A new systems analysis by Khachkar Studios offers a stark assessment of Armenian Christian institutional life in the United States, concluding that the ecosystem is severely underperforming despite extraordinary latent potential.
At the center of the study is a striking data point: only 3 percent of Armenian Americans regularly attend Armenian church services outside of major holidays.
This group—defined in the study as the “Faithful”—amounts to approximately 12,894 people attending 164 Armenian churches across 25 U.S. states, based on official U.S. Census figures of 460,254 Armenian Americans.
If the often-cited estimate of more than one million Armenian Americans is used as the denominator, the percentage drops to approximately 1 percent.
Despite these figures, the study notes a widespread belief within the community that Armenian church attendance is far higher—often estimated at 30 percent—a perception the authors describe as a critical obstacle to reform. “Institutions rarely reform systems they believe are healthy,” the analysis states.
Twelve ‘Body Parts’ of a Failing System
Khachkar Studios approaches the issue through a systems map, treating churches, schools, donors, media, and cultural production as interconnected “body parts” of a single ecosystem. The analysis evaluates 12 core components, each measured using explicit performance indicators.
Among the key findings:
- Armenian churches in the U.S. rank in the bottom decile—next to last place—among 23 U.S. Orthodox Christian groups in regular weekly attendance, both in 2010 and 2020. Attendance rates are roughly 10 percent of those seen among U.S. Protestants and Catholics.
- From 2001 to 2023, only 2 percent of major Armenian philanthropic donations supported Armenian religious activities.
- Religious themes appear in just 2 percent of major Armenian-themed international films (1982–2023), 6 percent of Armenian documentaries (1930–2024), and 3 percent of articles in 18 Armenian English-language news outlets sampled in 2024.
- Religious advertising accounted for only 5 percent of ads in the same media outlets.
- Among Armenian Americans aged 18–29, only 1 percent are classified as “Faithful,” despite roughly 10 percent attending accredited Armenian schools, highlighting what the study describes as a “broken pipeline” between childhood education and adult religious commitment.
- The study reports 0 percent daily Bible reading, 0 percent participation in Bible study classes, and no evidence of systematic benchmarking, leadership development, or best-practice replication within Armenian church institutions.
- The ecosystem’s Social Return on Investment (SROI) stands at 3.7x, roughly 39 percent of the U.S. Orthodox median of 9.4x.
A Decline Over Time
The analysis notes that the number of “Faithful” Armenian Americans has declined over the past decade, while the growth rate of Armenians counted in the U.S. Census has slowed significantly. From 1980 to 2010, Armenian population growth in the U.S. outpaced overall national growth by a wide margin; today, it represents only a fraction of it.
For ecosystem components related to leadership models and institutional practices, the study draws on materials spanning 1957 to 2024, finding little evidence of sustained improvement or modernization.
No Blame—But Clear Responsibility
Khachkar Studios emphasizes that its analysis is diagnostic rather than accusatory. The study assigns no blame to individuals or institutions but instead highlights a lack of measurement, accountability, and outcome-based management.
“A central finding is the absence of benchmarking,” the report states. “Without defining success, comparing performance, or replicating effective practices, improvement becomes accidental.”
The systems map, the authors argue, is intended as a tool for renewal, grounded in discipline and data rather than nostalgia or assumptions about past strength.
Whether the Armenian Christian ecosystem can reverse its decline, the study concludes, depends first on confronting the reality of its current condition.
