Christian Post, CA
June 25 2005
Armenian Churches Host Bible Conference in Tehran
A committee in Iran representing the Armenian Church, the Chaldean
Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church and the Armenian Catholic
Church recently held a three-day conference on the Bible.
Saturday, Jun. 25, 2005 Posted: 10:18:54AM EST
A committee in Iran representing the Armenian Church, the Chaldean
Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church and the Armenian Catholic
Church recently held a three-day conference on the Bible `to give
help to Iran’s Armenian Christian minority in their spiritual and
community life as Christians.’
The conference, entitled `The Bible and the Youth of the 21st
Century’, was the first public function of the Inter-Church
Publication Committee. Participants included teachers, Sunday School
teachers and church youth workers.
According to Alik, a Tehran-based Armenian newspaper which reported
on the conference, throughout the three days the Scriptural focus was
on the Second Letter of Timothy. The main speakers consisted of the
Rev Henrik Shahnazarian of the Armenian Evangelical Church, who led a
study on 2 Tim. 2:14-26; and the special guest, Dr H Hovhannisian, a
well-known psychologist based in France who led a study on 2 Tim.
3:10-12. During the conference, participants also had an opportunity
to reflect on these passages in groups.
Over two days, Hovhannisian presented his topic, outlining the
challenges of the 21st century to a life of faith as well as the
challenges of the faith to 21st century youth. There were extended
sessions for questions and discussion.
Other speakers included Bishop Nshan Karakehyayan, who spoke on `The
Inspiration and Authority of the Holy Scriptures’, and Archbishop
Sebouh Sarkissian who gave `An Introduction to the Old and New
Testaments’.
After the conference, Hovhannisian visited a number of churches in
Tehran where he led studies on `The Bible and Youth’ and `The Bible
and the Family’.
The newspaper noted that there had been great interest in the
conference locally and that `there are plans in the future to involve
not only target groups but the faithful at large.’