Episodes From The History Of The Activities Of Ptotestant Preachers In Western Armenia (End of the 19th century – beginning of the 20th century)

Beginning with the 14th century, Catholic and Protestant preachers appeared in Ottoman Turkey. However, unlike the representatives of other nations, the propaganda of the new doctrine was accepted mainly by the Armenians, which was conditioned by the awful socio-political, economic and spiritual situation of Armenia. Protestant preachers used the plight of Christians, particularly Armenians, for the realization of their religious-political goals and interests2. They were the ones who for the first time encouraged the idea among Armenians that Europe and the Pope could support the liberation of Armenia, but only on the condition of accepting Catholicism or Protestantism. It was under their direct influence that the Armenian Catholicos traveled to a number of European countries in the 16th-17th centuries. From the beginning, the Protestant preachers were of the opinion that the Armenian Church operated applying an “idolatrous” system3. However, after long contacts with the people in the Western Armenian reality, their mentality gradually changed and they became closer to the Armenian Apostolic Church. Starting from the 50s of the 19th century, the Armenian Protestants were recognized as a separate community by the Ottoman state and a separate diocese was established for them. After the Protestant preachers settled in Constantinople, they started to open branches in the provinces as well4. One such branch was also established in Van.