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to be recognized as the "Armenian Evangeli-
cal Ararat Community." Instead, respecting
their request, he formally ratified it in one of
his letters (Jan. 31, 1914, N 4150). That year
the Armenian Evangelical Ararat Union was
formed, the center of which was Yerevan.
The Union included Armenian Evangeli-
cal Christians from the former province of
Yerevan and was fully formed, organized
and operated by local Armenian Evangelical
leaders. It became the most influential and
largest Armenian Evangelical Union in the
Caucasus. The formation and organization
of this Union helped Western Armenian
Evangelicals who migrated to the Caucasus
after World War I, as well as the American
Board Missionary Society, which operated
in the Caucasus in 1916, and later the Near
East Relief. The Ararat Union unified the
Armenian Evangelical communities of Yere-
van, Vagharshapat, Alexandropol, Kars, Nor
Bayazet and their surrounding villages. The Evangelical Church of Armenia in Gyumri.
Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian
Evangelicals experiencing difficult times entered a new period of unique history. The Committee began serving the Armenian
merged and formed a strong and qualita- migrating Western Armenian Evangelicals people by opening orphanages, hospitals and
tively new Union in Armenia. gave new importance to the evangelical schools. However, they were new to East-
At the formation of the Ararat Union, work in Yerevan, Alexandropol and other ern Armenia and unfamiliar with the local
the Chairman of the Union was Rev. Vahan places. In 1919, there were eight organized people, their culture, psychology and many
Mikaelyan, who was a graduate of Etchmi- churches in Armenia and many experienced peculiarities. The Relief Committee started
adzin Seminary. In 1893, Rev. Mikaelyan Armenian Evangelical pastors, preachers looking for someone to lead them. Someone
was invited to Tabriz and taught for 10 years and evangelists. The number of Armenian who would be well informed, aware of the
at the local American Missionary Memorial Evangelicals in Armenia was about 3,000, situation and trustworthy.
School while preaching at the ECA in Tabriz. and in the whole Transcaucasia about They found Rev. Hakob Mudoyan and
He returned to Yerevan in 1903 as Pastor 3,500-4,000. Almost all communities had he was invited to work for the Relief Com-
of the local Armenian Evangelical Church. their own churches or fellowships, Sunday mittee. Rev. Mudoyan, who had previously
During this time the American Relief Com- schools and ordained pastors. One of the worked with them in Van for many years,
mittee for the Middle East began its chari- most famous Evangelical figures of the knew their pro-Armenian spirit, resigned
table work in the Caucasus. The American Ararat Union during the early years of the from his work and accepted the offer. The
Relief Committee in its humanitarian minis- First Republic was Rev. Hakob Mudoyan goal was the same, the work was the same,
try started cooperating with Rev. Mikaelyan who was born in the village of Ishkhanigom only the means were changing. The Brother-
and with other Evangelical pastors, such as in the Hayots Dzor region of Vaspurakan. hood Aid Committee of Etchmiadzin did not
Rev. Hakob Mudoyan and Pastor Nariman He was the secretary of the central council oppose Mudoyan’s decision, on the contrary,
Nikoghosyan. Rev. Mikaelyan, due to his of the Ararat Union. In 1915, he took part it appreciated his dedication and granted
experience and organizational skills, soon in the heroic battle of Van-Vaspurakan and him a certificate proving and evaluating
gained a great reputation and influence also organized and led the self-defense his service.
among the leaders of the Armenian Evan- battles of Hayots Dzor. Rev. Mudoyan The American Relief Committee then
gelicals in Yerevan, Kars, Alexandropol, held responsible positions on the Near East began its vast, vital service to the Armenian
Tabriz, Tbilissi (Georgia) and with the Relief Committee and the Etchmiadzin people in Eastern Armenia. It was a non-
American Relief Committee. Brotherhood Aid Committee, chaired by political, charitable organization founded by
Hovhannes Tumanyan. the United States Congress. In April 1919,
Evangelical Church of Armenia during an agreement was signed between the Gov-
the Years of First Republic of Armenia Middle East Relief Committee and ernment of the Republic of Armenia and the
In 1918, with the proclamation of its cooperation with Evangelical Relief Committee according to which as of
the independence of the Republic of Church of Armenia May 1, 1919 all Armenian orphanages and
Armenia on May 28, and despite the hard In 1916, the Middle East Relief Com- children’s hospitals in Armenia and Georgia
conditions of the newly created and weak mittee (American Near East Relief) began were transferred to the American Relief’s
statehood and political, social and economic its humanitarian and charitable ministry care and leadership. Alexandropol became
alarms, the Armenian Evangelical churches in Eastern Armenia. The American Relief the largest orphanage in the world, it was a

20 | AMAA NEWS, July-Aug-Sept 2021