[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO THE FIRST ARMENIAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF FRESNO

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. GEORGE P. RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 22, 1997

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the First Armenian 
Presbyterian Church of Fresno, CA, which is celebrating its 100th 
anniversary this year. The Armenian commitment to religion is 
symbolized by the birth and expansion of this church.
  The First Armenian Presbyterian Church of Fresno was the first 
Armenian church organized in the State of California. It began on July 
25, 1897 when 40 men and women met in a hall in Fresno. The church was 
duly received and enrolled in the fellowship of Presbyterian churches 
by the Presbytery of Stockton at a meeting in Oakland, CA, on October 
20, 1897. The first session was formed and the Reverend Avedis 
Vartanian, Khachig Michaelian, and Hagop Azhderian were elected as the 
first ruling elders.
  The church had its origins in the Armenian Ladies' Patriotic Society 
established in Fresno on May 1, 1892. The declared purpose of the 
society was to support orphans, ministers, and evangelists in Armenia. 
In 1913, the society changed its name to the Women's Benevolent Society 
of the First Armenian Presbyterian Church and is now commonly known as 
the Ladies' Aid Society.
  The Reverend L.T. Burbank preached the first sermon of the church in 
the Armenian language and was invited and unanimously elected as the 
first pastor of the church. Following the ministry of Rev. Burbank came 
the construction of a church building at the corner of Santa Clara and 
Fulton Streets. This steepled, octagon sanctuary was recognized most 
notably through the writings of the late William Soroyan, who--as a 
boy--attended the church and wrote about his experiences.
  The communicant membership of the church has grown from 40 charter 
members to 450. The Sunday school and four Bible study groups are 
providing Christian education to believers of every age. Fellowship 
groups minister to the needs of the young, the old, the married, the 
single, and the Armenian-speaking. Additionally, a building committee 
has completed the construction of a social hall, the final phase of a 
25-year expansion program.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I honor the First Amenian 
Presbyterian Church of Fresno, CA. The focus and religious excellence 
of the church serves as a model for religious establishments all over 
the world. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing the First Armenian 
Presbyterian Church continued success and inspirational religious 
teachings.

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