Minister to the Union travels to South America

Early December, Rev. Hendrik Shanazarian visited three Armenian Evangelical Churches in South America. He arrived in São Paulo on December 5. During his three-day stay, he met with the pastor and lay leaders of the Armenian Evangelical Central Church of São Paulo, including Rev. Dr. Roy Abrahamian, Mr. Vartan Moumdjian, and Mr. Armen Jehdian. He also met with Bishop Narek Berberyan, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Brazil, as well as Father Antonio of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Cathedral in São Paulo.

On Sunday, December 7, Rev. Shanazarian worshiped and preached at Armenian Evangelical Central Churchof São Paulo . The participation of the choir of the Lutheran Church during the worship enriched the service. Following the service the fellowship hour was a great opportunity to meet with the congregation. Later that day, Rev. Shanazarian joined some of the leaders to attend the 84th anniversary luncheon of the Armenian Club, where he met several community leaders and enjoyed a well-prepared Armenian cultural program and traditional cuisine.

On December 8, Rev. Shanazarian traveled to Buenos Aires, where he was warmly welcomed by Rev. Abel Manoukian and Mr. Armando Betahian, a longtime church member and lay leader. On December 10, he made a one-day visit to Montevideo, where he was received by Rev. Dr. Obed Boyadjian and Mr. Aram Moumdjian. During this visit, Rev. Shanazarian had the opportunity to become better acquainted with the church’s longtime pastor and his wife, Dr. Dora Baghdassarian, a highly respected retired dean and professor at the law school.

During his short stay in Montevideo, Rev. Shanazarian visited the church facilities and met with the lay leadership to discuss current challenges facing the church and possible solutions. Before returning to Buenos Aires, he also met with Archbishop Hakob Glnjian, Primate of the Uruguayan Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This meeting provided an opportunity to learn about the Archbishop’s dedicated service to the community and his scholarly contributions in the fields of church history and biblical studies.

During his four-day stay in Buenos Aires, Rev. Shanazarian met on several occasions with the church leadership to discuss the current situation and future direction of the ministry. The church is very active and offers ministries for children, youth, women, and men. It also operates a successful music school that provides instruction in various instruments and vocal training. Several students from the music school actively participate in the church’s Sunday worship services.

In addition, the church supports a ministry in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Tucumán, a small province in northwestern Argentina located approximately 1,250 kilometers from Buenos Aires. During the Sunday service on December 14, the church celebrated the 96th anniversary of its founding. Rev. Shanazarian preached an encouraging and challenging message for the occasion. The sanctuary was filled with members and guests from sister churches, and the worship band offered rich and specially prepared music.

The members and leaders of all three churches expressed their appreciation for Rev. Shanazarian’s visit. The need for closer relationships and mutual support among the churches in the area is clearly evident. Rev. Shanazarian encouraged the leadership of the three churches to plan to attend the upcoming AEUNA Biennial in 2026 and the AMAA annual meetings. We thank God for the faithful service of these churches and pray for God’s continued blessings upon their ministries and leadership.