124th Diocesan Assembly Envisions a Church “Renewed in Hope”

Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern)

630 Second Avenue, New
York, NY 10016

Contact: Chris Zakian

Tel: (212) 686-0710

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.armenianchurch.us

 

May 8, 2026

___________________

 

ATTENTION EDITOR: Two photos attached, with captions below. Additional photos may be downloaded here:

 

 

HEADLINE:

124th Diocesan Assembly Envisions
a Church “Renewed in Hope”

 

The 124th Assembly of the Eastern
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America convened on Thursday, April 30, and continued
through adjournment on Saturday, May 2, 2026. It was the fourth Diocesan Assembly
to be presided over by Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan.

 

As such, it was the occasion
for the Eastern Diocese’s quadrennial election for the office of Primate, which
saw Bishop Mesrop re-elected to serve a second four-year term.

 

St. John the Baptist Armenian
Church of Milwaukee, WI, hosted the 124th Diocesan Assembly, with business and social
functions taking place at the city’s historic Pfister Hotel.

 

The inaugural session was called
to order on April 30. Delegates and guests were welcomed by host parish pastor Fr.
Guregh Hambardzumyan, parish council chair Lyle Dadian, and parish Assembly Executive
Committee members Harold Aghjian, Maritza Armagan, and Gary Seabrook.

 

A formal message from His Holiness
Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, was read to the
delegates, after which Bishop Mesrop set a warm-hearted tone for the meeting with
his welcoming words.

 

In all, 150 parish representatives—clergy,
parish council chairs, and Diocesan delegates—along with a substantial number of
observers, gathered in person for the proceedings. Among the guests were two visitors
from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: V. Rev. Fr. Zakaria Baghumyan and V. Rev.
Fr. Movses Sargsyan.

 

 

* “Renewed in Hope”

 

On the heels of his re-election to a second term as Diocesan
Primate, Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan offered gracious words of thanks before launching
into his yearly address to the delegates. Noting America’s upcoming 250th anniversary,
he paid tribute to the country that has welcomed Armenians and embraced their contributions
to society.

 

In a retrospective on the past four years, the Primate recalled
his travels throughout the Eastern Diocese, visiting every parish and meeting the
faithful in their home communities.

“Everywhere
I have gone,” he said, “I have seen the same truth: Our church is alive.
Yes, we face challenges. We live in a changing world. Our communities are diverse,
geographically dispersed, and shaped by different experiences. But beneath all of
that, there is a deep and abiding faith. There is resilience. There is love for
the church. And there is a desire—not simply to preserve what we have received—but
to grow, to renew, and to move forward.”

 

Bishop Mesrop fondly recalled some milestones of his visits:
ordaining more than 200 young altar servers; consecrating two new churches, and
a new priest for the Diocese; spending time at the Diocesan camps and youth gatherings.
He mentioned the resources created by the Diocesan Ministries departments that aim
to deepen worship experience, engage youth and young adults, and extend Christian
witness into the surrounding society.

 

And he spoke of the simple
habits of generosity and welcoming outreach that assure members and visitors alike
that the Armenian Church is their home.

 

A short video outlining these
accomplishments reflected the theme of the 124th Diocesan Assembly: “Renewed in
Hope.”

 

“These accomplishments tell
a story,” he said: “not only a story of what we have done, but of what God has done
for us.”

 

This theme animated the latter
part of the Primate’s address, in which he looked ahead to his concerns for the
coming term. Among these are increasing overall church attendance; more fully engaging
the younger generation; helping local parishes relieve financial burdens and identify
up-and-coming leaders; pursuing additional opportunities for women to serve their
churches; and making worship more accessible.

 

To close his address, the Primate
returned to the theme of Hope. “Christian Hope,” he said, “is never wishful thinking.
It is confidence grounded in the living presence of Christ. It is the assurance
that the Lord who guided His church yesterday, who sustained her through persecution
and uncertainty, is the same Lord who walks with her today—and will never abandon
her in the future.”

 

“Let us carry that Hope into
every parish, every ministry, every home, every heart,” he concluded. “Renewed in
Hope, let us go forward together.”

 

 

* Elections, Reports, and Proposals

 

Under the guidance of Diocesan
Assembly chair Herman Purutyan (of St. James Church, Watertown, MA), business moved
forward at a steady pace. Serving alongside him were vice chair Zaven Kalayjian
(St. Mary Church, Washington, DC) and secretary Laurie Bejoian (Holy Translators
Church, Framingham, MA).

 

On behalf of the Nominating
Committee, Gregory Saraydarian (Holy Martyrs Church, Bayside, NY) took to the podium
to explain the secure method of voting that would be employed throughout the proceedings.
All voting was conducted using a secure online balloting platform. (See below for
the table of election results.)

 

In a departure from the usual practice,
the report of the Diocesan Council and the Diocese’s Ministries Department was
conducted in a panel format, in which Diocesan Council vice chair Lisa Esayian
(St. James Church, Evanston, IL) directed interview questions to a panel
comprised of Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Diocesan Council chair Richard
Papalian (St. Gregory the Enlightener Church, White Plains, NY), and interim
Director of Ministries Fr. Hratch Sargsyan (St. Gregory of Narek Church,
Cleveland, OH).

 

Each speaker fielded questions on the current
operating strengths of the Diocese, strategies for accomplishing programs with
limited resources and personnel, and challenges that are being addressed. Topics
under discussion included the ongoing St. Vartan Cathedral Renovation Project, and
its connection to every parish; administrative reforms at the Diocesan Center that
have improved its operational and financial functioning; the wide array of ministry
programs that connect with youth and adults through new publications and interactive
online sessions; and directions for the future of the Eastern Diocese.

 

A short video gave delegates
an overview of the efforts and offerings of the Diocesan Ministries department,
which would also be the subject of “break-out” sessions later in the assembly.

 

Enhancing the presentation
was an impressive Annual Report with detailed information, that had been printed
for the delegates in advance of being distributed to the public.

 

Various Diocesan organizations
also reported to the assembly. Presenters included Sarah Andonian of the Women’s Guild
Central Council; Fr. Hovhan Khoja-Eynatyan of the Sacred Music Council; Bree Carriglio
and Sarah Stites of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) and its crowd-sourcing platform
“Ayo”; Marie Vanerian of the
Armenian Church Endowment Fund (ACEF); and Fr. Mardiros Chevian of St. Nersess Seminary.

 

Delegates also heard from Archbishop
Vicken Aykazian, the Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Director, who spoke forcefully
about his efforts to advance the causes of the Armenians of Artsakh and Jerusalem
among the world ecumenical community.

 

Speaking on behalf of the Diocesan Board of Trustees,
Sandra Shahinian and Melanie Dadourian outlined three priorities of the board,
involving oversight of the cathedral and Diocesan Complex projects;
understanding the valuation of parish properties; and assessment, utilization,
and insurance for artwork in the collection of the Diocese.

 

Informative reports from the
Diocesan Ministries departments were delivered during “breakout sessions,” in which
groups of delegates rotated among different rooms to engage in small-group presentations
and discussions, featuring staff from the Youth and Young Adult Ministry department
and Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA); the Diocesan summer camps;
the VEMKAR digital ministry platform; Armenian Language Ministry; and Children and
Family Ministry.

 

The St. Vartan Cathedral Renovation Project
and its Fundraising Committee received a prominent place in the assembly sessions.
Haig Buchakjian (St. Leon Church, Fair Lawn, NJ) reported on the successfully completed
exterior phase of the project, and looked ahead to the interior renovation slated
to begin later this year.

 

He was joined by Richard Papalian in a detailed
discussion of plans for the development of the Diocesan administration building,
which outlined the overall vision guiding the plans, identified the highly experienced
team of advisors, and addressed steps going forward. Both speakers underscored that
this year’s presentation was built on two prior years of coming before the
Diocesan Assembly delegates to explain and keep the assembled body fully
informed. The presentation outlined the next step of going forward, which will
involve issuing a public “request for proposal” to a vetted and curated list of
developers in the coming months.

 

In a presentation on the efforts of the Cathedral
Renovation Fundraising Committee, Melanie Dadourian and Laurie Onanian announced
that the campaign’s fundraising has surpassed $28 million (of a projected $36 million
budget). They urged the attending parish leaders to use the tools developed by the
campaign—including a new printed brochure, social media, parish social events, and
the project website—in their home settings.

 

(Learn about and support the St. Vartan Cathedral
Renovation campaign on its website: StVartan.org.)

 

Five proposals were considered during the
assembly. The first, presented by the Diocesan Council, sought to conform the
language of the Diocesan Bylaws to the “stewardship” funding system adopted by
many parishes during the course of a five-year pilot program. It passed in its
initial vote, and will be brought to a vote again next year, in accordance with
the Bylaws amendment procedure.

 

The second proposal, to allow remote
participation in parish assemblies under certain circumstances, was the subject
of extensive discussion, with the result of the Assembly passing a motion
asking the Diocesan Council to collaborate with the motion’s sponsoring parish
to conduct a multi-year pilot program.

 

Two related proposals, to add a precise
definition of “quorum,” for purposes of Diocesan Assemblies, in the Diocesan
Bylaws, were tabled.

 

A fifth proposal, amending the Diocesan
Bylaws by enlarging the definition of “official notification” for parish
assemblies to include electronic notification, was passed by the delegates, and
will be brought to a vote again next year.

 

 

* Final Blessings

 

Saturday’s assembly
session began with a requiem service for departed delegates, clergy, and Diocesan
leaders of the past year, followed by a reflection on the assembly theme by Fr.
Aren Jebejian (St. John Church, Southfield, MI).

 

Fr. Avedis Kalayjian (St. Mesrob
Church, Racine, WI) presented highlights of the Clergy Conference, which had met
in the days prior to the main gathering. The delegates also heard highlights of
the Parish Council Chairs Meeting, which had immediately preceded the inaugural
session. Arlen Haruthunian (St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX) delivered the report
on behalf of the assembled parish council chairs of the Eastern Diocese.

 

The final session also saw
the passage of a revised budget of $5.7 million for 2026, and a balanced budget
of $5.5 million for 2027—both introduced and explained in a detailed visual presentation
by Diocesan Council treasurer Alex Topakbashian. He noted the steady recent increase
in income from annual fundraising and rental of the Diocesan facilities, and introduced
a new online “Diocesan Leadership Hub” that will link parishes for the sharing of
resources and communication.

 

The 124th Diocesan Assembly
adjourned ahead of schedule, but not before Bishop Mesrop approached the podium
a final time to lead the participants in prayer, and to thank the host parish, delegates,
staff, and all the Diocesan leaders for their ongoing activity in the church. “I
look forward,” he said, “to seeing you in your respective parishes, to walking this
journey together, and to seeing you at next year’s assembly.”

 

The 124th Diocesan Assembly
was also the occasion for the Annual Awards Banquet, the Diocesan Clergy Conference,
and the 37th Women’s Guild Assembly. Look for
expansive treatment of these gatherings in the near future.

 

The 125th Diocesan Assembly,
meeting in May of 2027, will convene in Providence, RI, hosted by Sts. Sahag and
Mesrob Church, in a format that will condense the assembly sessions to two days.

 

Click the following links
to:

· VIEW
PHOTOS of
the Assembly sessions, by photographers Mano Baghjajian and Donald Rask.

· WATCH
A SHORT VIDEO on
the Assembly and its related events.

 

***

 

Election Results of the 124th Diocesan Assembly

 

124th Assembly Officers
Herman
Purutyan (Watertown, MA)—Chair
Zaven
Kalayjian (Washington, DC)—Vice Chair
Laurie
Bejoian (Framingham, MA)—Secretary

 

Diocesan Board of Trustees (10-year term)
Haig Buchakjian
(Fair Lawn, NJ)

 

Nominating Committee (1-year term)
Michelle Babikian (Chicago, IL)—Chair
Lori Dorian
(Cambridge, MA)
Fr. Vart
Gyozalyan (Haverhill, MA)
Fr. Vasken
Kouzouian (Cambridge, MA)
Steve Migridichian (Worcester, MA)
Alternate:
Fr. Voskan
Hovhannisyan (Livingston, NJ)

 

Proposals Committee (1-year term)
Fr. Armash
Bagdasarian (Wynnewood, PA)—Chair
Fr. Tadeos
Barseghyan (Worcester, MA)
Antranig
Garibian (Cheltenham, PA)
Dn. Ara Jeknavorian (Chelmsford, MA)
Fr. Avedis
Kalayjian (Racine, WI)
Alternate: Greg Saraydarian (Bayside,
NY)

 

Auditing Committee (3-year term)
Mark Kashgegian
(Framingham, MA)

* * *

 

PHOTO CAPTION 1:

The 124th Assembly of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America convened April 30 to May 2, 2026, in Milwaukee, WI, hosted by
the city’s St. John the Baptist Armenian Church. It was the fourth Assembly to
be presided over by Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan—and the occasion
for the Diocese’s quadrennial election for the office of Primate, which saw
Bishop Mesrop re-elected to serve a second four-year term.

 

PHOTO CAPTION 2:

In a
departure from the usual Diocesan Assembly practice, the report of the Diocesan
Council was conducted in a panel format, in which Diocesan Council vice chair
Lisa Esayian directed interview questions to a
panel comprised of Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Diocesan Council chair
Richard Papalian and
interim Director of Ministries Fr. Hratch Sargsyan (shown here seated left to right).

 

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