Just a few days ago the Armenian Church celebrated Pentecost—a feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the early Christians (Acts 2).  Pentecost, however, is more than just the commemoration of the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit, as powerful as that event must have been. Up until the day of Pentecost the Apostles and early Christians were confused and afraid. Their beloved leader and teacher, Jesus, was crucified less than two months prior to that day and killed. They then saw Him risen from the dead.  He appeared to many for forty days and finally ascended to heaven (Acts 1:3).  Furthermore, the early followers of Christ including the Apostles were labeled as collaborators with a traitor (Jesus), who was condemned by the authorities as a revolutionist and executed by crucifixion. It was on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after Christ’s resurrection that the apostles, having received the Holy Spirit, realized that they have a mission to complete—to go out and continue preaching the Gospel that our Lord preached to them. The “Pentecost event” opened the minds of the Apostles, and equipped them with the power of the Holy Spirit, to have the courage and the determination to go to the four corners of the entire world and change its destiny. It was thanks to Pentecost that the Apostles traveled all over the world including Armenia and established Christian communities there. The feast of Pentecost, therefore, is seen as the anniversary of the establishment of the universal church of Christ as well.

Certain books of the Bible, such as the book of Acts and the letters of St. Paul, elaborate on the work of the Apostles in executing the Lord command to go out and preach the gospel and establish the worldwide church of Christ. However, it is interesting to note that in none of these references discussing the establishment of the churches around the world do we find even a mention of the erection of buildings or structures. “Church” according to the Bible is the gathering and assembly of the followers of Jesus Christ. As early as the apostolic time “church” meant the fellowship of the members of the community of believers in one place to remember the Lord and celebrate their salvation through the Lord. Establishing churches in the Bible, therefore, means building communities of faith and not erecting structures.

As we celebrate the 1975th anniversary of the Church, the 1706th anniversary of the Armenian Church, the 110th anniversary of our diocese and the 50th anniversary of our own parish of Holy Martyrs, it is very important to remind ourselves of the biblical definition of the church mentioned above. As such, the Armenian Church in any time and place, simply put, is the assembly of the Armenians and their families and friends who come together at that specific time and place to celebrate their faith. That is why, no matter how many hundreds of church buildings our enemies have defiled, burned and destroyed throughout the centuries, the Armenian Church remains alive as long as there are Armenians who come together to share their faith, celebrate it and witness to it.

So, next time you hear or read something good about the great programs and the successes in our parish here in Holy Martyrs, tap yourself on the shoulder because it is thanks to faithful and supportive members like you that Holy Martyrs continues to exist for over half a century as the fellowship of Armenians who love the Lord and are proud of their fellowship in remembrance of the Lord and in celebration of their common faith. Likewise, next time you hear or read something that bothers you about the Armenian Church, ask yourself what is it that you need to do or change so that the Armenians truly lives and experiences the fullness of the biblical definition of the church. Our fathers and mothers understood this biblical definition of church very well. That is why the Armenian word for Church in krapar means “gathering” or “assembly.” 
Having said all that let me end wishing a “Happy Birthday” to the Armenian Church. Even better yet, let me wish you, your family and friends and myself a happy anniversary of the fellowship we have in Christ—the Armenian Church!

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian