Organizations

St. Nersess Armenian Seminary

Since its founding in 1962 by Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in Armonk, NY, has trained men and women to serve in a variety of capacities in the Armenian Church. Currently, the seminary is under the leadership of the Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, who serves as its dean.

The seminary offers two graduate-level programs. The Master of Divinity degree, through the joint program with the nearby St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, is the standard degree required for those planning to be ordained as priests. The Master of Arts degree in Armenian Christian Studies is designed for lay men and women interested in the Christian culture of the Armenian people. Knowledge of Armenian is not a prerequisite for enrolling in the seminary. The seminary provides a strong foundation in the history and culture of the church, while also encouraging its graduates to shape the church in the future.

The seminary also offers a variety of youth and high school programs on Armenian culture, history, and faith. Additionally, it holds regular deacons training, music education, and religious education programs for adults.

To learn more about St. Nersess Seminary and its programs, visit www.stnersess.edu, or contact the seminary at (914) 273-0200.

Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR)

Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) has served millions of people through more than 220 relief and development programs in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabagh, and Javakhk. It has channeled more than $270 million in humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide range of projects, including emergency relief, construction, education, medical aid, and economic development. FAR is dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic, prosperous, and culturally rich Armenia.

For more information about FAR, please visit the organization’s website at www.farusa.org.

Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA)

The Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) is the national youth program of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. It was created on January 12, 1946 in Providence, RI, by Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, of blessed memory. More than 75 years later, the organization provides programs and ministries for young adults across the Eastern Diocese, based on the five “Circles of the Cross”: Worship, Witness, Service, Education, and Fellowship.

Throughout its history, the ACYOA has played a pivotal role in keeping the Armenian Church present in the daily lives of young adults. The organization is composed primarily of college­-aged and young professionals who are beginning to forge their own path in the world.

Visit the ACYOA website at www.acyoa.org to learn more about its current programs and ministries, and be sure to follow them on Instagram or Facebook. E-mail the ACYOA Central Council with any questions at acyoacc@gmail.com.

Armenian Church Endowment Fund

The Armenian Church Endowment Fund (ACEF) is an independent non-profit that supports parishes and individuals who are creating a legacy through endowments. ACEF encourages parishes and individuals to make long-term investment planning an everyday practice, and helps them maximize financial returns by investing as a community.

An endowment is a promise that a parish will always have sufficient operating funds, that a youth program will pass on our traditions generation after generation, that a new building will always be maintained, or that a local food pantry will never go empty. The principal of an endowment is not spent, and the beneficiary receives a specified income.

ACEF can advise individuals and parishes to make sure that each endowment is properly set up and that it will always serve the designated beneficiaries. To learn more about endowments and the Armenian Church Endowment Fund, visit the organization’s website at www.acefinvest.org, or contact Berjouhi Saladin at (212) 686-0710, ext.134.

Ararat Center

The Ararat Center is a camping, retreat, and conference facility situated on 65 acres 30 miles south of Albany, NY. In addition to serving as the home of the Diocese’s St. Vartan Camp program, the center is used by an array of Diocesan organizations, as well as a number of other businesses and non-profits throughout the year.

The center operates from May 1 through October 31. It features several buildings, which can accommodate up to 140 people in a variety of room types. The newly-constructed pavilion with attached classrooms is the perfect setting for picnics, graduations, receptions, and meetings.

For more information, visit the Ararat Center’s Facebook page.

Women’s Guild Central Council

The Women’s Guild Central Council (WGCC) was established in 1986 to serve as a coordinating, advising, and communicating body for the local Women’s Guilds that function as integral parts of the life of every parish in the Eastern Diocese.

The mission of the Women’s Guild is to live and share the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ through worship, education, witness, service and fellowship as expressed in the distinctive faith-experience of the Armenian people. All women of the Armenian Church are called to participate fully in this mission.

With local parish guilds, WGCC sponsors a variety of national and international projects. Chief among these is the annual “Saintly Women’s Day” observance, benefitting Armenia’s children through the Children of Armenia Sponsorship Program (CASP), and its elderly via the Vanadzor Old Age Home (VOAH). Other benevolent, educational and cultural activities include the annual Women’s Guild Assembly and its “Woman of Wonder” awards luncheon, and the WGCC’s quarterly newsletter “Hye Reflections.”

For information, visit the WGCC’s Shutterfly share-site or its Facebook page. WGCC is eager to work with parishes seeking to build Women’s Guilds; contact the Women’s Guild Central Council at wgcc@armeniandiocese.org.

Sacred Music Council

The Sacred Music Council promotes and teaches the sacred music of the Armenian Church to the parish choirs in the Eastern Diocese. The Sacred Music Council hosts regional workshops for choir members and leaders, organists and altar servers. It also helps establish parish Junior Choirs; compiles the annual calendar of Sunday Scripture readings, hymns, and liturgical variants; and prepares other resources for choirs and altar servers.

For information about the Sacred Music Council, contact the Rev. Fr. Hovhan Khoja-Eynatyan at derhovhan@gmail.com.

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