Senior Pastor Sergei Thomas Shahvardian and his services

Senior Pastor Sergey Thomas Shahvardian was born in Tehran in 1957 into 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. It was during this period that he first became acquainted with the teachings of the Holy Bible and the message of the Gospel, and this acquaintance had a profound impact on the formation of his spiritual path in life.

In his teenage and young adult years, he was faced with an important choice in his life: to join the scout group or to actively participate in the church youth group. He chose the latter path and participated with commitment and interest in the youth meetings of the Armenian Evangelical Church. This continuous participation led to the growth and strengthening of his Christian faith. Later, due to his commitment and leadership abilities, he was elected as the church youth leader and, together with a group of committed young people, played an important role in strengthening and expanding the church youth activities.

In 1980, when Rev. Nerses Khachaturian was the pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Tehran, Sergey Shahvardian was appointed as the Evangelist of the Word and officially entered church service. In the same years, he was selected by the Council of the Armenian Evangelical Church to undergo a three-month course in church service and the Armenian language.

In 1986, he was ordained as a preacher in the Armenian Evangelical Church and continued his ministry faithfully. Two years later, in 1988, he married Sister Clarice Aghajanian, the church secretary. The result of this marriage is two sons, Arthur and Daniel, both of whom are currently engaged in church service.

Over the years, Rev. Shahvardian served first as a deacon and then as a church elder. During this time, he gained valuable experience in church service through close collaboration with the late Rev. Tatos Mikaelian and benefiting from his spiritual guidance.

In recognition of his years of faithful and faithful service, the church’s Board of Elders invited him to be ordained to the priesthood. This ordination was approved by the Board of Elders of the Armenian Evangelical Church and the Council of Evangelical Churches of Iran. The ceremony was held on May 16, 1996, with the attendance of more than 300 people. Dr. Rene Leonyan, Chairman of the Friendship Council of Evangelical Churches of Armenia, and Rev. Yura Avansyan, Representative of the Cooperation of Evangelical Churches of Armenia, were also present at the ceremony, and thus Sergey Shahvardian was officially ordained to the priesthood.

Over the course of more than twenty-five years of pastoral ministry, new horizons opened up in his spiritual ministry. He continued to serve as the president of the Council of Evangelical Churches, the pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church, and also as a lecturer in church theology. Alongside his spiritual ministry, he continued his university studies and received a bachelor's degree in Armenian language and sociology.

During his years of ministry, Rev. Sergey Shahvardian served in a spirit of Christian cooperation and love alongside prominent church leaders, including Rev. Nerses Khachaturian, the late Rev. Tatos Mikaelian, Rev. Ghazar Thomasian, Rev. Arshavir Yerisian, Rev. Henrik Shahnazarian, Rev. Dr. Michel Aghamalian, and Rev. Vazrik Safaryan. He also had a close relationship with the Armenian Apostolic Church, a relationship that continued until the final years of his ministry.

His faithful, humble, and loving ministry over the decades was a clear testimony to his divine calling to shepherd the people of God. He remained deeply committed to the growth and exaltation of the Church until the end of his ministry.

According to the laws of the country, he retired after 35 years of service, but continued his spiritual ministry to grow and strengthen the Evangelical Church. In 2019, due to illness, he ceased to continue his official church activities. Finally, on March 2, 2026, he passed away to rest in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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