At The Dawn Of A New Year

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

My dear friends and faithful of our Diocese and the Armenian community,

Even as our hearts ache and are troubled for the unimaginable human suffering today all around the world, the power of the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul reminds us, fills us with hope. Hope for peace and restoration of lives. Indeed, our Christian faith is about hope—hope of resurrection and salvation—which is made possible through the incarnation of the Son of God, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, I am thrilled to share with you the renewed mission and long-term vision of the Western Diocese, which will serve as the roadmap of our work together.  In two years time, we will be celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Western Diocese. Together, we have a golden opportunity to shape our future as Christians, strengthen our Armenian heritage, and build a legacy that will flourish for generations to come.

For nearly a hundred years, the Western Diocese has been the heart and soul of Christian faith, Armenian culture, and service for Armenians in the Western United States. Our vision for the next century builds on this foundation, with the aim of transforming our Diocese into a dynamic, future-focused community that remains deeply rooted in our spiritual values while fully engaged with the challenges and opportunities of today’s world.

This past July, we launched our Institutional Innovation initiative, a transformative endeavor designed to modernize our operations, build resilience, and expand our impact. This ambitious initiative is a direct response to the rapidly changing world around us, where new ideas and advanced technologies hold the key to a thriving community. Through this effort, we are rethinking how we connect people and communities, engage families, and offer support, working to ensure our Diocese remains vibrant and vital to all Armenians across every stage of life.

This vision is grounded in a commitment to make Christian faith and Armenian culture an integral part of everyday life. We envision a community where individuals and families—including all communicants, as well as non-Armenian spouses and family members—can find both a spiritual home and a vibrant cultural connection. We want to create a Diocese where faith and heritage are not just honored but are lived, celebrated, and woven into the daily experiences of our communities.

To achieve this, we need to invest in innovative spiritual, cultural, and community programs that will bring our mission to life in meaningful ways. This will involve the increased use of cutting-edge technologies and latest digital platforms. Recently,  Fr. Vazken Movsesian and his ePostole ministries team created the first ever virtual Sunday School in the Metaverse, which allows children in diverse geographic locations to come together in a virtual class. In the coming years our Diocese will leverage the power of technology to engage both younger generations and long-time members in dynamic and exciting ways.

In these past six months, we have articulated a clear vision, mission, and strategy for the Diocese. We have mapped a future filled with innovation, renewed purpose, and determination, guided always by our faith, hope, and love. Now, as we move forward together, let us build a future where our Christian faith and Armenian culture remain vital, accessible, and meaningful for all.

Yet all these transformations require partnerships with all stakeholders in all of our parish communities and beyond. Indeed, serving in the vineyard of our Lord Jesus Christ is a privilege for every Christian who is baptized in the church. As Christ’s disciple Peter underlines, we must “use whatever gift [we] have received to serve others” (1 Peter 4:10).

I invite and urge you to benefit from the opportunities to contribute your talents, time and energy towards our collective preferred future. Together, we can create a Diocese that inspires, connects, and transforms lives for generations to come.

St. Paul exhorts: “ In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (Acts 20:35).

With gratitude and prayers,

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian

Primate

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church