𝐀 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟖𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟐𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐯. 𝐃𝐫. 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐁. 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐛𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐚𝐧

By Hagob Janbazian

The year 2025 marks two significant milestones in our spiritual, national, and family life. This year, and on this day, we commemorate the 80th Birthday of Rev. Dr. Movses B. Janbazian, while also observing the 25th anniversary of his passing. These two symbolic anniversaries present an opportunity to reflect on the profound path of his life, service, and legacy—an occasion to honor the spiritual, national, and humanitarian life he lived, which left a deep and lasting impact on Armenian communities across the globe, from Armenia to the various diaspora communities.

Rev. Janbazian was one of the leading figures of the Armenian Evangelical community, both locally and globally. Highly respected as the Executive Director of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), he successfully solidified the organization’s mission and influence—not only among believers but within the broader Armenian national life. He also served as the President of the Armenian Evangelical World Council, tirelessly serving his beloved community and acting as a bridge between various church systems and spiritual movements around the world.

It is worth highlighting Rev. Janbazian’s distinguished participation in numerous global religious institutions, church administrations, and inter-church collaborations, where he represented the Armenian Evangelical community with great dignity on the international level.

Thanks to his many years of dedicated service and his deep love for the Armenian spiritual heritage, Rev. Janbazian was also the principal founder of AMAA’s Avedisian School in Yerevan, where for decades, many students in Armenia have received quality education grounded in Christian and national values.

Dear reader, I recall how, during the devastating 1988 Spitak earthquake, Rev. Janbazian responded immediately. He not only organized the delivery of humanitarian aid but also coordinated significant flows of American and international assistance to meet the vital needs of the Armenian people.

His spiritual vision extended to Artsakh as well. Rev. Janbazian was one of the few leaders who initiated the revival of church life among the people of Artsakh and launched youth and children’s camps, providing them with spiritual, moral, material, and humanitarian support for many years.

In the state of New Jersey, USA, he was among the main initiators of a new center for the AMAA Headquarters, where spiritual services, educational programs, and community initiatives were launched—programs that continue to serve people around the world to this day.

It is also important to remember Rev. Janbazian’s many initiatives and support across various countries for spiritual, national, and humanitarian programs, including in the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and the former Soviet republics.

During his years of service, Rev. Janbazian significantly contributed to the spiritual and communal revival of the Armenian people—particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He played a key role in church building in Armenia, pastor education, youth program development, and coordination of humanitarian aid. Thanks to his efforts, many churches rediscovered their mission as centers for faith, values, and the preservation of national identity.

In the diaspora as well, Rev. Janbazian’s spiritual leadership left a lasting impact—especially among Armenian communities in the United States, the Middle East, and Europe. Through his sermons, writings, and conference initiatives, he served as a bridge between generations and a constructive voice for visionary guidance.

In this remembrance year, as a family, a community, and a society, we remember Movses’s heart and words, his leadership and humility. His legacy remains a source of lasting inspiration for all those called to serve faith, nation, and human dignity.

On these two memorable anniversaries—his birth and his passing—we honor and appreciate a life lived in service to God, the nation, and humanity.

I believe that the legacy Rev. Dr. Movses B. Janbazian left behind is not just history of the past, but a living guide and mission for current and future generations.

Eternal memory to Rev. Dr. Movses B. Janbazian—a leader of faith, a servant of the nation, and a man of compassion—a man of Vision and Mission, with a capital letters.