Protestant church in Armenia
| Armenian Evangelical Church |
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| Abbreviation | AEC |
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| Classification | Eastern Protestant |
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| Orientation | Evangelical |
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| Primate | Dr. Rene Levonian
Preceded by
Rev. Dr. Moses Janbazian (1945-2000) |
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| Language | Armenian |
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| Headquarters | Istanbul, Turkey; Yerevan, Armenia; Beirut, Lebanon; New Jersey, USA; Paris, France |
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| Territory | Armenia,
Nagorno-Karabakh |
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| Possessions | Russia, Iraq, Georgia, France, the United States, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Canada, Australia, Cyprus, Belgium, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and many others. |
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| Founder | 37 men and 3 women in Constantinople |
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| Independence | July 1, 1846, in Constantinople |
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| Separated from | Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople |
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| Members | 250,000 |
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| Official website | www.aeuna.org
www.amaa.org
www.eca.am
www.uaecne.org |
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The Armenian Evangelical Church (Armenian: Հայաստանեայց Աւետարանական Եկեղեցի, romanized: Hayastaneayts' Awyetaranakan Yekeghets'i) was established on July 1, 1846, by thirty-seven men and three women in Constantinople.
History
In the 19th century there was an intellectual and spiritual awakening in Constantinople. This awakening and enlightenment pushed the reformists to study the Bible. Under the patronage of the Armenian Patriarchate, a secondary school was opened, headed by Krikor Peshtimaljian (died 1837), one of the leading intellectuals of the time.[citation needed] The principal aim of this school was to train qualified clergy for the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The result of this awakening was the formation of a society called the "Pietistical Union". The members held meetings for the study of the Bible. During these meetings and Bible studies, questions were raised regarding the practices and traditions of the church, which to them seemed to conflict with biblical truths.
These reformists faced strong retaliation from the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. Eventually, after Patriarch Matteos Chouhajian excommunicated the reformists, they were forced to organize themselves into a separate religious community, the Protestant Millet. This separation led to the formation of the Armenian Evangelical Church in 1846.
Today, there are approximately 100 Armenian Evangelical churches in the following countries: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, England, France, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Uruguay, and the United States of America.
Armenian Brethren
Groups of Brethren assemblies exist in Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, the United States, and Australia.
