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Evangelical churches are a ‘beacon of hope’ for suffering people in Armenia

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Writing for CBN News, Michael Cherenkov has highlighted the crucial front-line role the Evangelical church has in Armenia where, although hostilities have currently ended in a ceasefire, an ongoing humanitarian crisis is worsening. “The churches have become the beacons of hope for scared and suffering people,” Cherenkov said following his recent visit to the tiny remote country under Russian control.

Having been in Armenia from October 29 to November 7, Cherenkov outlines the situation there by way of background: “The terms of the peace are such that Armenia loses almost everything and people have nowhere to return to. Moreover, Armenia itself is completely under Russian control. This means that all Western and international organizations can face big problems. Protests against surrender are growing, and chaos is growing in the country.”

While on the trip, Cherenkov visited 12 Evangelical churches and met with many pastors. “I heard it everywhere that Christians are also on the frontlines, on their very special front – the front of caring for those who have been affected by the conflict,” he writes.

People are struggling to survive, Cherenkov explains. There is a lack of food, shelter, and medicine. Moreover, COVID-19 is spreading. “With all that happening, the churches have become the beacons of hope for scared and suffering people,” Cherenkov says. “They don’t do services on Sundays because of the coronavirus but they continue serving refugees every day sharing their bread and their homes as well as words of comfort and hope.”

Describing a shared desire of the various Evangelical congregations to alleviate suffering, Cherenkov notes that, for one church: “It all started on the first day of the war when the pastor called the mayor’s office and said that the church was ready to take in refugees. It’s been filled with people since then.”