Fair Lawn, NJ – On Saturday, November 1, 2025, women of the Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Syriac, Malankara-Syriac, and Knanaya-Syriac Orthodox Churches gathered at St. Leon Armenian Church for the third conference in the E.M.E.R.G.E. series. The conference was organized under the guidance of His Eminence Archbishop Petros of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Archdiocese of New York and hosted by His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church.
His Eminence Archbishop Petros opened the conference with prayer before greeting the assembled attendees and remarking upon the significance of women’s contributions to the life of the Church since the time of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His Grace Bishop Mesrop was represented at the conference by the Diocesan Vicar of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church, V. Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, who also remarked upon the importance of such a gathering, and closed the conference with prayer. Also present were V. Rev. Fr. Melake Ganet Kesis Tesfa Eyesus and Rev. Fr. Wolde Yohannes of Debre Ganet Kidus Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and V. Rev. Fr. Diran Bohajian of the hosting parish.
Keynote speaker Professor Roberta Ervine of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary gave the keynote address on the topic of Empowering Orthodox Women, juxtaposing the world’s various definitions of power with its true definition as embodied in the life and ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ and upheld in the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church. Professor Ervine’s talk – which maintained that our power as Orthodox Christians is not an entitled, coercive, domineering, or selfish power, but is, rather, the power to sanctify and to serve the world around us – set the tone for the entire conference.
Professor Ervine later joined a panel discussion as the representative of the Armenian Church, along with women who serve in each of the other Oriental Orthodox jurisdictions: Aparna Roy (Malankara Syriac Orthodox), Anne Manimalithu (Knanaya Syriac Orthodox), Dr. Christine Kiraz (Syriac Orthodox), Tasoni Crystal Siniari (Eritrean Orthodox), Dr. Christine Agaibi (Coptic Orthodox), and Dr. Quidest Sheriff (Ethiopian Orthodox), who also moderated the panel. Rev. Archdeaon Gebre Kristos Nicholas Siniari – the Secretary of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches – emceed the event. Mother Adenetch Jacobs delivered a spirited appeal for the fundraising aspects of the conference, which benefited St. Gabriel’s Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Orange, New Jersey.
Each of the Oriental Orthodox communities was well represented at the conference, not only by women, but also by a number of enthusiastic men who came out in support of their mothers, sisters, and daughters in the Faith. After a day filled with prayer, delicious food, and breakout sessions on topics ranging from leadership to courtship and beyond, Mother Kristos Semra Sheriff of Debre Ganet Kidus Gabriel expressed the gratitude of the parish, before her husband – Melake Ganet Kesis Tesfa – dismissed the attendees with prayer.
The Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches is committed to organizing events which serve to increase the bonds of unity among our Oriental Orthodox community. If you would like assistance in organizing an Oriental Orthodox conference or other event, have your parish priest reach out to the Standing Conference for guidance and support.
Photos courtesy of Mr. Dimitry Faltas.