Armenian Missionary Association of America
The Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) is a non-profit charitable organization serving as the missionary arm of the Armenian Evangelical churches worldwide.
The AMAA was founded in 1918 in Worcester, MA and incorporated in 1920 in the state of New York.
The purpose of the AMAA as defined in Article III of its bylaws is:
"The AMAA shall have at heart the religious cultivation, spiritual growth and development of the Armenian people, enabling them to stand firmly in their Christian faith, to devote themselves to Christian mission and to uphold the following purposes as the basis of all the activities of the Association:
"a. To act as an Armenian Evangelical (Protestant) missionary organization within the family of the Armenian Evangelical reform movement and the universal Church of Jesus Christ.
"b. To encourage by all means the missionary interests of and religious educational, literary and philanthropic work of Armenian Evangelical (Protestant) Churches, Unions, organizations and individuals throughout the world.
"c. To promote fellowship among the Armenian Evangelical churches and the Armenian Evangelical-Protestant people throughout the world.
"d. To do everything necessary or incident for the accomplishment of any or all of the foregoing purposes, including the establishment and management of trust funds and the acquisition of bequests, consistent with the law and with the principles of Evangelical Christianity."
To fulfill this worldwide mission, the AMAA operates and/or supports a range of educational, evangelism, relief, community development, social service, health care, church, child care and other ministries in the following countries: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Karabagh, Lebanon, Mozambique, Syria, Turkey, United States of America, Uruguay.
The AMAA is governed by an elected Board of Directors composed of twenty-seven unpaid members. Moderators of the Armenian Evangelical Unions of France, Near East and North America are Honorary Vice Presidents, serving as Ex Officio members on the Board of Directors. The AMAA's committees are composed of qualified, unpaid volunteers.
The AMAA cooperates with Armenian and non-Armenian mission and service organizations, such as The Stephen Philibosian Foundation, the Telfeyan Evangelical Fund, The Armenian Theological Student Aid, the United Church Board for World Ministries, the Church World Service and Witness Unit of the National Council of Churches of Christ-USA, the Jinishian Memorial Program of the Presbyterian Church-USA, the German and Swiss Hilfsbund Mission, Action Chretienne En Orient - France, Service d'Entraide et de Liaison - France, the United Armenian Fund, Armenia Fund - USA, and other colleague agencies.
The AMAA is headquartered in Paramus, New Jersey, since 1972. It has support offices in California at 13330 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423; and in Armenia at Nigol Douman Street 22, Yerevan, Armenia.
The AMAA has branches functioning as chapters or mission committees of local churches in the United States and abroad. It also has District Committees or affiliates serving as regional Armenian Missionary Associations in Argentina, Brasil, Canada, Iran and Uruguay.
A paid Executive Director with paid office staff administers the life and work of the Association. Administrative and overhead costs are kept low.
AMAA Elects New Board, President
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—In late 2011, the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), in accordance with the appropriate policies and procedures, elected its new Board members, president, and officers.
On Oct. 15, at the Annual Meeting of the AMAA, the general membership elected the following members to the Board of Directors: Bryan Bedrosian, Anita Buchakjian, Nazareth Darakjian, M.D., Robert Hekemian, Sr., Louis Kurkjian, Kenneth Kevorkian, Lori Muncherian, Harold Nahigian, and Arsine Bedrosian Phillips, Esq. They were installed on Oct. 16 at the Annual Meeting Worship Service, held at the United Armenian Congregational Church of Los Angeles.
On Dec. 3, the Board elected its officers and approved the Executive Committee as follows: Joseph Zeronian, Ed.D., president; Nazareth Darakjian, M.D. and Peter Kougasian, Esq., vice presidents; Thomas Momjian Esq. and Arsine Phillips, Esq., secretaries; Nurhan Helvacian, Ph.D., treasurer; Anita Buchakjian, assistant treasurer; Berjouhy Gulesserian, advisor; Levon Filian, executive director; Albert Momjian, Esq., solicitor; and Joyce Stein, representative of the Stephen Philibosian Foundation.
The AMAA was founded in Worcester, Mass. in 1918 and incorporated in New York in 1920 with the purpose of strengthening and supporting the Armenian people in their Christian faith and to encourage religious education as well as literary and philanthropic work. Since its founding, the AMAA has expanded its programs of educational, evangelistic, relief, social services, church, and child care ministries to 24 countries around the world.