The Armenian Evangelical Church is a recent reformation movement within one of the oldest Christian faith traditions. Many historians site as its official beginning July 1st, 1846, when forty men and women met in Istanbul in hopes of bringing about change within the Armenian Apostolic Church. What arose was a cultural renaissance within the Armenian communities across the Ottoman Empire. Evangelical churches, schools, colleges, and seminaries were built to nurture the spiritual awakening that had emerged.
However, tragedy would strike with the Armenian Genocide of 1915, which nearly obliterated this Christian minority group. Its ancient homelands were taken; churches, schools, and homes were all left in ruin. In total, 1.5 million Armenians were systematically annihilated. Those who survived were left scattered across the globe, taking their faith with them wherever they went. Churches were rebuilt and new Armenian Christian communities were formed across the Diaspora.
The Armenian Evangelical Church movement is now an international network. There are Armenian Evangelical churches in Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Iran, Lebanon, Russia, Syria, and the United States of America. Their members gather in the name of Jesus Christ, continuing to live out the faith of their ancestors amidst their new and varied cultural settings.