In Sight
Our church is losing ground. Are we up to the challenge?
Last week, our discussion focused on the positive impact of the pan-Armenian spirit emerging in the diaspora. It has brought a new level of energy and effectiveness into our communities. But it is becoming increasingly clear that the church has not reaped its “fair share” of this mini renaissance. Surely, we would expect one of the most important institutions in our nation to ride the wave of collaboration and the resulting benefits. Unfortunately, this has not happened. When we look beyond
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Good start. But how about church not having any views on things like LGBT rights? Can one be Armenian, a church goer and gay? Of course. But does that ever get discussed? Who is going to talk about these issues?
I totally agree with your point. The Armenian Church reflects the limitations of the Armenian-American population in general. As far as LGBTQ is concerned, Armenians are still living in the Dark Ages. The last time I attended an Armenian Church dinner, all the women sat at one end of the table, and the men at the other. 90% of the men were unabashedly making racist remarks about President Obama. They all supported Trump, who as we now know, is an Armenian genocide denier and close ally of Erdogan’s. Instead of discussing higher issues, such a Christian ideals, they went on and on about how much money they were making and all the things they owned or were planning to buy. Do we need to go to church to discuss such vulgar, venal topics? I used to love attending the Badarak. I used to sing in the choir at St Vartan’s in Oakland throughout my university years and continued to accompany my grandparents to church on Sunday throughout my adult life. But with the way the Armenian-American attendees are evolving today, the church does not seem to attract more progressive-minded individuals. Perhaps the drop in church attendance is due to the fact more people choose to maintain a more personal relationship with God, and to avoid the social intercourse with a male-dominated congregation who appears to have lost touch with their sense of the sacred.
Why not infuse the Church with new energy by the ordination of women into the clergy?
I praise Stepan for the courage to bring these important issues forward. We can’t keep our heads in the sand,or time will do to our Church and communities what the Turks could not. It takes courage to try new things. Some may succeed, some may fail. But we should at least make the effort. Our wake up call is passing us by unless we address these issues now
Armenians intermarry. That is a fact. Given this fact, the only question is do we want those who intermarry to retain their Armenian identity or not. If the church accepts them and their spouses, it is much more likely that they will retain their Armenian identity and pass it down to their children. If the church does not accept them, it is far more likely that they will simply assimilate.
I encourage everyone to discuss these important issues with their pastors, parish council members and fellow parishioners. All these topics bear discussion. The church grows through the prayers and participation of the faithful.
Excellent article. The key word here is “relevance”. Connecting the dots between the issues we face as Armenian Americans on a daily basis and how our faith can see us through these issues will hopefully enlighten worshipers and lead them back to seeing the church as an integral and necessary part of their everyday lives.
With regard to LGBT rights and ordaining women, it’s important to keep in mind that the Armenian Church is an Orthodox church. Although you may interpret the Bible in a different manner, the church follows Orthodox customs based on how it interprets the Bible. Women are not ordained because Christ only ordained male disciples. And regarding LGBT, though the church does not condemn their lifestyles openly, it is assumed that since God created Adam & Eve that same-sex couples do not follow God’s example. Again, everyone has their own interpretations, but the Orthodox church is very conservative and based on interpretation of scripture. That’s why it cannot be compared to Episcopal or Protestant.
The comments talking about how the church is Orthodox and that it is just “the way it goes” with regards to not being more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community and not allowing women in higher roles is why the church will inevitably fail. The church is stuck in the past, and it will forever be stuck there unless there is major change and introspection coming from within.
The notion that “intermarrying” is still a major talking point with members of the church is very telling. Ultimately, accept that the world has changed, and that the generations have changed with it as well. If this notion cannot be understood and accepted, the church will fail.