TAKE ACTION WITH THE AMAA

The AMAA is releasing a letter to the global church calling for its partnership with the Christian people of Armenia and Artsakh following the brutal war that Azerbaijan – with the full support of Turkey – started on September 27, 2020. As a result of the constant shelling, as well as numerous war crimes, more than 90,000 Armenians, the indigenous people of Artsakh, were forced out of their homeland. As the world continues to turn a blind eye, Armenians once again are facing displacement and the threat of ethnic cleansing. Will you partner with us to mobilize the church to pray and act for Christians in a hostile region?

“Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But you, Lord, are a shield around me …” Psalm 3:1–3

Armenia was the first kingdom in the history of the world to accept Christianity as the official state religion in 301 AD.
Now, this historic nation with a 1,700 year-old Christian faith and some of the world’s most ancient Christian sites urgently needs prayer and help of Christians everywhere. 

On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan attacked the Armenian territory of Artsakh. Azerbaijan acted with the total logistical and military support of the Turkish dictator Recep T. Erdogan. It even hired thousands of jihadist mercenaries out of Syria. These forces have explicitly stated that their goal is to wipe away the Christian presence in the region, both ancient and modern. To the great dismay of Armenians, much of the territory was seized by Azerbaijan bringing an end to the war on November 10.

We are calling on all of our Christian sisters and brothers to visit amaa.org and commit to helping by: 

1. Pray for lasting peace and the just defining of the borders. Pray for the strength of Christian witness in Armenia.
2. Show the attached three-slide presentation in your church service, informing your congregation about what is happening and how they can help.
3. Consider donating at amaa.org to help us immediately supply Armenian refugees and especially children with food and medical supplies, and eventually assist in repairing damaged Christian sites, schools, and civilian infrastructure.
4. Add your name to the Philos petition asking the U.S. government to condemn the unjust annexation of land from indigenous Christians.

Please visit amaa.org, the website of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), to sign up for any or all of these efforts. The AMAA is a 102-year-old non-profit founded in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1918 to help victims of the Armenian genocide perpetrated by Turkey, the first genocide of the twentieth century. 

How did this area become a sudden center of violence? Sadly, there is a tragic history of ethnic strife along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The region of Artsakh, also called Nagorno-Karabakh, is part of the historic Armenian homeland. In 1921, it was broken away by Stalin and as an autonomous Armenian enclave given to the new communist state of Azerbaijan in a sinister Soviet plan to keep smaller countries forever fighting and easily dominated. When the USSR dissolved, Nagorno-Karabakh, in a free and democratic move and in accordance to its rights within the USSR constitutions, declared independence. The conflict tragically and violently evolved, with this recent flare-up being the worst in decades.

The odds are badly stacked against Christian Armenia, which is surrounded by aggressive Muslim neighbors. Armenia is a country of just three million people, while oil-rich Azerbaijan has ten million citizens and Turkey is a regional superpower of eighty million. 

Will you stand with the Christian men, women, and children of Armenia and Artsakh? 

Your Brother in Christ,

Zaven Khanjian
Executive Director / CEO
Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA)