18th Anniversary Edition

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Next Step begins 19th Year of Podcasting

Next Step #810 – The 18th Anniversary Edition – After a short hiatus, Fr. Vazken is back to usher in the 19th year of the Next Step, tracking developments in the world and the Armenian Church.
“Back in the saddle again,” bringing it all to you: Armenian Orthodoxy for the world today
Gor Mkhitarian “Spirit” album
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for Epostle.net
Subscribe and listen on demand on your favorite pod-catcher.
We’re on Pandora, Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Celebrate Ararat Week

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His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians has invited Armenians throughout the world to celebrate “The Week of Ararat” – June 1-7, 2026. Epostle sparks up a special Miniseries – five episodes – that brings history to today. Join Fr. Vazken for this important miniseries: Spark, Kindle, Catalyst, Fanning the flame, to the Altar of Light

Miniseries: The Road to Light

Armodoxy for Today: The Road to the Center of Light
– a five-part miniseries of daily messages dedicated to this special week
in the life of the Armenian Church.
Five days, five inspirations, five sparks that connect to shine the Christ Light.

Part 1: Hripsime – The Spark

Part 2: Gayane – The Kindle

Part 3: Gregory – The Catalyst

Part 4: Tirtad – Fanning the Flames
Day 5: Etchmiadzin the Altar of Light

Pope Leo XIV’s Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas

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SPECIAL EDITION

Armodoxy for Today: Pope Leo’s Encyclical on magnificent humanity…

While the Christian Church celebrated Pentecost over the past weekend, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” (magnificent humanity) reflecting on the Church’s social teaching for the age of artificial intelligence.

In an unusual gesture, the Pope presented the Encyclical at the launch. (Popes will author and sign encyclicals and, generally will leave the presentation or “launch” to Church officials or representatives.)

 

The full text of Magnifica Humanitas is available here.

One year ago, on the feast of Pentecost, we shared with you a summation of the “Epostle” mission and vision as the electronic arm of the Church, with the title Pentecost: Technology and Language. We began working with technology in the 1990s, and established the first broadcasts in 2000. We have developed social media and podcast content since 2008. But over the last year, AI related challenges before the Church have increased exponentially. And certainly, we at Epostle have experimented and presented different models demonstrating AI assistance. Last year, with AI assistance we dared to present our Christian topic videos in over ten different languages to reach audiences across the planet. Our 2025 “Reclaim” conference explored the implications of AI use within faith communities. Currently, we are working on models for a virtual AI assistant capable of answering faith questions according to the teachings outlined in Armodoxy, that will be available 24/7 and as requested. Of course, AI uses in religion have not been confined to the Christian quarters, nor to the West. Earlier this month, the first non-human was ordained as a Buddhist monk – a robot – in the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in Seoul, South Korea.

With this encyclical Pope Leo’s message is clear: human dignity must be protected in the age of artificial intelligence, and humanity must resist building a future in which technology eclipses the human person or excludes God.  He challenges us to think beyond the comforts and ease that AI affords us and find the magnificence in humanity.  In his words, “the true alternative is not between enthusiasm and fear, but between two paths of development, a progress that serves individual and peoples, or a progress that subjects them to the mentality of power.”

On this auspicious occasion of Pope Leo’s Encyclical, we reiterate our commitment to the sacred calling of the Holy Church and our ability to engage in it with the tools of the day. Excerpted from our message last year,

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is that of communications – to be able to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, to share the Gospel message with the world. …to preach the gospel to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted,  proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed…” (Luke 4)

As the earliest and most ancient of Tradition we are thankful to be able to accomplish this by the use of the latest language, that is technology. Today, on Pentecost, we celebrate our ability to engage in Apostolic evangelism in an electronic world. Our audience is expanding daily. We thank you for listening to our podcasts and broadcast, and sharing these messages with your family and friends. You’re plugging into new productions of podcasts, video lessons, daily messages, multiverse virtual presentations, virtual tours and much more, which are all spreading the message of peace and harmony through love as expressed and exemplified by Jesus Christ.

We take this opportunity to thank Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the Diocesan Primate of the Western Diocese for his steadfast encouragement of this venture. In his words, Epostle is the future of the Church, available today! We will always strive to engage with new and innovative means by which to share the Gospel of love and hope. We thank you for taking this journey with us. May the blessings of the Holy Spirit be with you all, along with that of the Father and Son, now and always. Amen.

 

 

 

Fr. Vazken in the News: On Faith, Forgiveness, and the Long Reach of 1915

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Photo: Karine Armen

Local News Pasadena sat down with Fr. Vazken Movsesian for a compelling conversation on faith, forgiveness, and what it means to carry the memory of 1915 into the present day. It’s a thoughtful and moving read, one that reminds us why this voice matters now more than ever.

CLICK TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE.

Armodoxy: Ancient Faith for a Modern World

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At Epostle, our work centers on a simple conviction: the oldest Christian tradition on earth still has something vital to say to people living today. We call that message Armodoxy.

Armodoxy is the mystical and spiritual “weapon” that has delivered the Armenian nation and brought tranquility to the souls of a people. Coined by Fr. Vazken Movsesian, the term describes Armenian Orthodoxy understood not as a relic but as a living system to live by, an ancient and mystical faith polished up for today.

For the past six millennia, the Armenian people have inhabited the land at the base of Mt. Ararat, at the “Cradle of Civilization.” Armenia is a war-torn, land-locked country sitting at the crossroads of three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa. Armenians have endured the mass destruction of their land, homes and lives by barbarians, conquerors, and most recently the Genocide of 1915 at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Despite countless perils, natural disasters, atrocities and suffering, and without military strategy or a large military presence, the Armenian story is one of survival, rebirth and growth. Armodoxy is the spiritual force that delivered this nation, holding the key components of love, faith and hope for all of humanity.

At its heart, Armodoxy is the power of the spirit to transform the profane and establish peace: a peace for the soul with applications for the world.

The message of Christ is timeless, but it comes through words and language that take shape in a particular world. We may not understand grains of wheat or vineyards, or the metaphor of a Samaritan. If the scriptures were recording Jesus speaking to us today, we might hear instead the metaphors of an elevator, a calculator, or a piano. The story of the “Good Samaritan” (Luke 10) would surely be adapted to people at odds with one another. Make the Samaritan a Black man who assists a white man left for dead, and the point lands distinctly for racists or supremacists. Have the hero be a Palestinian who tends to an Israeli, or a Turk who helps an Armenian, and it drives home emphatically that we are invited to seek the “neighbor” in everyone, even a foreigner or a so-called enemy.

Armenian Orthodoxy is the oldest Christian tradition on earth. It has withstood the test of time and the ravages of attack, and through it all has delivered a simple message of love through Christ. Armodoxy is our challenge at Epostle: to bring that message home to people of the 21st century while preserving the integrity of the Christian Gospel of faith, hope and love.

Tatev Monastery | In Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide

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Echoes of Ararat | Gregory Beylerian presents This video on Tatev Monastery,  shared in remembrance of April 24, honoring the 1.5 million Armenians who perished in the Armenian Genocide of 1915. It also reflects on the enduring strength of a people who, in the face of profound loss, chose to preserve their culture, rebuild their sacred spaces, and carry forward their traditions.

In this newly released video, we journey to Tatev Monastery, one of Armenia’s most iconic and spiritually significant landmarks, set dramatically above the Vorotan Gorge. More than a historic site, Tatev stands as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith, and cultural continuity.

Reaching the monastery is an experience in itself. Visitors travel aboard the Wings of Tatev, one of the longest aerial tramways in the world, gliding over steep cliffs, forested valleys, and the winding river below. As the monastery comes into view, it emerges from the plateau with a quiet, commanding presence.

Originally built in the 9th century, Tatev Monastery has endured centuries of upheaval, including invasions, earthquakes, and long periods of isolation. Yet it remains remarkably intact, its stone walls and carved details holding the imprint of generations who lived, studied, and prayed there.

Beneath the monastery, cave hermitages carved into the cliffs reveal another layer of its history, spaces where monks withdrew into silence and contemplation, seeking a deeper connection to the sacred.

Today, Tatev is not simply a monument of the past. It continues to live as a place of spiritual presence and cultural memory, offering visitors a rare encounter with history that feels both grounded and alive.

Watch the full video to experience the landscape, history, and enduring spirit of Tatev Monastery.

“Eh” The Eternal Now: Christ Consciousness Awakens in a World on Fire

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Click To Watch.

Ancient Armenian wisdom meets today’s spiritual hunger. Father Vazken reveals why the Kingdom of Heaven isn’t coming later, it’s already here, right now, if we dare to live it.

Los Angeles, CA – April 1, 2026

Highlights from a candid, 54-minute conversation recorded in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains, Epostle’s Gregory Beylerian and Father Vazken sat in Greg’s restored 1986 VW West camper van for what may be one of the most timely spiritual dialogues of the year. Just days before Easter, in the middle of Holy Week, under the full moon that sets the date for Easter, the two friends unpacked the single most radical idea in Christianity, one the Armenian Church has guarded for 1,700 years: Christ is not a memory. Christ is presence.

The conversation begins with Archbishop Derderian’s prophetic vision from last year: “Epostle is the future of the Church available today.” Father Vazken smiles and says, “We were talking about Christ consciousness centuries before the world gave it that name.”

At the center of their exchange is one small, luminous Armenian letter: Է (Eh) the seventh letter of the Armenian alphabet, the verb “to be” in the present tense. “It means ‘is,’” Father Vazken explains. “Not ‘was.’ Not ‘will be.’ Right now. He is. God is. Christ is.”

Greg recalls walking into ancient Armenian churches in Armenia  with Father Vazken. in 2014 and seeing that same symbol glowing above every altar. “I asked Father Vazken what it meant, and when he told me… it was my aha moment. Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass, Oprah, they were all pointing to the same doorway the Armenian Church had been pointing to since the 5th century.”

From there the dialogue flows like living water:

The Kingdom is now. Jesus didn’t say “the Kingdom is coming.” He said, “The Kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Greg responds, “So no one needs to die first to get there.” The resurrection is not a future event; it is the victory of light over darkness that happens the instant we choose love over fear.

The cross is not a symbol of torture, it is the ultimate symbol of love. Father Vazken shares the story of an Indian Orthodox Catholicos who removed his ring, handed it to him to read the Armenian inscription, and told his people: “These Armenians have never known Christianity without suffering. Listen to them.”

Revolution is not protest with an end time. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as a protest against empire. He didn’t go home at 4 p.m. He went to the cross. That is the difference between temporary activism and eternal revolution.

Father Vazken doesn’t shy away from today’s headlines. He calls the absurdity of solving problems with violence “the playground logic of grown men who never grew up.” He challenges the idea that any war can be fought “in the name of Christ.” And he reminds listeners that the Armenian people were invaded, genocided, exiled, never lost the one message that still offers the world hope: Presence.

The conversation crescendos as the two men connect the dots between the full moon that determines Easter, the resurrection that turns the worst Friday into “Good Friday,” and the personal resurrection each of us is invited into right now.

“Suffering is not the end,” Father Vazken says. “It is the a doorway to resurrection. You cannot get to Sunday morning without Friday. But once you see through the lens of resurrection, even Friday becomes good.”

Greg closes the episode with a simple, powerful question that lingers long after the recording ends:

“If fear has brought us this far… what would love do next?”

Watch or listen to the full conversation.

Because the future of the Church is not coming.

It is already here.

Eh.

He is.

We are.

Right now.

“Eh” Artwork by Gregory Beylerian

Epostle Releases Its 2025 Year in Review

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Epostle Releases Its 2025 Year in Review

Now in its third year, Epostle.net proudly presents its 2025 Year in Review, a reflection of growth, purpose, and inspired service. What began as a small, grassroots initiative has quickly evolved into a dynamic creative force, rooted in the faith and living tradition of the Armenian Church.

The Epostle team introduces the 2025 Year in Review as a thoughtfully designed, magazine-style publication, created to honor and document the collective efforts of a passionate community working in alignment with a shared vision. Under the guidance of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, who formally recognized Epostle as the digital ministry of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, the initiative has continued to expand its reach and impact. Upon reviewing the inaugural edition, he described Epostle as “the future of the Armenian Church today.”

Epostle’s mission is grounded in three core pillars: education, outreach, and heritage preservation. Each annual review serves not only as a record of accomplishments, but as a tangible expression of gratitude, offering supporters a clear and beautifully presented view of the impact their contributions make.

Blending creativity, technology, and faith, Epostle seeks to illuminate the depth and beauty of Armenian spiritual heritage, one of the world’s oldest monastic traditions, while engaging the needs of the present moment. It stands as a bridge between origins and the modern world, from the sacred symbolism of Mount Ararat, long held as the resting place of Noah’s Ark, to a global audience seeking meaning, connection, and service.

The 2025 Year in Review is more than a publication; it is a beacon, an offering of light, inspired by the teachings of Christ, intended to uplift, inform, and activate. Within its pages is an invitation: to be inspired, to open the heart, and to take part in meaningful action.

Epostle extends its gratitude to all who have supported this journey and welcomes all who feel called to participate.

Support Epostle. Support humanity. Let us move forward—together.

Click To View The 2025 Year In Review.

Reclaim 2026 – 10th Anniversary!

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Reclaim Conference 2026: Reclaiming Monasticism – 10th Anniversary

CLICK TO WATCH the lectures, see the photos, listen to the Sunday sermon or experience a unique immersive binaural recording of the prayer “Lord Have Mercy”

Announcing: The Jim Kaplan $100,000 Challenge!

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Announcing: The Jim Kaplan $100,000 Challenge!

We are pleased to announce a matching gift program of $100,000 initiated by Jim Kaplan to further the goals and mission of Epostle. A dedicated member of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Mr. Kaplan firmly believes in the bright new frontiers that are being pioneered by Epostle’s vision and work.  He has generously allocated $100,000 in support of Epostle.

Every dollar donated to Epostle will be matched up to $100,000 by the donor.

Epostle is the electronic ministry of the Western Diocese. Since its formation in 2022, Epostle has evangelized Christ for the Armenian Church, bringing a fresh new voice for the digital age with videos, daily podcasts and the exploration of spiritual sites through its metaverse experiences.

We thank Mr. Kaplan for his generosity and for sharing our vision. We invite you to do the same.

This is more than a fundraiser; this is about participating in the next chapter of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Visit Epostle.net today to explore all that is there. Sign up for the newsletter and participate in the $100,000 challenge.

This means that every dollar given will be matched dollar for dollar doubling the impact of your generosity.

Double my impact today! Click here.