It was a historic week for the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, (NCC) as their 37 Member Communions gathered in the greater Boston area for the NCC’s 75th anniversary celebration and annual Christian Unity Gathering centered on the theme Christ is Risen: A Transforming Witness from Generation to Generation.
From October 13 through 16, NCC representatives and guests participated in numerous plenary sessions and worship services in various Boston area Houses of Worship, including: The Huffington Ecumenical Center of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, the African Meeting House and Museum of African American History, and the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cambridge.
Events included the 75th anniversary Celebration and Dinner at the Boston Newton Marriott Hotel on Monday evening and the installation of the new NCC Governing Board Chair, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, during the evening vespers service hosted by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese on Tuesday. On Wednesday, guests traveled to the Boston Common to visit the Embrace statue and Museum of African American History. The day’s plenary sessions included His Eminence Archbishop Vicken Aykazian sharing his experience during the NCC Past Presidents & Board Chairs Panel and being honored during the Anniversary Celebratory Public Worship Service and awards presentation.
In a historic moment, in recognition of Holy Trinity Church’s 100th anniversary and the significance to the Armenian Church of the importance of passing faith from generation to generation, the final day of the CUG was hosted by the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cambridge, MA. \
Guests enjoyed a delicious choreg fellowship before being invited into the sanctuary for an interactive Armenian Orthodox Morning Service. Fr. Vasken Kouzouian, Holy Trinity Church pastor, welcomed those gathered, offering greetings from Diocesan Primate, Bishop Mesrob Parsamyan, and sharing the 100-year history of Holy Trinity Armenian Church.
“Witnessing religious leaders of various Christian traditions come together for worship and to discuss similarities and ways they can grow closer on such a high level was a blessing and beautiful to see, and it was rewarding to share our story after celebrating our 100th Anniversary”, said Fr. Vasken.
Following the traditional Armenian hymn and prayer-filled morning service enhanced by the voices of Yeghishe Manucharyan and Victoria Avetisyan, the program continued in the parish’s Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall with an intergenerational panel.
Panel moderator Yeretzgin Arpi Kouzouian set the stage, stating “For centuries the Armenian church has witnessed and shared her faith from generation to generation. This passing of faith is ingrained into our souls – it is integral to our existence. We have indeed heard a great deal this week about the importance of storytelling. We have heard how each of our stories can be viewed as tiles, and when these individual tiles come together, they create a beautiful mosaic. We invite you to sit back and hear our story.”
Guests witnessed an inspiring video presentation featuring testimonials of multigenerational Holy Trinity parishioners, interviews with two enduring families of faith, and a message from Fr. Vasken. Following the video, an intergenerational panel featuring seven Holy Trinity parishioners, the youngest being 10 years of age, shared with those present their motivation for staying connected to the Armenian Church. Each panelist added to the story, shining a light on the mosaic that makes up the Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston.
It was a week full of authentic fellowship, profound ecumenical dialogue, challenging and thought-provoking conversations, and uplifting and inspirational worship, preaching and public witness.
Representing the Armenian Church in America were NCC Governing Board members Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Ecumenical Legate, and Yeretzgin Arpi Kouzouian, Director of Youth Ministries of Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cambridge. Additional CUG attendees included Holy Trinity Church pastor Fr. Vasken Kouzouian, St. Stephen’s Church pastor V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, and St. Nersess Seminarian Dn. Arin Parsanian.