FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF LAKE FOREST TO COMMEMORATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
19:20, 06 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest to Commemorate the 100th
Anniversary of Armenian Genocide on April 10, Chicago Tribune reports.
Last year, First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest’s senior pastor,
Rev. Dr. Christine Chakoian, was a key advocate for a resolution
honoring the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the 2014
meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in
Detroit. The General Assembly unanimously endorsed the resolution-the
first of its kind to be adopted by a major American church body-that:
* urges member congregations to recognize the Armenian genocide;
* designates April 24 as the day of remembrance for the victims of
the first genocide of the 20th century; and
* honors the provisions of American and international law to prevent
the recurrence of similar mass killings, atrocities and population
removals and bringing the perpetrators of any such crimes to justice.
“I pray that as American Christians recognize the Armenian genocide,
it will engender a deeper understanding of and compassion for the
heavy price our forebears paid for their faith,” Rev. Dr. Chakoian
says. “I also hope that this remembrance will prompt us as American
Christians to be aware of those who are suffering gross injustices
around the world.”