A Message by Zaven Khanjian, AMAA Executive Director/CEO

After an absence of five years, the AMAA Annual Meeting and Banquet returned to New Jersey bringing back its gracious mission partners from all around the world.

Tonight, a graceful Banquet Committee, diligently chaired by Vahram and Lucienne Aynilian, delightfully entertained us. We honored our global partners and were touched by their amazing stories shared in live and moving pictures.

Thank you, Vahram and Lucienne and Banquet Committee, for your faith, love, and service in producing this lovely and remarkable evening.

Thank you all, for your presence tonight, a testament of support and an acknowledgment of a mission in action.

We salute the Armenian Presbyterian Church and its indefatigable minister Rev. Joseph Garabedian, the church staff and cohorts who warmly welcomed and hosted us at the Annual Meeting and will do so again at installation Worship service on Sunday.

I salute and thank the AMAA staff in Paramus, Glendale, Yerevan, and Artsakh who graciously stand behind the effort to advance every AMAA event, activity, service, or program. They are always at task producing the treasures that depict the mission we believe in and carry on.

I salute and thank our esteemed guests, who travelled long distances to bring us the warm, colorful, and boundless spirit of love, care, and attention in support of the mission and its goals.

May God abundantly bless you all.

We are living in difficult times.

Despite the glowing illumination that emanates from our collective passion to serve the Homeland and our communities across the globe, we realize we are living in difficult times.
Never in the past 35 years has the prospect of a free and independent Artsakh been so dim and remote.

Never in the history of the living generation of Armenians has the concern about the Homeland been so great and serious.

Threats, assault, land grab, occupation, execution of unarmed POWs, incitement, and promotion of hatred, have all gone through with impunity. Armenia has only received toothless condemnation from friends near and far.

In this existential battle of survival, we are the sole guarantors of our destiny.

But my outlook is positive. We have endured such periods in history, borne the pain and resurrected. Our resilience and persistence have prevailed. We must be vigilant, active, alert, and productive.

Our Homeland is our yoke, and we should all be engaged in a battle to defend, support, and sustain it.

We each have our own weaponry and should use what we are good at.

Despite aggression, political turmoil, economic crisis, and destabilizing sanctions all around, AMAA steadfastly continues to spread God’s Word and reflect His love, goodness, and hope around.

AMAA’s presence on the stage of Armenian philanthropy is respectable, necessary, and impactful. Whether in the border villages of Artsakh or Syunik, any corner in Armenia, any country in the Near East including Turkey, most of Europe, in North or South America, AMAA, faithful to its mission, is present and impactful.

In the next few months, we shall build two new Kindergartens in Artsakh, half a dozen new homes, and a Tech Center at the Avedisian School in Yerevan. We shall embark on a major development of the youth camp in Hankavan, pour the foundation of the resurrected Camp Armen in Tuzla, Turkey, and inaugurate the new AMAA Center and soup kitchen in Bert, Tavush Marz.

We are good at building, educating, and spreading the Word. Those are our weapons. We are good at using them and we shall use them.

God has called on the AMAA to face the spiritual and humanitarian challenges of our people and assume a humble role of service.

As we look up to the Great Commission, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” Mark 16:15, the march goes on.

Thank you for sharing this evening with us.

Thank you for your support and May God bless you all.

October 22, 2022, Paramus, NJ