Current News

15 September 2011

What follows is a message from Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), on the theme of "The Call to Serve: Ministry of the Faithful."

Follow Him

"Follow me," said our Lord Jesus Christ, "and I will make you fishers of men" (Mt 4:19). He spoke these words to the simple fishermen whom he called to be his first disciples. But his call to "Follow me" also had a broader audience, as the evangelist Mark records:

"Jesus called the people to him with his disciples, and said to them: ‘Whoever would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me'" (Mk 8:34).

Over and over again in the gospels, our Lord utters this call to people from every station in life. "Follow me" is Christ's invitation to join him, to become close to him, to walk in his footsteps—and thus to know him more intimately.

Life in the Armenian Church confirms the multi-faceted nature of Christ's call. Certainly, in our church, one kind of call is associated with the priesthood, and there is a unique ministry that goes with it.

But Christ also calls in different ways to all his faithful followers.  Indeed, wearing the very name "Christian" means that you are answering his call to "Follow me." It means that you are striving to live in daily imitation of our Lord's example and spiritual message.

It means that, whether as a member of the clergy or the laity of the church, you are performing Christ's ministry on earth.

This idea of lay ministry—the "ministry of the faithful"—is the theme of our Diocese this year. Throughout the coming weeks and months, it will be the focus of our discussions and activities-from the Diocesan level to our local parishes and individual families.

Our theme is summed up in the title, "The Call to Serve: Ministry of the Faithful," and through it, with our Lord's guidance, all of us as a Diocese will gain a deeper understanding of lay ministry: where it begins, where it leads, and what it can mean for our church.

As ministers of our Lord, we are the lamp through which the light of Christ shines on others, illuminating them to the presence of Christ in their lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the people to whom we minister can themselves become part of the Ministry of the Faithful.

I feel that this ministry is being performed whenever and however you participate in church life. Perhaps you are a member of the choir, or a deacon on the altar, or a teacher in Sunday School or Armenian School. Perhaps you serve on the Women's Guild, or another parish organization.

Or perhaps you are comforting a fellow parishioner in pain; reaching out to a human being in need; or lending moral or material support to others. Each of these is a service to our Lord-an opportunity to participate in the Ministry of the Faithful.

But in its broadest conception, the Ministry of the Faithful is not limited to the family, the parish, or even of the church as a whole. Indeed, your work as lay ministers of Christ can have profound consequences for the entire society we inhabit.

Still, it is in church, living and working side-by-side among our fellow Armenian Christians, that we receive the inspiration and strength to carry this ministry forward.

On Sunday, September 18, local parishes across our Diocese will inaugurate this year's theme: "The Call to Serve: Ministry of the Faithful." I invite you to take part in badarak on that day, and to open yourselves to the call of our Lord in your everyday lives. I hope that all of us, together, will come to a greater realization of the incredible potential of lay ministry. And I have faith that our Diocese, and the Armenian Church overall, will grow stronger, healthier, filled with greater creativity and inspiration, as we attend to Christ's call: "Follow me."

May God bless all our people, and may He grant us many occasions to serve Him, our society, and our fellow countrymen, under the radiant beauty of the Armenian heritage.

With prayers,

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
Primate