Armenian Missionary Association of America

Armenian Missionary Association of America
Name	Armenian Missionary Association of America
Founded	1918
Founder	Armenian Evangelical Church, Armenian Relief Society
Headquarters	Watertown, Massachusetts
Location	United States
Key people	Krikor Hovnanian, Hagop Hovsepian
Area served	Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, Lebanon, United States
Mission	Humanitarian aid, Christian missionary work, relief, education

Armenian Missionary Association of America is a nonprofit humanitarian and missionary organization founded in 1918 to serve Armenian communities worldwide through relief, education, and social services. It operates programs across Armenia, Artsakh, Lebanon, and Syria, partnering with churches, international agencies, and diaspora institutions to respond to crises such as the Armenian Genocide, the Syrian civil war, and the 1988 Spitak earthquake. The association maintains headquarters in Watertown, Massachusetts and close ties with Armenian Evangelical and Protestant institutions across the Armenian diaspora, including organizations in France, Canada, and Argentina.

History

The association emerged during the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide and World War I, when relief efforts by groups like the Near East Relief and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions expanded into organized Armenian-directed outreach. Early collaboration involved figures from the Armenian Evangelical Church network and relief leaders connected to the Armenian Relief Society and the Armenian General Benevolent Union. Throughout the 20th century the association responded to the 1920s refugee crises, the 1930s regional displacements, and post-World War II reconstruction, aligning with international responders such as UNRRA and later UNICEF. In 1988 it mobilized relief after the Spitak earthquake and in the 1990s provided aid during the first Nagorno-Karabakh War; in the 2010s it engaged with humanitarian challenges from the Syrian civil war and regional displacement.

Mission and Objectives

The organization articulates objectives tied to humanitarian relief, community development, and faith-based outreach among Armenian populations and partner communities. Its mission statements often reference collaboration with institutions like the Armenian Evangelical Union and engagement with diasporan infrastructure including the Armenian Assembly of America and Armenian National Committee of America. Strategic priorities have included emergency relief, educational support linking to universities such as the American University of Beirut and the Yerevan State University, and cultural preservation initiatives coordinated with museums like the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.

Programs and Activities

Programmatically, the association runs orphan care, elder support, medical clinics, and school sponsorships in coordination with ministries and NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders, World Vision, and Catholic Relief Services. It supports vocational training, partnership scholarships that have involved institutions like the Yerevan State Medical University and the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, and operates relief shipping operations similar to networks used by the International Orthodox Christian Charities. During emergencies it has implemented food distribution, shelter, and psychosocial services referencing best practices from Red Cross operations. The association has also been active in diaspora mobilization, organizing fundraising events and conferences with entities such as the Armenian Youth Federation and cultural programs tied to the Alex and Marie Manoogian Museum.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Governance follows a board-and-committee model common to nonprofit bodies, with a board of directors drawn from prominent Armenian-American leaders, clergy from the Armenian Evangelical Church, and philanthropists associated with families like the Krikor Hovnanian lineage. Operational leadership includes an executive director, program directors, and regional coordinators who liaise with church networks in Lebanon, Syria, and Georgia (country). The association maintains legal incorporation in the United States and charitable registration procedures comparable to those of the American Red Cross and other faith-based NGOs. Leadership transitions have involved collaboration with ecumenical partners such as the World Council of Churches in humanitarian coordination.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding sources combine private donations from diaspora philanthropists, grants from foundations like the Ford Foundation and family foundations connected to Armenian benefactors, and cooperative projects with international agencies including UNICEF and UNHCR. Strategic partnerships include collaborations with the Armenian Relief Society, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian Assembly of America, and church networks such as the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Evangelical Church. The association also leverages in-kind support and logistics channels involving maritime shipping firms, freight partners, and humanitarian supply chains used by organizations such as Mercy Corps and International Rescue Committee.

Impact and Notable Projects

Notable initiatives encompass long-term orphan sponsorship programs launched after the Armenian Genocide and expanded post-Spitak earthquake to rebuild schools and clinics in partnership with the Norwegian Church Aid model. The association has supported reconstruction projects in Artsakh following conflict, operated medical missions with volunteer doctors linked to the Armenian Medical Society of America, and funded scholarships enabling students to attend institutions like the American University of Armenia. In humanitarian crises including the Syrian civil war and the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it coordinated emergency relief, refugee assistance, and rehabilitation projects, working alongside NGOs such as International Medical Corps and faith-based relief networks. Longstanding cultural and educational programs have contributed to preservation efforts in archives and museums like the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and supported community centers in diaspora hubs such as Los Angeles and Paris.

Category:Christian missionary societies Category:Non-profit organizations based in Massachusetts