The Armenian Congregational Church

The Armenian Congregational Church of Detroit was started in 1913, when Armenian survivors of the Turkish persecution first began to settle in the Detroit area. The Armenian Congregational Church was born, thanks, in large part to the pioneering efforts of several clergymen. These volunteers, mainly pastors and teachers, conducted Armenian Evangelical services in Detroit, and it was in 1917 that regular Sunday Worship services started.

In 1920, the Armenian Congregational Church was formed into a church with 22 communicant members. Two years later, in 1922, the Armenian Congregational Church in the city of Detroit was incorporated with 42 Charter members.

In 1925, the church building on the corner of Hamilton and Collingwood Avenue was purchased with the adjacent lot and parish house.

In 1931, the Sunday school was organized both with a children’s department and an adult class. The “Church Bulletin” (in Armenian) was also started at this time.

It was the year 1945, the Christian Endeavor was re-organized, and the Young Adults group was formed.

As the church grew, its Hamilton building became inadequate for the needs of the congregation. This led to the purchase of the church edifice at Twelfth and Davison in 1951. The parking lot adjacent to the church was acquired in 1953, and in 1959, the Sunday School Extension was completed.

Soon, times changed again, as did the needs of the congregation with the great movement of Armenians to the suburbs. It became evident that the church needed to move again, and in 1967 the groundbreaking ceremonies of the present church building at Twelve Mile Road, in Southfield, were held and the building of the church was started.

In the early 1970s, the Christian Education needs of the congregation led to the conversion of one third of the fellowship hall into Sunday school classrooms, and the remaining hall was later expanded with stage and new kitchen facilities. It was also during this time that the church was able to pay off the remainder of its mortgage and become debt-free.

Early in 1997, the Armenian Christian Education Center was completed and dedicated, and the “Marderus Kadian Educational Fund” was established.

In the many years of this church’s existence many changes have taken place, but one thing has never changed, and that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.