PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
January 18, 2005
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HELPING ARMENIA ON ECCUMENICAL AGENDA
On Tuesday, January 11, 2005, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of
the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), met Rev. Victor
Makari, ecumenical officer for the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. for the
Middle East and Europe.
The meeting was a follow-up to an audience Rev. Makari had in September
with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. With the Primate he
discussed recent efforts by the National Council of Churches (NCC) and
ways the two churches can strengthen their relationship.
“The Presbyterian Church has worldwide programs and so it wants to stay
in touch with the Armenian Church and maintain its good relations with
Armenian Churches worldwide,” said Michael Haratunian, who also attended
the meeting as the chair of the Jinishian Memorial Program. “But since
the Presbyteiran church is a U.S. church, it is also important that they
have good relations with the Armenian Church in America.”
Joining the Primate, Rev. Makari, and Haratunian was David Nelson,
executive director of the Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP). As part of
the Presbyterian Church’s Worldwide Ministry Division, the JMP was
founded by Vartan H. Jinishian and works to help Armenians around the
globe transition from living in poverty to being self-sustaining.
With an annual $2 million budget, the JMP has programs in areas such as
the Republic of Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Jerusalem.
“We talked about how we can better serve the Armenian people overseas
and looked at our future plans,” Haratunian said of the courtesy visit
made to the Primate.
After meeting with the Primate, the JMP leaders also met with leaders of
the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), the Diocesan-affiliated humanitarian
aid organization.
“Both the Jinishian Program and FAR have programs in Armenia, and we
talked about possible partnerships in Armenia,” Haratunian said. “In
several areas we saw some compatibly, where we might be able to join
forces and leverage each other’s funding. The concept is a good one,
because by doing things together we might be able to do larger and more
elaborate projects.”
— 1/18/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), meets with Rev. Victor
Makari, Presbyterian Church U.S.A. ecumenical officer for the Middle
East and Europe; David Nelson, executive director of the Jinishian
Memorial Program; and Michael Haratunian, the Jinishian Memorial Program
chair.