջ տեղի ունեցաւ խորհրդարանական նոր ընտրութիւններ։ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի կուսակցութիւնը գրաւեց Խորհրդարանի եւ Ազգային ժողովի տեղերու մեծամասնութիւնը։ Մենք կը շնորհաւորենք զինք եւ կ’աղօթենք որ Աստուած իրեն շնորհէ երկիրը ղեկավարելու իմաստութիւն։ Վերջին ամիսներուն մեր ժողովուրդը շատ դժուարութիւններու բովէն անցաւ։ Անոնց պարտադրուեցաւ անարդար խաղաղութեանբ մը լքել իրենց Արցախի հողերու մէկ մասը՝  չնայած մեր բանակի հերոսական դիմադրութեան։ Շատեր կորսնցուցին իրենց կեանքը, ուրիշներ վիրաւորուեցան եւ անդամալուծուեցան ցմահ։ Մենք պէտք է յարգենք այս հերոսները եւ աղօթենք իրենց եւ անոնց ընտանիքներուն համար։ Մենք պէտք է նաեւ աղօթենք արդար լուծման համար, որպէսզի մեր ժողովուրդը կարողանայ խաղաղ ապրիլ իր հողին վրայ։ Մարդկութեան պատմութիւնը բաղկացած է փառահեղ էջերու յաջորդականութեամբ, իսկ ուրիշները աւելի ցաւոտ են։ Բայց մենք կը հաւատանք որ մեր ժողովուրդը պիտի ունենայ այլ փառահեղ էջեր։ 

Եթէ այս է մարդկութեան պատմութիւնը, Աստուծոյ պատմութիւնը այդպէս չէ։ Աստուծոյ պատմութիւնը արձանագրուած է այս ժամանակներուն, բայց նաեւ եւ ամէն բանէ վեր, յաւիտենականութեան մէջ։ Ան վերջ չունի։ Հաւատքի հերոսները՝ հաւատքի կանայք եւ տղամարդիկ, հազարաւոր տարիներ գրեցին այդ էջերը (տես Եբրայեցիս 11)։

Աւելի քան 17 դարեր, Հայ Եկեղեցին իր հաւատքի բոլոր հերոսներով մտած է այս պատմութեան մէջ։ Անոնք հարստացուցած են զայն իրենց հաւատքով եւ բարեպաշտութեամբ՝ շատ մը այլ եկեղեցներու հետ մէկտեղ։

Հայ Աւետարանական Եկեղեցին այս պատմութեան մէկ մասը դարձաւ 175 տարիներ առաջ։ Ան ծնաւ Պոլիս (Ներկայ Իսթամպուլ) Յուլիս 1, 1846-ին՝ Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցիի բարեփոխումներու ցանկութեան որպէս արդիւնք։ Այդ օրէն ի վեր ան չէ դադրած զարգանալէ եւ նպաստելէ մեր ժողովուրդի բարօրութեանը՝ իր բարեպաշտութեամբ, իր կրթական եւ մարդասիրական աշխատանքներով։ 1915-ի Ցեղասպանութենէն ետք, ան տարածուեցաւ եւ զարգացաւ ամբողջ աշխարհով՝ առանց մոռնալու իր Հայկական արմատները։ Այսօր ան ներկայ է Հայաստանի, Արցախի եւ աշխարհի շարք մը երկիրներու մէջ։ Ան Յիսուս Քրիստոսի մեծ Եկեղեցիի անբաժանելի մէկ մասն է։

«Մե՛նք ալ, քանի որ շրջապատուած ենք ա՛յսչափ վկաներու բազմութեամբ, …համբերութեա՛մբ վազենք մեզի առաջարկուած մրցարշաւը։»

Այսօր մենք կ’ուզենք շարունակել գրել այս պատմութիւնը՝ բոլոր միւս եկեղեցիներու հետ միասին, Աստուծոյ մեծ պատմութեան մէջ, յանուն մեր ժողովուրդի եւ բոլոր ժողովուրդներու բարօրութեան եւ փրկութեան։

Թող Աստուած օրհէ մեր եկեղեցիները եւ մեր ժողովուրդը։

Շնորհավոր ծնունդդ Հայ Աւետարանական Եկեղեցի:

Վեր. Ժօէլ Միքայէլեան՝ Նախագահ
Հայ Աւետարանական Համաշխարհային Խորհուրդի
Իսի-լէ-Մուլինօ, Ֆրանսա, Յունիս 24, 2021

AEWC, Armenian, Church, News, Uncategorized

Յուշամատեան – A Memoir on the Occasion of the 175th Anniversary of the AEC

This year marks the 175th Anniversary of the founding of the Armenian Evangelical Church (AEC)

We praise God for the 175 years’ service and ministry of the AEC within the Armenian people

Executive Director of the Armenian Evangelical World Council, Rev. Dr. Vahan H. Tootikian edited and launched the commemorative publication of a memoir entitled, “Houshamadyan (Յուշամատեան) on the Occasion of the 175th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church.

Download Houshaadyan

Read book review by AMAA Executive Director/CEO Zaven Khanjian

Այս տարի կը լրանայ Հայաստանեայց Աւետարանական Եկեղեցիի (ՀԱԵ) հիմնադրութեան 175-ամեակը։

Փառք կու տանք Աստուծոյ մեր ազգին մէջ ՀԱԵ 175 տարուայ ծառայութեան համար։

Յիշարժան Յոբելեանի առիթով՝ Հայ Աւետարանական Համաշխարհային Խորհուրդի Գործադիր Տնօրէն Վեր. Դոկտ. Վահան Յ. Թութիկեանը խմբագրեց եւ կեանքի կոչեց ՀԱԵ 175-ամեակի Յոբելինական Յանձնախումբի ծրագիրներէն մէկը՝ «Յուշամատեան Հայաստանեայց Աւետարանական Եկեղեցւոյ՝ 175-ամեայ Տարեդարձին Առիթով» խորագրով Յուշամատեանը։

Այս ե-նամակով ձեզի կը ներկայացնենք Յուշամտեանի էլէկտորնային տարբերակը, Ամերիկայի Հայ Աւետարանչական Ընկերակցութեան Գործադիր Տնօրէն՝ Զաւէն Խանճեանի գրախօսականին հետ մէկտեղ։

Armenian, Church, News, Uncategorized

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian’s Congratulatory Remarks

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian’s Congratulatory Remarks
On the 175th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church

The Holy Gospel is Our Father and the Holy Church is Our Mother. (Vartanank)

These words, which echoed from the New City of Vagharshapat (Holy Etchmiadzin), are the two Pillars that define the spiritual and moral character of each Armenian Christian.

Indeed, throughout centuries, these sacred truths have been the basis of our ability to overcome the trials and tribulations of each historical time period and have been the source of our existence today.

Furthermore, the reliance on these everlasting truths comfort us and instill in us hope in these present times of great uncertainty.

We are delighted in knowing that this year marks the 175th Anniversary of the founding of the Armenian Evangelical Church, a Church that has remained loyal to spreading the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ since the day of its establishment. The Good News that was disseminated by God Incarnate illuminated the entire world and transformed the life of humanity, ensuring an eternal life with God.

The celebration of the 175th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church grants us the opportunity to not only reflect on the past, but to equally focus on the present and future of the Church.

Founded in 1846 in Constantinople, the Armenian Evangelical Church progressed within the Armenian communities. We agree with the words of His Beatitude Archbishop Malachia Ormanian that “…indirect relations with the Western world was granted at a time when the expansion of these relations were limited.”

The contributions of the Armenian Evangelical Church are vast, especially in the overall spiritual development of our nation’s life. We wish to highlight the following.

The translation of the Holy Bible from classical Armenian to modern Armenian in the mid-19th century, when our language was in its transformational phase, was a magnificent feat, allowing the radiating the light of the Gospel to enter the households of the faithful.

The Armenian Evangelical movement played a vital role in the intellectual renaissance of our people through prominent new publications and works. These included “The Dawn of Ararat,”(Արշալոյս Արարատեան), “Tidag”(Դիտակ) and “Pyuragan”which continue to enrich the cultural and literary life of our nation. Among these jewels is the “Haigazian Armenological Review,” the academic journal specializing in Armenian studies. Moreover, Haigazian University, a renowned institution of higher learning has been the source of academic enrichment for thousands of Armenian and non-Armenian students.

The Armenian Genocide claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians including the faithful of the Armenian Evangelical Church. As a result of the first Genocide of the 20th century, a number of educational institutions founded by prominent Armenian Evangelical Church leaders were destroyed, devastating our people who have tremendously valued the gift of education throughout history.

However, the resilience of our people was evident following the Genocide. The Armenian Evangelicals believed in the unrelenting dedication, undying spirit, and the reawakening of our people as new humanitarian and educational institutions were established in the United States of America, France and elsewhere. Undoubtedly, the milestones of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America have been great in number since its establishment 50 years ago. Its organizations, schools, educational, and cultural institutions have allowed the Armenian Evangelical Church to continue its mission of spreading the Gospel of Christ, our Lord.

The mission of the Armenian Evangelical Church is noteworthy in the Motherland, especially after Armenia gained its independence and where thousands of our compatriots receive spiritual nourishment and humanitarian assistance.

As a servant of Christ, our Lord in the Armenian Apostolic Church, we can attest that each structure, whether secular or religious, is undoubtedly faced with great challenges. The celebration of the 175th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church is a testament of God’s glory, for this noble institutions has weathered many storms and has stood the test of time.

We rest assured that the Armenian Evangelical Church will remain loyal to its God-pleasing mission, and will continue to contribute to the prosperity of our people through educational and humanitarian endeavors.

Indeed, the love of Christ supersedes all things. It is our genuine wish and heartfelt prayer that the Armenian Evangelical Church continues to be led by the divine love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thriving in its ministry and mission for the glory of God and the prosperity of the Armenian nation.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.(1 Corinthians 13:13)

AMAA, Appeal, Armenia, Armenian, Artsakh

🕊️Armenia and Artsakh: The Doves Will Fly Again

Dear Children of God,

Dear Friends,

A danger of extinction is looming over the heads of our kin in Artsakh.

An existential threat shadows the sovereign states of Armenia and Artsakh.

We are witnessing an uninhibited emergence of a century old evil on the Western and Eastern borders of our homeland,

But our cry is for PEACE.

The unalienable right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is a gift from the Creator to all nations and people in every corner of the planet.

The people of Artsakh are on the forefront to deserve that gift.

In a free and democratic show of will, the people of Artsakh have long exercised their right of self-determination and desire to freely live, love, worship, develop and prosper.

Early morning on Sunday, September 27, 2020 that right was violated by Azerbaijan.

Incited, encouraged and armed by Turkey, Azerbaijan launched an all-out military assault on the peaceful population of Artsakh.

A heinous and indiscriminate shelling of the peaceful civilian population of border towns and villages including the capital Stepanakert, ensued.

Artsakh was shelled by artillery fire, military assault drones, helicopters and missiles.

Our people are crying for PEACE and in the process, the heroic defenders of our land, homes, churches, families, women and children are determined to secure the homeland and protect its borders.

Dozens have been martyred, hundreds wounded and thousands have been evacuated.

But the defenders are holding firm to the land of Noah.

Our collective support is critical as the battles continue to escalate.

There can only be one outcome to the situation.

Victory!

Victory requires sacrifice and the people of Armenia and Artsakh are determined to shed their blood.

We are called to pray for peace, raise awareness in our surroundings and share our material resources to sustain the people of Artsakh and their land, support the victims of war, care for the wounded and offer an honorable goodbye to the martyrs.

During a meeting of community leaders in the United States, the honorable ROA Ambassador, HE Varuzhan Nercessian, shared the desire of the national leadership in Armenia and Artsakh to channel all support and sustenance through the ‘Hayastan’ All Armenian Fund (armeniafund.org/donate).

The Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), totally cognizant of the emergency situation on the ground, has advanced the Armenia Fund an initial sum of $100,000 with the promise of more.

The AMAA has placed its facilities in Artsakh and Armenia under the disposal of the civilian authorities to shelter women, children and the elderly.

The doves will once again fly out of Noah’s ark and soar uninhibited into the skies praising the Lord.

Your gracious support will sound the trumpets.

Sincerely,

Zaven Khanjian 
AMA-America Executive Director/CEO

Mail check to: AMA-Australia 12A Castle Crescent Belrose NSW 2085 memo: Lebanon Urgent Relief
Make an online donation with a note “Lebanon Emergency Appeal
Direct deposit: AMA-Australia bank account with your name as reference
Bank: Commonwealth Bank Account Name, Armenian Missionary Association of Australia
BSB Number: 062272 – Acc. Number: 1009 3977

Armenian, Church, Messages, Middle East

On the Occasion of the 174th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church – Church Anniversary Reflections

By Rev. Dr. Krikor Youmshajekian, AMA-Australia President/CEO

July 1 marks the 174th anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church. This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebrations will be limited and it will be only organised by local churches around the world, whether virtual or small gatherings due to social distancing. Unfortunately, there will be no worldwide celebrations, where evangelical lay and clergy leaders, with many members of the evangelical community from around the world come together in one place for worship and praise.

Armenian Evangelical Holy Trinity Church, Beyoglu, Istanbul
Est. July 1, 1846

However, regardless of the situation, Armenian Evangelicals around the world should be reminded that 174 years ago a group of dedicated believers came together in Istanbul, Turkey to lay down the foundations of the vibrant Church of the current times. With the dedication of committed members, the Armenian Evangelical Church has embarked and continue to be a missional church, emphasising the importance of the community being engaged in mission and treasuring the Protestant notion of “the priesthood of all believers.” The Armenian Evangelical Church also insists on the active participation of the whole church in ecclesiastical affairs and religious life. As a consequence, neither in worship nor in Christian service in the community is the individual believer reduced to the status of an observer. Rather, the individual assumes a central, leading role in the religious life of the church, achieving personal fulfilment as an active participant.

The Armenian Evangelical Church understands the mission of the church as fundamental and believes that the ministry is the work of the entire church. God’s call is to all people. The mission of the church belongs to the whole people (laos) of God. Moreover, the task of witness is that of the whole community of God’s people. In the church, there are many different gifts and many different stages of maturity, but the work to which the church is called requires the witness of every member in the place where he/she lives and works, engaging in “total ministry.” This is a vision of the ministry of the whole people of God (the church) in which ministries of all members integrate with one another and in which leadership is a function of the whole body. From the human point of view, the power and effectiveness of the church lies in the dedication, leadership, and involvement of its people. There is one ministry in Jesus Christ, and all the members, lay and ordained, participate in it according to the gifts given to them. This represents the body, the church, as a ministering community.

The Armenian Evangelical Church became a mission-minded church, valuing evangelism highly and regarded evangelists as having a special calling within the life of the church. It is a fact, that the church did not always succeed to be the “mission church,” but it is also an unquestionable fact that it tried to impress upon its members that the divine calling of every believer is to serve God through daily work, be it secular or ecclesiastical. The Armenian Evangelical Church held the view that, as a community of believers, it had an obligation to work in its respective communities for the creation of a caring and loving society.

Hence, the Armenian Evangelical Church since its establishment in 1846 has been a missionary church and as a result, founded the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) in Worcester, Massachusetts (USA) in 1918. Since then, the AMAA with its District Bodies in Canada and Australia, along with the different Evangelical Unions, has worked hard and served as the missionary arm of the church, spreading the Good News and extending a helping hand to our brothers and sisters around the world and in particular, in Armenia, Artsakh, Lebanon and Syria.

What the Armenian Evangelical Church and the AMAA have achieved during the years, is the result of faith, commitment and the hard work of dedicated faithful servants of God. Today, we salute them all and pay our respect to the Armenian Evangelical Church, and we believe that the church will maintain its mission and strive for excellence in its outreach, obeying the great command of the Lord Jesus Christ, to go and proclaim the gospel.

The legacy of the early reformers for us today and the upcoming generations of Armenian Evangelicals, is to be proud of our Armenian heritage, because we can build upon past values and learn from them. It is this heritage that binds Armenians together, because the deep roots of their Armenian heritage have withstood dislocation, persecution and oppression.

Congratulations to the Armenian Evangelical Church. Congratulations to its dedicated leaders, missionaries and supporters of the mission. God bless!

Featured Image: The First Armenian Evangelical Church Council July 1, 1846
2020-7-1 Հայաց. Աւետարանական Եկեղեցւոյ 174-Ամեակ
AMAA, Armenia, Armenian, Messages

AMAA Executive Director Rev. Dr. Movses Janbazian’s Historical Speech at the Armenia Diaspora 1st Conference held in Yerevan, Armenia, on September 22-23, 1999

Dignitaries at the First Armenia Diaspora Conference Opening in Yerevan – September 1999. From left: the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople and All of Turkey His Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob II Mutafyan, AMAA Executive Director Rev. Dr. Movses Janbazian, His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of Holy See of Cilicia, Armenian General Vazgen Sargsyan and Armenia Parliament Speaker Karen Demirchyan.

“At the Armenia Diaspora Conference in Yerevan in September 1999, as representative of the Armenian Evangelical Community, Rev. Movses Janbazian addressed the audience. But among all the political and religious speakers, Janbazian’s was the strongest and most nationalistic.” AIM Magazine, October 2000

Your Excellencies, Presidents of the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh, your Holiness, and dear compatriots.

Rev. Dr. Movses Janbazian addresses the audience

On behalf of the Armenian Evangelical World Council and the 155 Armenian Evangelical Churches of the Homeland and the Diaspora, we greet you with warmest Christian love. We also wish to express our congratulations and gratitude to those who conceived the idea of this Armenia-Diaspora Conference and worked hard to make it a reality.

The issues faced by Armenia and the Diaspora are many and serious. Therefore, this historic conference places a burden of heavy responsibilities and serious commitments on the shoulders of its organizers and participants. This is the reason why the Armenian Evangelical Church is present at this conference with the prayerful participation of the representatives of all Armenian Evangelical regional church unions in the world, namely, Rev. Yuri Avanesyan from Armenia; Rev. Megrditch Karagoezian from the Middle East; Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian from North America; Rev. Gilbert Léonian from Europe; Rev. René Léonian from the Eurasian region; Mr. Hampartsum Moumdjian from South America; Mr. Borros Halladjian from France; Mr. Andrew Torigian, representing the Armenian Missionary Association of America; and Rev. Movses B. Janbazian, Secretary of the Armenian Evangelical World Council.

Armenian Evangelicals have been an inseparable part of the life and history of the Armenian nation since 1846. Armenian Evangelicals have gone through all the horrors of massacres, genocide and statelessness that befell the Armenian people. At the same time, Armenian Evangelicals have been unreserved participants in all the strivings and achievements of the Armenian nation.

Currently, the Armenian Evangelical Church, under the blessings of God, continues to minister to our people in Armenia and in 20 other countries around the world through its more than 155 pulpits; 185 ordained ministers; 25 educational institutions; Haigazian University of Beirut (the only Armenian institution of higher learning outside Armenia); many social service centers; publications; youth centers; and significant endowments and foundations dedicated to charitable, educational and humanitarian purposes. Specially, through their missionary arm, the Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Evangelicals render inestimable services to our people in the Diaspora, in the Homeland and in Artsakh.

Representatives of the Armenian Evangelical Churches worldwide at the First Armenia Diaspora Conference.
L to R: Rev. Dr. René Léonian, Rev. Megrditch Karagoezian, Rev. Krikor Youmshajekian, Andrew Torigian, Rev. Dr. Movses Janbazian, Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian, Rev. Yuri Avanesyan, Rev. Gilbert Léonian, Hampartsum Moumdjian and Borros Halladjian

We believe that the independence of Armenia offers a special opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Armenia and the Diaspora. Therefore, Armenian Evangelicals pray and work with renewed hope for the enhancement of the mutual ties and relationship between Armenia and the Diaspora, which will benefit both of these wings of the Armenian nation. We wish to depict this relationship as a symbiotic one, which will nurture and assure the existence and prosperity of both Armenia and the Diaspora.

Our understanding of the Armenia-Diaspora mutual relationship rests on two basic premises.

The first of these premises is that all human beings who confess to being Armenian comprise one nation, the Armenian nation; they have one homeland, the historical Armenia; and both the Armenian nation and Armenia are under one flag, the red, blue and orange Armenian tricolor.

The second basic premise on which our understanding of the Armenia-Diaspora mutual relationship is based is that unity does not mean uniformity. We believe that unity is having a common purpose on essential issues and cooperation on common objectives. In other words, attainable unity in the Diaspora, and between Armenia and the Diaspora is necessarily based on the following principles: – non-negotiable and unreserved unity, and even uniformity, in essential and vital issues; – freedom and understanding in non-vital and non-essential issues; and – mutual love and respect in all issues.

The Armenian Evangelical Church believes that the following are the major essential issues the Armenian nation is facing at present:

  1. Maintaining the liberation and independence of Artsakh by all means, but preferably through creative negotiations and diplomatic efforts; and, at an appropriate time, the annexation of the Armenian lands of Nagorno Karabagh to the Motherland of Armenia.
  2. Assuring the defense and security of Armenia through adequate military preparedness, and a flexible, balanced and wise foreign policy pursued in consultation with the Diaspora. Never again should the Armenian nation be subjected to massacres and genocide! Never again should we lose any part of that tiny piece of land remained to us out of the boundless universe created by God!
  3. A condition of political stability and a democratic system of government in Armenia which will assure human rights, including the right to freedom of speech, conscience, religion and worship for all citizens.
  4. Vitalization of the economy of Armenia by overcoming the difficulties of the current blockade, implementing a market economy, faithfully adhering to the current privatization laws and regulations, adopting a practical and equitable system of taxation, and creating an atmosphere of trust and confidence for Diasporan and international financial investments and credits.
  5. Reformation and modernization of the educational system and institutions of Armenia so that our current and future generations will be equipped to benefit from the scientific and technological wonders of the 21st century, and our people will be enabled to compete with neighboring and other nations.
  6. Seeking the recognition of the Armenian genocide by a greater number of nations and international bodies through coordinated and persistent efforts by the Diaspora and Armenia, as well as pursuit of reparations for the crime, and rectification of the injustices committed against our nation.
  7. Halting the current emigration from Karabagh and Armenia by raising the living standards of our people through investment and creation of job opportunities.
  8. Slowing the assimilation of the diasporan Armenians by all possible means, and the development of an Armenian identity and sense of belongingness among the younger generation in the Diaspora through coordinated efforts by Armenia and the Diaspora.
  9. The bonding together of the Diaspora and Armenia by enacting a dual citizenship law in Armenia, promoting youth and student-exchange programs, creating in Armenia and Artsakh Kibbutz-type communities for diasporan young people, promoting the exchange of cultural and educational programs through mutual visits and modern technology and communication means, and ironing out the differences between the Eastern and Western Armenian dialects.

We believe that these and other issues should be discussed jointly by Armenia and the Diaspora, and the proposals issuing from these discussions should be pursued with the concerted efforts of both Armenia and the Diaspora.

We Armenian Evangelicals also have another serious concern, which relates to the current weakness of the Christian faith of our people. For various reasons, our people in Armenia and the Diaspora have lost our former spiritual values, the faith of our forebears and the vision of Gregory the Illuminator, which have played such an important role in the development of our national image, character and cultural heritage. In order to reclaim our historical and genuine national identity, we have to rediscover the Gospel-inspired holy and pure faith of our fathers. We believe that if we cannot live as a Christian nation, the independence that we have achieved, and the lands we have liberated, as well as the economic, social and scientific progress we hope to achieve, all will be in vain. It is impossible to build a good world without building up the inner spiritual world of people. It is impossible to create a noble culture, lifestyle, society or civilization without adhering to noble principles, truth, and spiritual values, the purest source of which is God the Creator, the Lord and the Savior of the universe.

Therefore, it is our highest hope and ardent prayer that when during the first year of the third millennium we joyfully and with pride celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia, all of us in Armenia and in the Diaspora will experience the beginning of a new spiritual revival at government, church and community levels, and we shall once again rededicate ourselves as a nation to Jesus Christ.

In 301 A.D. our forebears made a covenant with Jesus Christ. If we fulfill our commitment to that covenant, then God will abundantly bless our small but precious nation, and He will make our nation a source of blessings not only to its sons and daughters, but also to its neighboring peoples and to all humanity. We believe that this is our nation’s reason for being; this is our people’s mission in the world; and this is the God-ordained destiny of our Haigaznian (Armenian) race.

May God bless the Republic of Armenia and the children of our nation living in the Motherland and in the Diaspora, now and always. Amen.