# Armenian Brotherhood Church

The Armenian Brotherhood Church (also known by names such as the Armenian Evangelical Brotherhood Church and the Armenian Brotherhood Bible Church) started within the Armenian Evangelical Church in the 19th century.
The Armenian Orthodox Apostolic Church gave rise to the Armenian Evangelical Church; similarly the Armenian Brotherhood Church was born out of the Armenian Evangelical Church.

## History

In the early twentieth century, a significant number of Armenians from the Cilicia region, as well as Kharput, Marash, Hasan Bay, Antep and Adana aligned themselves with the Brotherhood fellowship. This group, which emerged from the Evangelical Church, initially held unofficial meetings prior to the Armenian genocide which disrupted the group's growth in Cilicia.
Following the genocide, many Armenians people relocated to the Middle East and settled in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. Europe migrants predominantly settled in Greece and France.
In the nations they settled in some members began meetings, first at homes and later in rented halls, and finally, when the number of the constituency increased and funds allowed, they began to move into church buildings.
Among those who migrated to Aleppo, Syria, were brothers Abraham Seferian, Minas Bozoklian, and Mihran Kasardjian. They gathered people of the three denominations, Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical, and began to have unofficial home Bible studies. In time this group grew and took more official status, and finally, it was named the Spiritual Brotherhood Church. This later spread into other countries, with names such as Armenian Evangelical Brotherhood Church and the Armenian Brotherhood Bible Church.
In the time since, numerous Brotherhood Churches have been established in the Middle East, including in Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad, Tehran, Cairo, and Alexandria. In Europe, these areas included Valance, Paris and Athens as well as Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Montevideo in South America.
The brothers who migrated to North America established churches in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Fresno, Los Angeles, and Pasadena.

## Organization

The central committee of the Armenian Brotherhood Church is the Union of Armenian Brotherhood Bible Churches, headquartered in Pasadena, California in the United States.

### Regional Union of Europe and the Middle East

* Tehran (Iran)
* Beirut (Lebanon)
* Damascus (Syria)
* Yerevan (Armenia)
* Athens (Greece)
* Alfortville, Paris (France)
* Sydney (Australia)
* Valence (France)

### Regional Union of South America

* Buenos Aires (Argentina)
* Córdoba (Argentina)
* Montevideo (Uruguay)
* São Paulo (Brazil)

### Regional Union of North America

* Pasadena, California (United States)
* Hollywood, California (United States)
* Glendale, California (United States)
* New Milford, New Jersey (United States)
* Fresno, California (United States)
* Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
* Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

## Armenian Brotherhood Church - Yerevan

The Armenian Brotherhood Church of Yerevan (Armenian: Երեւանի Հայ Եղբայրության Եկեղեցի) was founded in 1999 by Pastor Hovhannes Halladjian.
Starting only with a couple of faithful members, the community grew into a center of Christian fellowship in the heart of the capital of Armenia.
Pastor Hovhaness, originally from Beirut, spent seven years in Athens serving at the local Armenian Brotherhood Church. He was a skilled organizer, educated in theology, and helped to establish the first Brotherhood church in a post-Soviet breakaway country.