On Thursday, October 20, 2017, the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) presented two lectures on the occasion of the 500^th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. The event, which took place at the Armenian Presbyterian Church in Paramus, NJ, was attended by over 50 pastors, AMAA members, Board members, and staff from The United States and abroad. Zaven Khanjian, AMAA Executive Director/CEO introduced the two speakers.

Rev. Dr. Carnegie Calian, past President of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, lectured on “The Impact of the Reformation on Christianity and the World.” He examined the impact of Martin Luther’s movement and presented the socio-political, psychological and theological factors that played out in the early years of the Reformation. Luther’s main theme was “repent,” which meant to change and move out of one’s comfort zone.

Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian, Executive Director of the Armenian Evangelical World Council and a prolific author of 40 books, spoke on the “Dawn of the Armenian Evangelical Church and its Impact on the Armenian Nation.” He began his presentation by discussing the various 19^th century factors that ushered in the Armenian Evangelical movement in the first half of the century – the intellectual enlightenment among Armenians, various educational institutions and the support of missionaries. This was followed by the key elements of the movement: Personal relationship with God, the priesthood of all believers, the importance of lay men and women, the liberty of individuals and the ultimate authority of the Bible. The last part of his lecture focused on the contribution of the Armenian Evangelical movement in the fields of education, evangelism, and leadership.

In closing, Mr. Khanjian thanked the two speakers and challenged the Armenian Evangelical Community to “look into the mirror.”