Senior Priest Sergey Thomas Shahourdian and His Services

Senior Priest Sergey Thomas Shahourdian was born in 1957 in Tehran in a large family. He completed his primary education at Arax Elementary School and then continued his secondary education at Gohar School, affiliated with the Cultural Complex of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Tehran. During this period, he first became acquainted with the teachings of the Holy Bible and the Gospel message, and this acquaintance had a profound influence on shaping the spiritual path of his life.

During his teenage and young adult years, he faced an important choice in his life: joining a scouting group or actively participating in the church youth group. He chose the latter path and participated with commitment and enthusiasm in the meetings of the Armenian Evangelical Church youth group. This continued participation led to the growth and strengthening of his Christian faith. Subsequently, due to his commitment and leadership abilities, he was selected as the youth group leader of the church and, along with a group of committed young people, played an important role in strengthening and expanding the church’s youth activities.

In 1980, when Priest Nerses Khachaturian was responsible for the pastoral leadership of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Tehran, Sergey Shahourdian was selected as a preacher and evangelist and formally entered church service. In those same years, he was selected by the Armenian Evangelical Church Council to complete a three-month course in church service and the Armenian language.

In 1986, he was appointed as a preacher at the Armenian Evangelical Church and continued his service with dedication. Two years later, in 1988, he married Sister Clarisse Aghajanian, the church secretary. This marriage resulted in two sons named Arthur and Daniel, both of whom are currently engaged in church service.

Priest Shahourdian served for many years, first as a deacon and then as an elder of the church. During this period, through close collaboration with the late Priest Tateos Michaelian and benefiting from his spiritual guidance, he gained valuable experience in the field of church service.

In recognition of years of faithful and devoted service, the Church Elders Council invited him for ordination to the priesthood. This ordination was conducted with the approval of the Armenian Evangelical Church Elders Council and the Council of Evangelical Churches of Iran. The ceremony was held on May 16, 1996, with the presence of more than 300 people. At this ceremony, Dr. René Léonian, Chairman of the Friendship Council of Evangelical Churches of Armenia, and Priest Yura Avansian, representative of the Evangelical Churches of Armenia, were also present, and thus Sergey Shahourdian was formally appointed to the priesthood.

During more than twenty-five years of pastoral service, new horizons opened in his spiritual ministry. He subsequently served as Chairman of the Council of Evangelical Churches, Pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church, and also as a theology instructor of the church. Alongside his spiritual services, he continued his university education and successfully obtained a bachelor’s degree in Armenian Language and Sociology.

Throughout his years of service, Priest Sergey Shahourdian served with a spirit of cooperation and Christian love alongside prominent church leaders including Priest Nerses Khachaturian, the late Priest Tateos Michaelian, Priest Gazar Tomasian, Priest Arkhamir Yerisyan, Priest Henrik Shahnazarian, Priest Dr. Michel Aghamalyan, and Priest Vazrik Safarian. He also maintained close cooperation with the Apostolic Church of Gregory the Illuminator, a relationship that continued until the final years of his service.

His faithful, humble, and loving service throughout the decades was a clear testament to his divine calling for the pastoral care of God’s people. He remained devoted until the end of his service to the growth and advancement of the church.

According to national laws, after 35 years of service he retired, but continued his spiritual service for the growth and strengthening of the Evangelical Church. In 2019, due to illness, he ceased his formal church activities. Finally, on March 2, 2026, he passed away to rest in the presence of the Lord and his Savior, Jesus Christ.

The memory and legacy of his faithful service and faithful life will always be cherished within the church community.