Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Dec 16 2004

First Armenian Church completes renovation

First Armenian Church of Belmont recently completed the major
renovation of its kitchen. It was unveiled at the Thanksgiving dinner
on Nov. 21 to 120 attending parishioners and friends.

Led by project manager Jeff Dulgarian, who volunteered to
spearhead the renovation upon his return from 11 months of service in
Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the project
took nearly four months to complete. Through the coordinated effort
of general contractor Construction Coordinators Inc. of Needham,
appliance provider Eastern Bakers of Boston, and a number of
subcontractors, the kitchen was fully renovated with state-of-the-art
appliances, plumbing and electrical systems.

“The team approach is undoubtedly the reason we were able to see
this project through,” said Dulgarian. “It was a very rewarding
experience … a total team effort.”

The generosity of one congregation member made the renovation
possible, when she pledged more than half the cost. This led to a
flurry of subsequent matching donations. The church is in the process
of accepting pledges for specific appliances. Co-moderator Richard
Kazanjian said, “We are very thankful for the major donor’s
generosity, which encouraged us to begin this major project.”

The kitchen renovation is the culmination of many
accomplishments at the church over the past year. Exactly one year
ago, First Armenian Church installed its new spiritual leader, Pastor
Greg Haroutunian, who moved from Fresno, Calif. In conjunction with
his arrival, the church undertook the extensive renovation of the
parsonage next door, where he lives with his wife, Sossi, and their
two children, Mark and Ani. In the past year, church membership has
grown, the choir has expanded, Sunday School enrollment has risen,
and the Youth Group (joint with Armenian Memorial Church of
Watertown) is flourishing.

Rev. Haroutunian said, “Over the past year the First Armenian
Church has received many blessings. We are witnessing positive
growth, and God’s presence is felt in all these areas.”

Viken Manougian, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said, “The
new kitchen is just one more symbol of the bright future of our
church and its rejuvenation since the installation of our new
pastor.”

First Armenian Church offers rentals of Nahigian Hall along with
its newly renovated kitchen. For more information, please contact the
church office at 617-484-4779 or office@facbelmont.org. The church’s
Web site is