Dear Friends of Christians for Armenia, 

Perhaps our regular readers will remember that our December 2020 newsletter ended with this earnest request : Will you help us increase our range of broadcasts on the network of Radio Hay, which still broadcasts over Artsakh and can be heard by locals? We currently need an extra US $6000 per year to put on the air three times a week a new range of short podcasts that are ready to be translated and recorded. We are very thankful to report that a few generous donors made it possible to start broadcasting our podcasts on Radio Hay’s network earlier this month. May this additional range of broadcasts strengthen the hearts and minds of our listeners, in a time of critical spiritual warfare following the tragic events of last year, the mourning of thousands of soldiers who died in combat, while the Covid pandemic is still weakening the country. To be effective, however, this new outreach will have to continue in the long term. It needs to be sustained financially through the next years, otherwise, it would be short lived and would miss the goal it purports to fulfill.

A new publication on its way

Our range of publications also keeps growing, with the forthcoming release of a short volume containing articles written by several French theologians. Among them, a biographical sketch of Cyril Lukaris, the Greek Orthodox patriarch from the 17th century, should make Armenians reflect about the necessity and challenges of a Biblical reformation amidst adverse circumstances and even fierce opposition. In the meantime, the thorough revision of our translation of the Psalms and the New Testament in modern Armenian is making good progress. We need to clarify some editorial issues to properly plan for the publication of this much awaited volume in a format accessible to the largest number of readers.

Recognizing the 1915 Genocide of Armenians

Most of you have heard about the official recognition by U.S. president Joe Biden of the 1915 Genocide of Armenians by Ottoman authorities, 106 years after the start of these criminal policies. Back then, they were widely reported by the American press, notably due to the reports of U.S ambassador Henry Morgenthau, a prime eyewitness of what was happening. This welcome recognition comes at a time when a new onslaught against Armenia was launched last year by its two hostile neighbors. It relies on the thorough and well documented research done by historians from various backgrounds, including courageous Turkish ones, such as Taner Akçam (I refer you to his authoritative book published in 2006: A Shameful Act : the Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility). However, this recognition must not hide what we are constantly pointing out in all our newsletters : the fact that political, social, and moral upheavals internal to Armenia as a post-Soviet republic, are just as dangerous for the survival of this three-thousand years old nation as its external enemies are. There is little that we can do about the latter (except to pray for them and for their conversion in the spirit of Mat. 7:44). But we must first pray for the genuine conversion of Armenians themselves to the Gospel of Jesus-Christ, above and beyond their century-old traditions which may hide from them the only object worthy of their worship : The Triune God perfectly revealed by the eternal Son, having come in a flesh similar to ours, but sinless. This is what we, at Christians for Armenia, are eagerly and constantly striving for. We are convinced that the mighty Spirit of our Lord has the power to reform hearts and minds through His Word, bringing about the kind of cultural and social change that can heal a society too easily given over to mourning, to the celebration of dead heroes and victims of crimes perpetrated by ruthless foes.

We thank you for your continued prayers and support in this communal effort, praising the Lord to have you as faithful partners in this ministry.

Rev Eric Kayayan

Please send your donations to the following address:

REFORMED FAITH AND LIFE
Christians for Armenia
P.O. Box 8208 Kentwood, MI 49508
We are a tax-exempt organization under section
501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue code, registered in Michigan.