“Through Armenia my name will be proclaimed in all the earth!”
For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”(Romans 9:17,NIV)
》 Country Profile
Continent | Central Asia
Population | 3 million
Area | 29,743㎢ Located on the western part of Asia and the South Caucasus region of southern Russia.
Capital City | Yerevan (1.09 million)
People Groups |Total 18 Groups, Armenians 91.4%, French 5.1%, Yezidis 1.2%
People Groups Unreached | 4 (1.8% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Armenian
Total Languages | 16
Bible Translations | Completed 12, New Testament 1, Partial 1
Religion | Christianity 92.5% (Protestantism 0.3%, Orthodox Church 82.2%), Non- religious 5.7%, Islam 0.6% Evangelicals 9.2% 280,000 people
》 About Armenia
Armenia has had a complex history of domination by empires such as the Byzantine, Turkish, Russian, Soviet, and Persian empires, with limited periods of independence. During World War I (1915–1917), over a million Armenians were forcibly recruited and massacred by the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey). In 1923, the Soviet Union designated “Nagorno-Karabakh” as an autonomous region within Azerbaijan, despite being predominantly Armenian. Disputes over this region escalated in 1988 and intensified after Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By 1994, with a ceasefire in place, Armenian-backed separatists controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories.
In 2018, public protests led to the resignation of former President Serzh Sargsyan, who sought to extend his rule as prime minister, in what became known as the “Velvet Revolution.” Protest leader Nikol Pashinyan became prime minister that year. However, in the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Armenia lost significant territory to Azerbaijan and returned other occupied lands per a ceasefire agreement. Following the loss, Pashinyan faced criticism but won a snap election in June 2021 to continue his leadership.
Economically, Armenia faces challenges due to geographic isolation, limited export bases, and monopolies in key industries. Its economy is highly dependent on Russian commercial and governmental support, including remittances from Armenians working in Russia, which account for 12–14% of its GDP. The combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and territorial conflicts have severely affected the economy. Manufacturing, which constitutes over 60% of industrial output, faces delays in recovery despite improvements in sectors like textiles. Armenia’s GDP per capita is approximately $12,600.
*Armenia’s youth unemployment rate is 32%, and more than 26% of its population lives below the poverty line, according to the 2022 CIA World Factbook.
》 Scripture Focus
| Romans 9:15-20(NIV) 15. For he says to Moses,“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16. It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19. One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20. But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” |
》 Prayer Points
1. Armenia, known as the world’s first Christian nation, boasts a remarkable spiritual legacy of over 1,700 years. Despite this, the Armenian Church has faced divisions for nearly a millennium, split into eastern and western factions due to language differences. Today, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the dominant denomination, often exhibits hostility toward other Christian groups. Among evangelical churches, the “Brethren Loving the Armenian Church” has had a significant impact since 1895, engaging in Bible studies, personal testimonies, Bible distribution, and aid to the poor and orphans. Pray for the Armenian Apostolic and evangelical churches to unite through the gospel of the cross and become vessels of God’s glory for Armenia’s salvation.
2. Armenia, with its tragic history of massacres and suffering at the hands of powerful empires, has seen approximately 8 million of its people dispersed across the globe. Within this diaspora, evangelical Christianity has flourished, leading to the growth of domestic churches through consistent intercessory prayer and the establishment of churches in the Middle East, North America, and beyond. Pray that God’s name may be spread worldwide through the Armenian people, quickening the completion of His mission. Situated like a Christian island in a sea of Islam, the Armenian Church needs leaders and believers to be trained as disciples of Jesus in seminaries and training institutions to carry out missions in neighboring countries.
3. Widespread poverty, unemployment, and economic hardships from the former communist rule have led to the involvement of organizations such as Tearfund and Elam Ministries in relief efforts. For youth, the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) runs gospel camps, while groups like the Christian Student Union Association (CSUA/IFES), Scripture Union (SU), and Baptist churches conduct Bible studies and summer camps for college students. Additionally, Trans World Radio (TWR) broadcasts in Armenian and Kurdish (Kurmanji), reaching Central Asia and the Middle East. Pray for Armenia to remain open to the gospel, stand firm in faith, and experience God’s compassion, overcoming worldly temptations and persecution.
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