I was interviewed by Radio Free Liberty regarding my involvement with a youth organization started by the deacons of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, who have heavily used Facebook as a tool to reach out to the young people of Armenia. The interview was given just prior to my giving a presentation on Ecology and the Church to a “Manana” (meaning Mana) group at St. Mary Church in the area of Malatia. The following is a translation for my friends and family that can’t read Armenian.

Also lecturing in the Manana framework is Dn. Matthew Ash, who’s first expertise was Web Design, but is now clergyman. Matthew’s mother is Armenian, but by his admission, until the age of 23-24, he hadn’t known a single word of Armenian. Only later, according to his words, he began to learn Armenian having become conscious of his clerical calling.

He has been in Armenia for two years, and studied in the Gevorgian Seminary. Of the difficulties he experienced living here, one was the language, and the other was missing his mother, sister, and dear ones.

The most important thing that he learned in Armenia, in his words, was the national mentality [style of thinking] and consciousness, as the National Church has a certain type of unique flavor to it.

And to some degree he has been able to transfer to the clergy of Armenia his American mentality and the administrative and educational methods of structuring church life which are used in the United States.