“Armenian Forum” Looks at Church and Education

Staff Report

The Fresno Yeprad lodge of the Knights of Vartan held an “Armenian Forum” on Friday, October 17.

Invited speakers for the evening were Deacon Armen Devejian, Press Secretary of the Catholicossate of Holy Etchmiadzin and Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State. The audience was divided into two groups, and each speaker gave a twenty-minute presentation, followed by a question and answer period, and then a joint session addressing questions to each speaker.

The “Armenian Forum” was open to the public and presented current views on two aspects of current life in Armenia-the Church and education.

Deacon Devejian outlined the activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Armenia. In particular he focused on the efforts of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin to prepare a new generation of clergy at the Kevorkian Theological Seminary. The seminary has been renovated, a new residence for students has been constructed and the Armenian government has accredited the seminary. Annually some twenty to twenty-five students are being ordained as priests. Within a few years they will begin to fill the substantial need for clergy in Armenia and in the Diaspora. Outstanding students are being sent abroad to further their education, before returning to serve the Church.

Deacon Devejian has lived in Armenia with his wife Paula for the past two years and will be ordained a priest in February of 2004.

Der Mugrdechian spoke about his experience with the higher education system in Armenia, primarily with Yerevan State University, where he has worked with faculty from the School of Economics, the Department of Art History, and the Department of History. His talk outlined some of the major challenges that the university has faced and he also pointed out some of the areas where there had been much success. Faculty exchanges between Fresno State and Yerevan State University have also opened up opportunities for faculty to learn new methods of teaching and to revise course curriculum where necessary.

In particular Der Mugrdechian discussed how the Armenian Diaspora should become more involved in the educational life in Armenia, by establishing scholarship funds for students and research and teaching grants for faculty.

Mark Der Matoian, Western District Representative of the Knights of Vartan, organized the “Armenian Forum.”