History
The Armenian Church: A Brief Introduction
For almost 2,000 years the Armenian Church has grown in the light of the gospel message and has sheltered and nurtured her faithful in the warmth and truth of that light. This is her story.
The Armenian Church
The Armenian Church dates its existence from the time of Christ and the apostles. On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), Jesus' apostles were sent out into the world to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Among the twelve, the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, called the "First Illuminators," brought the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus to Armenia. Despite many setbacks and with heroic evangelization by St. Gregory the Enlightener, Christianity finally became the official state religion around 301 A.D. with the baptizing of the Armenian King Drtad, his family, and the royal troops.
Thus the Armenian Orthodox Church is apostolic because she teaches what the apostles taught and can trace her existence historically through the ordination of the bishops directly back to the apostles, and through them, to Christ. This is called "apostolic succession."
The Armenian Church is not a loose fellowship of those who just profess Christianity as their religion. It is the community of baptized Armenians who are firmly united in the same faith, spiritually nourished by the same sacraments, and under the same spiritual discipline and authority. It is an organization with a purpose - which is to bring people to God - and possesses and teaches the means by which that aim can be reached. It is unlike any other organization because its founder is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord.