124th Diocesan Assembly Envisions a Church ‘Renewed in Hope’

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.

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 comprising 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.

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 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 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.