OUR STORY

During his last missionary trip to Armenia, my father, Der Krikor, called me and we talked for what was to be the last time. His voice sounded out-of-worldy. We both seemed to have a premonition that this was to be our last conversation with each other. He expressed love for his family and we discussed all the grand plans we had for the ministry - a radio program, many publications, and perhaps even our own printing press. I told my father to hurry up with his work in Armenia and come back home. A week later, he died of a massive heart attack in Armenia, on the morning of April 24, 1997. The night before, he had just concluded a prayer meeting in Yerevan, and was packing his belongings in order to make a missionary tour of some villages...

RENEWAL IN CHRIST was founded by Fr. Krikor Hairabedian in 1968 in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since his youth, God put a special desire in his heart for reaching his people with the Good News of Jesus Christ through the use of Christian literature, home visitations, Bible Study groups and other means. Since that time, Renewal In Christ has organized Bible Study groups in Wisconsin and in many Armenian Communities throughout California. In addition, approximately 250,000 booklets have been published in Armenian and in English to this date, and distributed in the United States and Armenia. For a number of years, Renewal In Christ published a monthly newsletter with a circulation of 1,500 and included inspirational articles and Bible studies. We are once again reviving that aspect of our ministry.

A major change in the focus of this ministry took place in 1991 when Fr. Krikor resigned from a prominent pastoral position on Long Island in order to devote his time and efforts to missionary and Christian Educational work in Armenia. Due to the devastating Armenian earthquake of 1987, along with the miraculous downfall of the Soviet Union, for the first time in 74 years, religious freedom once again came to Armenia. The hunger for spiritual truth was as enormous as the hunger for physical food, but unfortunately, years of Communist oppression did its damage to the Armenian Church, and therefore She was not prepared to immediately meet the spiritual needs of Her people. Therefore, with the blessings of the late Catholicos of all Armenians, Vasken I, Fr. Krikor was appointed as the Executive Director of Christian Educational Projects in Armenia. Fr. Krikor also affiliated himself with the Armenian Church Eastern Diocesan-based HAVAD Committee during the five years of its activities.

The two main emphasis of this position were the establishment of Sunday Schools throughout Armenia, and the training of teachers in Christian Education, not only to meet the spiritual needs of the Armenian people, but also to combat the religious cults such as the Mormons and Hari Krishnas who have gained a foothold in Armenia. The ministry God set before Fr. Krikor was staggering humanly thinking, but we believed that with God everything is possible. One factor which made Fr. Krikor's position unique, is the fact that as a clergyman of the Armenian Church (which is recognized formally as the national church), Fr. Krikor had many doors opened to him, along with unique opportunities.

From 1991 until his passing in 1997, Fr. Krikor has made eleven trips to Armenia and has spent much of that time there. He has visited cities, towns and villages throughout Armenia, teaching, preaching and training teachers for Christian Education. In addition, tens of thousands of copies of our booklets have been published in Yerevan and distributed, along with several thousand New Testaments and other Christian literature. We were also able to distribute clothing and medicine of various types, along with the literature. Among our future plans is the continued publication of Christian educational and inspirational materials for Armenia, and also for distribution in California among the tens of thousands of Armenians who need Christian educational material just as much as our brothers and sisters in Armenia. Presently, we have more than a dozen writings ready for publication. However, they will be published as we receive the funds.

We believe that God has richly blessed the Armenian people through the Armenian Apostolic Church and that the basis of our Faith is God in Jesus Christ; the power of the Church is the Holy Spirit; and the nurture of the Church is the Bible, the "Asdvads-a-Shoonch" (The Breath of God), as our forefathers called it. Our deepest longing is to see that this most precious Book of books be opened in the Armenian homes and in the Armenian hearts.

Renewal In Christ believes that for all of our problems - whether they pertain uniquely to Armenian national problems, or the Church, family life or personal problems - that the solution is to be found in the Person of Jesus Christ, our Creator. We as a nation and Church must be renewed in Christ continuously till the second glorious coming of our Lord as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

It is with this conviction that we, of Renewal In Christ labor in this ministry, with the faith and hope that our Armenian people will continue to be the torchbearer of Christian light and inspiration for the whole world.

Love In Christ,
Fr. Yeghia Hairabedian