Faith in Crisis: Why We Must Demand More from Our Armenian Christian Institutions
By Harut Sassounian
As someone who has written for decades about Armenian identity, justice, and survival, I’ve rarely encountered a topic as sobering—and as urgent—as the findings in Khachkar Studios’ new systems map on the U.S. Armenian Christian ecosystem.
The report is devastating in its clarity: 0% of Armenian-American youth read the Bible daily. That’s not a typo. Zero. And only 1% of those aged 18 to 29 attend church regularly. These numbers are not speculation — they are data points drawn from well-researched, verifiable performance indicators.
Some may ask: why does this matter? My answer is simple. The Armenian Church has long been our cultural anchor, especially in the diaspora. But what happens when that anchor is no longer secured to anything?
What happens when our institutions offer tradition without transformation, ritual without retention, and leadership without measurable results?
Khachkar Studios isn’t pointing fingers — they’re pointing to root causes. There is no accountability system in place. No annual performance metrics. No national strategy for training and retaining role model households. The Church’s digital tools are outdated. Bible reading apps don’t function. And perhaps most telling of all: when over 50 church leaders were informed of these failures, not a single one responded with urgency.
That’s not faith. That’s inertia.This is not about blame. It’s about stewardship. We need to build a culture where spiritual health is measured, discussed, and improved, just as we would in any high-functioning institution. The Church must embrace performance benchmarking, transparent governance, and data-informed action — because souls are at stake.
I urge our clergy, our lay councils, and especially our philanthropists to treat this not as a crisis of youth, but as a crisis of leadership. If we cannot engage the next generation with Scripture and purpose, we will lose them entirely—and with them, a sacred legacy.
Let this be the turning point. Let this be the year we expect more — and build more — from our Armenian Christian institutions.
