On Concord Avenue in Belmont, Massachusetts, just minutes from Cambridge and Boston, First Armenian Church has been gathering for worship for more than a century. The congregation is rooted in the Armenian Evangelical Christian tradition and offers Christ-centered worship primarily in English, while honoring Armenian heritage through traditional sharagans, a stone khatchkar carved on the church's front lawn, and partnerships with Armenian ministries across North America and overseas.
From Berkeley Temple to Concord Avenue
The seeds of First Armenian Church were planted in 1891 and 1892, when a small group of Armenian immigrants in Boston began meeting for Sunday afternoon worship at Berkeley Temple under the leadership of several ministers and lay preachers. In 1899, the American Congregational Association opened the doors of Pilgrim Hall on Park Street in Boston to the growing congregation. In 1908, the group formally organized itself as the First Armenian Church of Boston.
By 1929, the congregation had outgrown its downtown location and purchased a building in Porter Square, Cambridge. A Sunday School and a Christian Endeavor Society for the youth were soon established, and the Ladies' Aid Society helped found a kindergarten for Armenian refugee children in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1954, Hurricanes Carol and Edna brought the church's fifty-foot steeple crashing through the roof, leaving the building beyond repair.
For the next four years, the congregation worshipped in neighboring churches while it rebuilt. In 1955, the church purchased land on Concord Avenue in Belmont, and the new building was completed. Services began at the current Belmont location on September 14, 1958. In 1962, the church's 70th anniversary was celebrated with the dedication of a fellowship and education building called Nahigian Hall. A parsonage next door was added in 1968.
In 1991, the congregation launched a centennial fundraising campaign called Securing the Future, culminating in a 1992 concert by world-renowned organist Berj Zamkochian. That same year, on April 26, the Khatchkar on the front lawn was unveiled. The tufa stone had been flown from Yerevan and carved on the church premises; the cross is dedicated to the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and bears the inscription, "Armenian people live forever with Christ." Major sanctuary renovations followed the 2012 120th anniversary celebration, and the restored space was dedicated in a November 2014 concert. Since the 1890s, eighteen ministers have served the congregation.
Sunday Mornings at 10:30
The Sunday worship service is the heart of life at First Armenian Church. It runs about sixty minutes and includes traditional Protestant hymns, Armenian sharagans with written English translations provided, contemporary Christian songs, and Bible-based preaching in English with Armenian elements. The atmosphere is structured but welcoming. Friendly greeters are on hand to help newcomers find seats and answer questions.
Summer Sunday services shift to 10:00 AM, and in some summers the congregation worships with the sister Armenian Memorial Church at 32 Bigelow Avenue in Watertown. Children are always welcome in the sanctuary. After a Children's Message from the pastor, kids ages three through 11th grade are dismissed to Sunday School for age-appropriate teaching and activities. Coffee, refreshments, and fellowship follow the service in the hall or, when weather permits, outdoors.
The Gathering: Wednesday Night Worship
Once a month on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM, First Armenian Church hosts The Gathering, a contemporary worship service designed for those who want to go deeper in prayer and praise. The structure is deliberately casual and spontaneous, with each evening shaped by where the Holy Spirit seems to lead.
Typical elements include sung worship, times of soaking worship with extended listening, corporate and individual prayer, the reading of Scripture, short devotional messages, and intentional moments of silence. A prayer team is available at the end of each gathering to pray with people individually. Worshipers are encouraged to share testimonies, questions, doubts, and burdens with one another. Talin Barsoumian coordinates The Gathering and can add newcomers to the email list.
Sunday School and the Nursery
The Sunday School program stretches from nursery through 11th grade and Confirmation, using the David C Cook curriculum to help students connect the Bible with everyday life. After the Children's Message in the sanctuary, children gather for a Chapel and Music segment, then move into grade-level classes. Mission projects, both local and international, are woven throughout the year, along with family-wide programs such as a Christmas pageant and Sunday Funday gatherings.
The newly renovated nursery provides a bright, cheerful space for infants and toddlers, equipped with comfortable seating for nursing mothers, toys, and a television that streams the live service so parents can keep up with the sermon. Parents are welcome to stay with their young children.
FAC Youth Group, Grades 6 to 12
The Youth Group meets primarily on Sunday afternoons for worship, Bible-based messages and discussions, games, meals, and service opportunities. Social outings, special events, service projects, and trips to AEYF (Armenian Evangelical Youth Fellowship) conferences and retreats fill out the year. The group is open to teens who have grown up in the church and to those just beginning to explore faith. Anyone interested in being added to the youth email list can write to FirstArmenianChurch-Youth@googlegroups.com.
Monday Night Women's Bible Study
Each Monday evening at 7:00 PM, women gather at the church and via Zoom for a Bible study led by Nancy Tutunjian Berger. The group works through Scripture with attention to the original languages of the Old and New Testaments, along with the history, culture, and political background that bring the passages to life. The sessions are self-contained, with opening prayer and room for women of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of spiritual maturity to wrestle with questions about faith. The study has recently worked through Matthew 23 and is beginning a new series on Angels. Participants do not need to be Armenian to join.
Men's Fellowship
The Men's Fellowship brings Armenian men of all ages together for fellowship meals, guest speakers, service projects, and recreational outings. Recent gatherings have included a traditional Armenian breakfast of sujuk, eggs, cheeses, and lavash, a Tomahawk steak breakfast to relaunch the group, a day at Stone Meadow Golf in Lexington, and participation in the AEUNA East Coast Men's Retreat. A sign-up form is available for men who want to stay in the loop.
Music Ministry
Music is woven through every corner of church life. The congregation sings traditional Protestant hymns, Armenian sharagans, and contemporary songs together each Sunday. Children learn Christian songs with synchronized movements in Sunday School Chapel, and Sunday night Youth Group meetings feature guitars and drums.
The choir, under Music Director and Organist Levon Hovsepian, draws on a library spanning several centuries of church music and presents selections that support the pastor's message. A brass and reed ensemble performs during special holidays. Hovsepian holds a master's degree from the Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan and an Artist Diploma and Master's degree with Honors from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. He has served First Armenian Church for more than thirty years and regularly performs in Armenian and non-Armenian churches throughout New England.
The Missions Committee
The Missions Committee organizes the congregation's outreach beyond Belmont. The committee anchors its work in Isaiah 6:8, "Here I am...send me," and meets monthly to plan activities. Locally, the church supports food programs for the poor, assists nursing homes, and sponsors local missionaries. Internationally, the committee partners with the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) and responds to urgent needs overseas as they arise. Members are encouraged to join by contacting the church office.
Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School has been a fixture at First Armenian Church for twenty-seven years. The week-long summer program welcomes children ages three through ten from across the community, drawing more than seventy campers and nearly forty middle school, high school, and adult volunteers. Mornings are filled with contemporary Bible songs, games, arts and crafts, prayer, and lessons built around a chosen theme and a guiding Bible verse. The program is offered free of charge through the generosity of donors.
Hall Rental at Nahigian Hall and Haroian Hall
First Armenian Church shares its facilities with the wider community. Nahigian Hall offers 2,000 square feet of flexible space that accommodates up to 200 guests standing or 120 for seated dinners. Features include central air conditioning, a commercial kitchen, free on-site parking, and separate restrooms. The hall hosts weddings, funeral receptions, baptisms, fundraisers, birthday and anniversary parties, corporate meetings, performances, and expos.
For smaller gatherings, Haroian Hall provides 400 square feet of meeting space suitable for Bible studies, planning sessions, and private group meetings. A Hall Rental Form is available online for those interested in pricing and availability.
What We Believe
First Armenian Church acknowledges Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior, as its sole Head and recognizes all who share in that confession as brethren. The congregation looks to the Word of God in the Scriptures and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, claims the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds, reclaims the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers, and affirms the Apostles' Creed and the Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ. Two sacraments are recognized: Baptism and Holy Communion.
The Statement of Faith affirms that the Bible is the inspired, only infallible, authoritative Word of God; that there is one God eternally existent in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); that Jesus Christ is fully God, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died a vicarious and atoning death, rose bodily, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return in power and glory; that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential for salvation; that the present ministry of the Holy Spirit enables believers to live godly lives; and that there will be a resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The church also confesses the spiritual unity of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Sevag Melkonian
First Armenian Church's pastor is Rev. Sevag K. Melkonian, who was raised in Aleppo, Syria, in a deeply Christian family and surrendered his life to Christ at a youth conference there. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Aleppo University and a second Bachelor's in Business Administration Management from a Canadian institution. In 2022, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Tyndale University Seminary.
Pastor Sevag keeps office hours at the church Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (Mondays are his day off). Visitors and members are invited to schedule a meeting, in person or via Zoom, through an online booking link. He is also available for prayer, conversation, and pastoral support. To make a pledge or ask a question, the office can be reached at (617) 484-4779 or office@facbelmont.org.
Visiting First Armenian Church
First Armenian Church is located at 380 Concord Avenue in Belmont, with free church parking and free street parking. The Sunday service begins at 10:30 AM year-round and shifts to 10:00 AM in summer. Friendly greeters welcome newcomers each week, both in person and online. The service is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, and past services are available on YouTube.
There is no requirement to be Armenian or to speak Armenian to attend. The congregation welcomes families, students, long-time Boston-area residents, and visitors from around the world. Children are welcome in the sanctuary, the nursery is available for infants and toddlers, and Sunday School runs from age three through 11th grade. The church extends a particular welcome to anyone exploring faith, visiting family, or searching for a church home near Belmont, Cambridge, Watertown, Arlington, and Boston.