Armenian Evangelical Brethren Church of Glendale Celebrates 90 Years
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14 ESV
On October 24, church members, friends, family and guests gathered at Pearl Banquet Hall to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Brethren Church (AEBC). The Church, founded in 1925 in Los Angeles, CA moved to Glendale, CA in 2007. The night of celebration began with a red carpet experience and included photos for all guests.
The program officially began with remarks by Olia Hadidian and Sevag Shanlian, who thanked those present and gave a short preview of the evening. “When we think 90 years,” said Mr. Shanlian, “we think, wow, that’s a long time. But then we look back and see people and we think about their personal sacrifice, and we realize that this is the reason our Church has lasted so long. We carry on their legacy.”
This idea of legacy was echoed by Reverend Ariel Babikian, who said during the invocation, “We continue not only for 90 years, but for 90 years plus one.”
Throughout the evening, several Church members were recognized. One of the awards was the Lifetime of Service Award, which was given to Victoria Shanlian in recognition of her dedicated and exemplary service. Other awards included the Pastor’s Legacy Award, which was awarded to Mr. & Mrs. George and Silva Chouchanian, the Afsharian Musical Award given to Mr. & Mrs. Mihran and Lusine Knadjian, and the Distinguished Service Award which was presented to Sarkis Ekimyan.
On this occasion, the Church received many accolades and letters of recognition which included congratulatory remarks from the offices of Governor Jerry Brown, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles, Mayor of Glendale Ara Najarian, the Armenian Evangelical World Council (AEWC), and the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America (AEUNA).
The perseverance and prosperity of the Church was recognized throughout the night, with several speakers noting what an outstanding accomplishment 90 years really is. Keynote Speaker Zaven Khanjian, Executive Director/CEO of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) n o t e d , “Anniversaries are milestones. They are milestones that give the opportunity to reflect, to evaluate, and then, as a result, reenergize and move forward in a new spirit. I congratulate you all this evening on this special occasion.”
The night was also filled with recitations and several musical performances by New Hope’s Raffi Kerbabian, Arpy PanossianAintablian, and Element Band. The musical selections filled the event with the spirit of joy and celebration for past accomplishments and hope for ones to come. The celebratory evening concluded with closing words from Rev. Dikran Shanlian Pastor of AEBC and the Benediction by Rev. Joseph Matossian.
To God be the glory, great things He hath done.
