National Prayer Breakfast in Yerevan

For the first time in Armenian history, Evangelical Christians organized an official National Prayer Breakfast on November 14-15, 2025. The main organizer of the meeting, Craig Simonian, head of the Peace and Reconciliation Network (PRN) of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) in the Caucasus, invited most of the representatives of the Christian churches in the country. The general secretaries of the WEA and EEA, Butros Mansur and Jan Wessel, were also present in Yerevan.

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More than 300 participants from Armenia and abroad took part in the meeting, including the country's prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and members of his cabinet. Pashinyan surprised the participants by reciting entire Psalms from memory and repeatedly emphasizing how important it is for him that his country be fundamentally oriented toward God and Christian values. Among other things, he said:

"We often talk and constantly discuss, thinking about what additional mechanisms we should introduce to ensure good conduct, because good conduct is perhaps one of the most important issues in all countries. And, of course, good conduct is a topic of reforms, good conduct is a topic of regulations, checks and balances, but good conduct is not possible without the presence of God, good conduct is not possible without the Word of God." [1]

Pashinyan praised the organizers of the prayer breakfast and expressed his hope that events of this kind would contribute to peace and prosperity in his country. At the end of the conference, he said:

“The hours spent yesterday and today in this format give a great spiritual charge and energy to try to continue on that path or, after re-examining and being convinced, to try to be faithful to that path, and to be convinced that all of us - me, our Government, our state, the governing team, in general, all citizens of our country - are walking on the path that God is leading us on. And I think that the path of peace is the path God leads us through." [2]

Others also welcomed the meeting. I myself visited Yerevan a week after the meeting and could see how enthusiastic the Protestant representatives of the Armenian churches in particular were about the national prayer breakfast. At last, they were being taken seriously by society as a whole.

The reactions from the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), on the other hand, were quite different. Although the Catholicos of the Church, Garekin II, attended the breakfast in person, he was a disappointment across the board. In his speech, he barely mentioned faith. Instead, he seemed to be more concerned with the conflict between his church and the government.

Culture war in Armenia

In fact, the tensions between the AAC and the Armenian state, which have been ongoing since 2020, are increasingly turning into a culture war [3]. At the end of June, two high-ranking politically active clergymen were arrested.

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is accused by the government of planning a violent coup against Prime Minister Pashinyan and his government. As early as 2024, he organized a protest movement against Pashinyan and, following the recommendation and blessing of Catholicos Garegin II, proposed himself as prime minister. He also knew that he had the support of the country's old political elites. In this context, 14 more people were arrested. The coup plotters had already drawn up their plan in 2024 and were just waiting for the right moment. Now the state has preempted them.

The second archbishop arrested, Mikael Ajapahyan, is also said to have publicly called for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order and the seizure of power since 2021.

Along with the two church leaders, Russian billionaire Samwell Karapeyan was also arrested. He owns large companies in Armenia. He maintains good relations with the Catholicos and the administration of the AAC and is considered a representative of pro-Russian positions in Armenia. He is not comfortable with Pashinyan's pro-Western political course and promotes ways for Armenia to move closer to Russia.

The prime minister denounces these men for their political positions, but also publicly points to the largely corrupt and morally questionable lifestyle of the AAC elite. He bluntly brought up the violation of celibacy by church dignitaries and even the head of the church in public.

All this is dividing Armenian society. While some suspect that Turkey and Azerbaijan are influencing the prime minister's actions, others point to Russia. Since the Catholicos received a medal from Putin in 2022 for deepening Russian-Armenian friendship, parts of the population have doubted his integrity. The fact that the Catholicos' brother is Archbishop of the Armenian Church in Russia and maintains good relations with the Russian Patriarch also contributes to the Catholicos being perceived as too pro-Russian in the eyes of the growing segment of society that is critical of Russia.

This has caused a deep rift in Armenian society. While some fear the dismantling of the traditional AAC, others are pleased that the corruption of the church elite, which has been known for centuries, is finally being addressed.

Parliamentary elections are due to take place in Armenia next year. How will the people decide? For or against the government's pro-Western course? And thus for or against the AAC. Many, especially young people, are therefore leaving the AAC, and quite a few are seeking affiliation with the Evangelical churches. And indeed, Evangelical circles could tip the scales in the next elections. This also explains the politician's largely friendly behavior at the National Prayer Breakfast.

Evangelical revival

Evangelical communities have been growing in Armenia for years. Since the first Evangelical communities were founded in the 1840s [4], they have been persecuted by the Armenian Apostolic Church. Even today, the church is anything but friendly towards them. However, it has not been able to prevent the growth of Evangelicalsim.

More than 100,000 Armenians now belong to Armenian-Evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal, and charismatic churches. They are generally well regarded by the population and differ significantly from the generally corrupt majority of the population. This is one of the main reasons why people join these churches.

An example of this growth is Young Life Armenia. The youth movement has undergone a fascinating development. In the few years since its inception, it has led thousands of young people to faith in Jesus and has now also brought them together in churches [5]. Today, it even sends its missionaries to neighboring Turkey.

What the many Evangelical Christians in the country lack is, on the one hand, unity and, on the other, adequate theological education. For years, the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) has been striving to establish a national alliance. But only now, thanks to the success of the National Breakfast, do the various Evangelical leaders seem willing to agree to found a national movement. The difficult situation of the AAC also seems to encourage them to do so.

There also appears to be some movement in the area of theological education. The oldest Armenian Evangelical Church (AEC) seems to want to establish an interdenominational evangelical seminary in its Yerevan center. There used to be a similar school here. There is even still a remarkable library. But then the tensions with the AAC became too great for the small church. They closed their seminary and have been sending their students to Lebanon for further studies.

Now, during the National Prayer Breakfast, it became clear to those responsible that the complex political and religious situation offers Protestant communities an unprecedented opportunity. And a theological college that is recognized by all Protestant circles could become a forge of spiritual and theological renewal.

For this, they need our prayers and support.

Johannes Reimer is a renowned expert on the situation in the Caucasus and author of several publications on the subject.

Notes