It has recently come to my attention that Archbishop Choloyan, the Arachnort of the 
Eastern Prelacy Armenian Apostolic Churches of North America, had visited Boynton
 Beach, Florida in late February 2004 for the purpose of blessing the start of a 
new Prelacy Church. This in itself should have been commendable were it not for the
 fact that two miles down the road in Boca Raton, there was already the St. David 
Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern Diocese of North America ministering 
successfully to all Apostolic faithful. What in the world happened to that "We're
 religiously one and only administratively divided" garbage that our sky pilots have 
been feeding us?  Was "administratively divided" designed to feed the disunity 
they're maintaining or is this the prelude to "last man 
standing?"

Shades of the past or is it business as usual? Back in 1986 when I was running as a 
delegate for the Prelacy's National Representative Assembly, I remember how all of 
the ARF stalwarts, who seldom came to church, showed up at that general meeting with 
the primary intention of blocking any chance of my becoming a national 
representative. I should also mention that, at that time, I was deeply involved
 with the Coalition for Church Unity, and my reason for running as a Prelacy 
National Representative, was to take our message of Church Unity to the National 
Prelacy Assembly. But the cards were stacked against me, and after the usual 
whispers and the passing of slips of paper with the names of previously selected 
ARF delegates, I lost, and the satisfaction for my loss was duly expressed by 
applauding and cheering by the partisan crowd. There I was, trying to help bring 
Christian unity back into our North American lives, only to find out that there
 was a prevailing political influence in my Prelacy Armenian Apostolic Church 
which was stronger than the God to whom we were praying. This, unfortunately, 
was true of the Diocese churches as well.  Today, I only attend christenings, 
weddings, and funerals in our Armenian Apostolic Churches because those are the 
only times when our people are really united. And as far as our supposedly 
religious Apostolic clerics go, I am still trying to decide whether they are 
paying their primary homage to the Prince of Peace or to the Prince of Darkness. 
In any event, I believe that the eternal forces, along with Father Time, will 
eventually sort things out more thoroughly than our Unity Coalition was able to do.
 Meantime, our entrenched "bungle masters" will go on having their way.  
How will this affect our Armenian future in North America? I don't know, but 
then again, how many of us really care anymore?  

As for myself, until I get some verifiable proof that this "religiously one and 
only administratively divided" theory is beneficial, I will have to go on believing 
that it's nothing more than pseudo religious 'weasel wording'. 

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on an ass, my late father-in-law said it best: 
"Eshoon khoask hasgutzoozt puytz muhrtoats chee guhrtzuv" (Jesus was able to 
make the jackass understand but mankind He could not).  

Joseph Vosbikian