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210 The Armenian Church

and, through people-driven pastoral pro-
grams, engage in a living communion with
the people at grass roots. Such a move
would make the Church an existential reality
in the life of its people and encourage and
guide the people to seek pastoral guidance
and spiritual sustenance from the Church.
It must also rediscover and revive the
church's self-understanding as a missionary
reality, rather than a structure of authority
and a place to where people simply go.
Indeed, being people’s church means being a
caring and serving church. The vocation of
the Armenian Church is not to make head-
lines, but to become a dedicated shepherd in
the example of the Great Shepherd.
Finally, the Armenian Church must be-
come in all aspects of its life and witness less
institutionally conditioned and more people-
oriented. Excessive institutionalism may
endanger the very nature and identity of
the Church as a community of faith; it may
also undermine its diaconal outreach as a
community of love, hope, and service. Con-
sidering the Armenian Church merely as a
‘sacred legacy’ or a ‘custodian of spiritual
and national heritage,’ a notion that still
prevails in some sectors of Armenian life,
must be challenged. The Armenian Church is
called to regain its pastoral calling with
renewed commitment.