| Armenian Evangelical Church | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | AEC |
| Classification | Eastern Protestant |
| Orientation | Evangelical |
| Primate | Dr. Rene Levonian Preceded by Rev. Dr. Moses Janbazian (1945-2000) |
| Language | Armenian |
| Headquarters | Istanbul, Turkey; Yerevan, Armenia; Beirut, Lebanon; New Jersey, USA; Paris, France |
| Territory | Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh |
| Possessions | Russia,Iraq,Georgia,France, theUnited States,Israel,Lebanon,Syria,Jordan,Palestine,Turkey,Iran,Egypt,Canada,Australia,Cyprus,Belgium,Italy,France,United Kingdom,Germany,Netherlands,Spain,Romania,Sweden,Switzerland,Argentina,Brazil,Uruguay and many others. |
| Founder | 37 men and 3 women in Constantinople |
| Independence | July 1, 1846, in Constantinople |
| Separated from | Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople |
| Members | 250,000 |
| Official website | eca aeuna amaa |
TheArmenian Evangelical Church (Armenian:Հայաստանեայց Աւետարանական Եկեղեցի,romanized: Hayastaneayts' Awyetaranakan Yekeghets'i) was established on July 1, 1846, by thirty-seven men and three women inConstantinople.
In the 19th century there was an intellectual and spiritual awakening in Constantinople. This awakening and enlightenment pushed the reformists to study theBible. Under the patronage of the Armenian Patriarchate, a secondary school was opened, headed byKrikor Peshtimaldjian (died 1837), one of the leading intellectuals of the time.[citation needed] The principal aim of this school was to train qualified clergy for theArmenian Apostolic Church.
The result of this awakening was the formation of a society called the "Pietistical Union". The members held meetings for the study of the Bible. During these meetings and Bible studies, questions were raised regarding the practices and traditions of the church, which to them seemed to conflict with biblical truths.
These reformists faced strong retaliation from theArmenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. Eventually, afterPatriarchMatteos Chouhajian excommunicated the reformists, they were forced to organize themselves into a separate religious community, theProtestant Millet. This separation led to the formation of the Armenian Evangelical Church in 1846.
In March 1853, the Armenian Evangelical Church was separated from the Apostolic Church within the Ottoman Register of Taxation, thus formally recognizing it as a separate entity and community.[1]
Today, there are approximately 100 Armenian Evangelical churches in the following countries:Argentina,Armenia,Australia,Belgium,Brazil,Bulgaria,Canada,Cyprus,Egypt,England,France,Georgia,Greece,Iran,Iraq,Lebanon,Syria,Turkey,Uruguay, and theUnited States of America.
Groups of Brethren assemblies exist in Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, the United States, and Australia.
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