2004 Annual Report of The Armenian Church Magazine

In 2004, the Diocese released three issues of its flagship publication, The Armenian Church magazine.  The magazine staff, with Arpie Nakashian McQueen as editor, continued to present Diocesan news and fresh content in a concise and easy-to-read format.  Each issue was printed in magazine format, utilizing the services of a Canadian print house.  A Russian-language condensed version of each issue was translated and edited by Archbishop Anania Arabajyan.

The Armenian Church continued to provide thought-provoking and informative content to a broad audience consisting mostly of Armenian Americans. Along with highlighting Diocesan activities and events, The Armenian Church presented a number of original articles focusing on the Diocesan theme for 2004: “The Year of Stewardship.” Several feature stories focused on giving of one’s time, talent, and treasure to the Armenian Church, with accompanying articles offering ideas to prompt stewardship activities.

In each issue, along with regular sections such as the Meditation column, more in-depth features highlighted current events of the Diocese, as well as developments in the Armenian Church Endowment Fund, the Fund for Armenia Relief, and the Choir Association.  Two sections featuring photos and brief commentary—“News and Notes” and “Milestones”—offered condensed coverage of local parish events, anniversaries, and clergy careers.

Submissions were plentiful, but while The Armenian Church continues to encourage submissions from readers, printing constraints and editorial requirements prohibit printing everything received.

Personnel: The staff of the magazine included the following people, all under the general supervision of the Primate: Dr. Sam Mikaelian—Diocesan executive director; George Kassis—Diocesan director of Communications and Development (through September 2004); Arpie Nakashian McQueen—editor; Fr. Krikor Maksoudian—Armenian language section editor; Armen Garabedian—art director and designer; Christopher Zakian—Diocesan public relations coordinator; Jake Goshert—Diocesan communications coordinator; Valerie McQueen—editorial assistant.  The Russian-language version of The Armenian Church was translated and edited by Archbishop Anania Arabajyan.