A response to Khachkar Studios on the future of Armenian churches

2026-02-01 - 16:36

You may have seen Khachkar Studios’ publication about Armenian Americans’ weak participation in the church. As someone deeply invested in both Armenia and the Armenian Church in the United States, I appreciate Khachkar Studios for raising this important question. Early on, I reached out to Khachkar Studios with my thoughts on how to address this issue, and I am sharing those reflections here. Before discussing emotionally charged topics like the state of the Armenian Church in America, however, I ask that this be read with an intention to understand and relate. When we strive to relate to one another, we can have healthier, more productive disagreements that lead to solutions and growth. We all care passionately about Armenia, and we are concerned about the state of the Church and the nation. What that concern looks like and what it prioritizes may vary. While my background is a Protestant Evangelical one, I pray that both the Apostolic and Protestant churches will be full and growing, both in faith and in number. There is a great need — and plenty of room — for both. Participation in either is a win for the greater Armenian Christian community. I grew up attending an Armenian Evangelical Church. As an adult, I have regularly attended Apostolic churches with friends and family and was married in one. I am currently a member of a non-denominational American church. Over the past two years, I have spent nearly half of my time in Armenia, serving with and visiting churches throughout the country. I spent months in Syunik, volunteering with refugees forcibly displaced from Artsakh. I helped with youth camps and spent time in Apostolic, Baptist, Evangelical Union and non denominational churches. Helping with their various missions and other volunteer positions, I got to see both the strengths and weaknesses of these churches — which churches are gaining traction and which ones are stagnant or declining. To address the decline in meaningful Armenian involvement in church life, we should consider three things: First, what does the Bible say churches should do? Second, what are successful Christian churches doing that we can learn from? Third, what are churches not doing? What does the Bible say churches should do? Let’s consider a core tenant of what the Bible says churches should do, found in Matthew 28: Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. This is Jesus’ great commission to his disciples, that they (and we, his disciples today) would go and make disciples. Biblically, churches are called to both evangelism and discipleship: bringing people to Christ and then helping them live transformed lives. The church should be a place of love and understanding, and also of discipleship and discipline when there is sin — and we all sin. In the epistles (guiding letters written to the early churches), we see that the young men leading church planting efforts had authority and flexibility, provided they taught God’s word and followed the guidelines given in these letters. The different churches had real world problems, and the New Testament letters discuss these problems and a format to solve them. And that main format is through the church. The Greek word translated in the Bible as church is ekklesia, meaning “a called out assembly,” or “congregation,” or — in a modern word, community. The church is meant to function as a living community — one that addresses real human struggles through Scripture, accountability and shared life. As a community, groups within the church can gather to work together on addressing those real life topics and problems. What do evangelism and discipleship look like in successful churches in the U.S.? Churches that do evangelism and discipleship well typically have dedicated groups focused on outreach. There are many ways this outreach can take shape. At my church, for example, the building sits on prominent real estate and includes a coffee space that is open throughout the week. Church staff and members are able to engage with people walking by or visiting the coffee shop who may not identify as believers. Many people feel nervous about entering a church, so they often need open, consistent and welcoming invitations before they are willing to attend. Successful churches also have a variety of groups and programs to fit the real world needs and problems of society. This is done through small groups on a specific issue such as marriage, addiction or grief. In these settings, people are able to share life more deeply than they might during a large Sunday service. When your friends are at church and in the small group, you will keep coming, too. Community sustains participation and reduces the impulse to seek guidance or support elsewhere. Successful churches also tend to be those whose pastors talk about difficult and emotional issues from the pulpit: sex, anger, financial insecurity. Two of the most common topics addressed in the Bible are sex and money, and these are two of the greatest areas of temptation and sin. That should be reflected in how often your pastor talks about it, too. When pastors admit their own vulnerability to sin, people relate and can learn how to deal with it biblically. Churches come in many styles — some more rock and roll, some more conservative — but provided they follow these core principles of evangelism and real-life discipleship, they will grow, and people will go to the church that is the best fit for their age, life needs, preference of music, etc. What are most Armenian churches in America not doing? All of the above. But there are some churches that focus on evangelism and discipleship: Ararat Church, an evangelical church in New Hampshire, and Anchor Church, a non-denominational church in the Los Angeles area, are two examples of churches seeking to live out the biblical principles of evangelism and discipleship. Both have more than tripled in attendance in the past few years. Upper Room in Yerevan and Veratsnund in Hrazdan are examples of successful churches in Armenia that are similar to these growing American churches. I suggest checking out one of these churches if you are in the area — not to switch churches, but to see what a healthy Armenian church looks like. See what you can learn from them and bring your lessons back home to your own church. Beyond that, people need to let go of control and allow groups of enthusiastic, Jesus-loving young adults step up in leadership. Empower them with the resources to succeed. Burnout and financial instability among clergy weaken the church’s long-term health and credibility. Armenians — adults and children alike — are emotionally dying because they lack a relationship with Jesus. We need community; we need help walking through and dealing with our sins and problems in life. Khachkar Studios spending $100 million on marketing and analyzing churches will have little effect if the churches do not have a structure which attracts people, helps them and keeps them attending. So, what can Armenian churches in the U.S. do? Whom should we evangelize? Whom should we disciple? Consider this: when you target children, children will come to Jesus and his church. When you target mothers, mothers and their children will come to Jesus and his church. When you target fathers, they will bring their whole family. Let’s win the men by sharing the gospel and teaching churches to address real-life problems and difficulties in a manner they can relate to.