On November 6, 1960, a few newly immigrated families decided to establish an Armenian Evangelical church in Toronto. During a general meeting they elected the first council members: Mr. Barkev Karnigian (chairman), Mr Hovhannes Jamgotchian, Mr. Khachig Balabanian, Mr. Arsham Kulidjian, and Mr. Solo Nigossian. On November 8 1960, Mr. Solo Nigossian was asked by the church council to serve the church as a lay preacher. After his graduation from the Theological Seminary, and ordination by the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, Rev. Solo Nigosian became the first full-time minister of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Toronto, and served until 1968. With the help of some of the members of the church council pastor Nigossian drafted the church constitution. Also during his term he published the Canada Armenian Press and was its chief editor.
Reverends Khachik Sarian and Hagop Gurlekian served as interim ministers from October 1968 to August 1969. Rev. Abraham Jizmejian, native of Lebanon, assumed the pastorate from 1969 to August 1980. Through his efforts, the Cambridge Armenian Evangelical Mission came to life and later became an independent church, member of the A.E.U.N.A.
Rev. Yessayi Sarmazian succeeded Rev. Jizmejian on December 14, 1980. He served the church faithfully for 24 years, and retired in September 2004; subsequently, he was given the honourary title of “Pastor Emeritus”. During his term, our church moved to its present location in Markham.
From October 2005 until August 2013, Rev. Samuel Albarian served as the pastor of our church. The church continued to grow under his leadership.
In the spring of 2015, our church decided to invite Rev. Serop Mgrditchian from Aleppo, Syria, to be our next full-time minister. He arrived in early 2016, at the same time as many Armenian newcomers from Syria, greatly increasing the numbers of the church and the importance of its ministry.
Thanks to the foresight of those families who arrived here in 1960, and their love for Christ and His church, we have a strong Armenian Evangelical church and witness in Toronto.
