PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: jakeg@armeniandiocese.org
Website:

March 31, 2006
___________________

ACYOA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE EXPLORES CONNECTIONS OF IDENTITY

By Jake Goshert

The three questions are connected in deep and serious ways. Who is He —
what is the nature of God? Who are we — as Armenians living in the
Diaspora? Who am I — what makes me special?

The Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) tackled these
questions during its 7th annual Young Adult Leadership Conference, which ran
from March 10 to 12, 2006, at the Don Bosco Retreat Center in Stony Point,
NY. This year 55 young people from 25 parishes gathered with clergy and
Diocesan staff to explore how these three questions shape an individual’s
sense of identity and faith.

“Christian youth ministry is not a new or modern concern; in fact, its seeds
were planted in the gospel accounts of the life of Christ. The questions,
“How should I live my life?” or “To which path should I dedicate my talent
and energy?” are important to human beings at every stage of life; but they
are most powerfully felt during one’s passage through young adulthood,” said
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern). During his visit to the conference the Primate also
presented each participant with copies of “The Encyclopedia of Armenian
Christianity” and “The Wonderful Alphabet.”

“In a way, the theme of this conference sums up this matrix of questions
confronting every young life: “Who is He? Who are we? Who am I?” Most of
us confront these questions in the reverse order: each of us begins by
asking, Who am I? And that leads to the question, What is the group I am a
part of, or Who are we? And if one has a genuine openness of heart, I
believe that one will eventually be led to the question, Who is He? Who is
the One who created me, sacrificed for me, comforts and guides me, gives
meaning and purpose to my existence?,” the Primate added.

The annual gathering is part spiritual retreat, part fellowship hour, and
part leadership training. Past participants have gone on to serve not only
on ACYOA’s Central Council but on their local community’s parish council as
well.

“The leadership conference continues to empower the youth in terms of
becoming better Christians as well as becoming stronger leaders in their
communities,” said Maggie Merdjanian, a participant from the St. Sahag and
St. Mesrob Church of Wynnewood, PA.

WHO IS HE?

Diocesan Council member Fr. Yeprem Kelegian, pastor of the St. Mesrob Church
of Racine, WI, facilitated a bible study on the topic of “Who is He?”
During the session participants broke off into four groups and were asked to
answer questions on different Bible passages regarding the person of Christ.

Later Fr. Simeon Odabashian, pastor of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of
Providence, RI, offered the young audience a brief refresher on the basics
of the faith of the Armenian Church highlighting the church’s beliefs and
teachings.

“What an extraordinary experience to come together with these incredibly
inspired young Armenian Christians and have open discussions both on a
personal level and as a group,” said first-time participant Jack Klachian of
the St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX. “I have never been with an Armenian
community with this many people my age. And the content of the session
exceeded my expectations.”

WHO ARE WE?

Dr. Roberta Ervine, a member of the faculty of St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary, led an interactive session which helped the participants explore
their sense of identity.

Using baby pictures, she highlighted the fact that who we were in the past
is not who we are today, that people change and evolve. She also spoke
about how individuals define who they are and accentuate different aspects
depending on what type of people they are interacting with at any given
time. Another exercise had different groups reading the same script in
different ways, showing how accentuating one word or idea can change
understanding.

“The leadership conference is an amazing venue to address important issues
within the Armenian Church,” said participant Shant Babikian of the Church
of the Holy Martyrs of Bayside, NY.

WHO AM I?

There was no one speaker providing a concrete answer to the question “Who am
I?” Instead, answers came from the young participants themselves, each of
whom was asked to create a collage using magazine cut outs and other
materials to express who they were.

Daron Bolat and Saro Kalayjian, both from Washington, DC, pulled all three
questions together in an exploration of the underlying topic of the weekend:
“Who am I Called to Be?” This session was followed by a lively question and
answer period with Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean of the St. Nersess Seminary.
Participants asked a wide variety of questions, form the idea of gay
marriage to premarital sexual relations to if priests get screened at the
airport.

On Sunday morning, Fr. Findikyan celebrated the Divine Liturgy. With
special permission from the Primate, necessary because it is Lent,
participants were able to receive Holy Communion.

Fr. Findikyan, who also served as the chaplain for the weekend, began his
sermon by saying, “Here we are, here He is, and here I am. While we are not
in an actual Armenian Church, gathered here today, we are the Armenian
Church, we’re at the heart of it. We are the best the Armenian Church has
to offer.”

He reflected that while the conference challenged participants to look
inside themselves and take stock of who they were, it also reinforced the
fact that, like the Prodigal Son, if they stray, they will always be
welcomed back to “your church, your people, your home. We will embrace you
upon your return.”

“This weekend was just a reminder that I’m well on my spiritual journey of
learning who we are, who He is and we I am,” said Haigouhi Vartanian, a
participant from the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob church of Providence, RI.

BUILDING THE FUTURE

The final session of the weekend was led by ACYOA Central Council
Programming Coordinator Greg Andonian, who led a discussion on the past,
present, and future of the organization. The ACYOA is celebrating its 60th
anniversary this year.

“After 60 years of service to the Armenian Church, perhaps it is time to
redefine ourselves as an organization and move ahead,” he said, as
participants shared ideas.

The retreat was organized by the ACYOA Central Council: Maria Derderian,
chair; Karen Khatchadourian, vice-chair; Sarine Zenian, secretary; Ani
Tovar, chapter relations coordinator; Greg Andonian, programming
coordinator; Rita Avedissian, treasurer; and John El Chemmas, public
relations coordinator. Also attending and helping to organize were Diocesan
staff members, ACYOA Executive Secretary Nancy Basmajian, Youth Outreach
Coordinator Jennifer Morris, and Daron Bolat, an intern with the Department
of Youth and Education.

— 3/31/06

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Participants in the ACYOA National Leadership Conference
gather to discuss questions of identity, faith, and self-reflection.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Sevan Sultanian from the Sts. Anna and Joachim Church of
Palos Heights, IL, takes part in an exercise designed to explore internal
perceptions during the ACYOA National Leadership Conference March 10 to 12,
2006.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): Fr. Daniel Findikyan, who served as chaplain of the
ACYOA National Leadership Conference, with young participants who served on
the altar during services.

# # #