On Saturday, September 19, the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church hosted the 4th annual Youth Conference of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches (SCOOCH). The daylong gathering met at St. Leon Armenian Church in Fair Lawn, NJ.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Diocesan Primate and SCOOCH President, presided over the event. Also present were Bishop David of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York and New England and Bishop Karas, General Bishop and Patriarchal Exarch of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. More than two dozen clergy, deacons, and seminarians also joined the young adult participants.
The morning began with worship, followed by a message by Archbishop Barsamian on the theme of the gathering, “Living the Gospel of Christ: Legacy of Our Martyrs.”
Dr. Roberta Ervine, professor at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, gave a talk titled “Faith and Disappointment: What Matters Most When the Worst Has Happened.” Following a lunch of traditional Armenian foods, the program continued with a presentation from the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, director of the Diocese’s Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center, who spoke about the Armenian Church, Jerusalem, and the holy cross. The participants took part in small group discussions about their faith.