DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH (EASTERN) HONORS SETRAKIAN AS COMMUNITY LEADER
On April 28, AGBU President Berge Setrakian was honored by the Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern) as the 2016 Armenian Church Member of the Year. The award was given as part of the 114th Annual Assembly and Clergy Conference at the Saint Gregory of Narek Armenian Church in Cleveland, Ohio. In attendance were hundreds of Armenian Church clergymen and lay leaders from the 44 parishes of the Eastern Diocese and its 18 mission parishes.
The Assembly’s gala banquet was presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, who presented the award to Mr. Setrakian: “Berge is truly a man of international standing-a leader of our community not only in the United States, but around the world-known for his advice and for his judgment…And I personally have been blessed to have benefitted from Mr. Setrakian’s generous and thoughtful vision. Our friendship goes back many years. I recall our meeting in Geneva when I was a student in Rome and it is always illuminating to speak with Berge on issues [relating to] our Church, our community and the prospect for our nation…Berge Setrakian always speaks to the heart of the Church with confidence, openness and honesty. His remarkable leadership in the AGBU marks him as an example of the Armenian Church Member of this year and any year.”
Mr. Setrakian accepted his award by emphasizing his philosophy on Armenian community involvement. “Serving the Armenian community is a privilege, an honor, and above all, a calling. All of you here in this room know this first hand. It is not a sacrifice. It is a spiritual reward. We put the needs of our nation and others before ours, and we always keep the preservation of our heritage above all else. It is our duty to do so even though many within the community at large could not understand it.”
The gala also honored Professor Taner Akçam with the 2016 Friend of the Armenians Award. Professor Akçam is the Robert Aram, Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University and has written extensively on the Armenian Genocide in English, French, German and Turkish.
Mr. Setrakian closed his speech to a riveting audience with inspiring words about the role of religion in Armenian identity: “We must continue working together, and as one common people we must make concerted effort in preserving our faith and promoting our Christian and national values. Let’s find ways to reengage and inspire our youth. Let’s show our ancestors that we, too, fight for our Church so that we can ensure its prosperity for generations to come. For without our Church, Armenia would be little more than a barren mountainous land in the Caucasus and we, in the diaspora would be a people without spirit.”
