Khachkar Studios Reports 59% Attendance Gain Across Pilot Churches
Churches in a revitalization program run by Khachkar Studios have grown average Sunday attendance by 59%, according to figures the Washington-based organization released October 13. The 11 churches in the program's First Group averaged 1,595 worshippers over the past four weeks, up from a baseline of 1,004.
The update is the fifth in a weekly series the organization calls T•A•P, short for Transparency, Accountability and Performance. It tracks 26 pilot parishes worldwide, which Khachkar Studios says have received $1,010,399 in financial support through September.
For diaspora readers, the numbers touch a long-running worry. As generations assimilate and families scatter, many communities have watched their pews thin. The question is whether the church that anchored grandparents' lives can still hold their grandchildren.
This week's featured pilot is Iglesia de San Gregorio el Iluminador in Caracas, Venezuela, led by Bishop Bedros Manouelian. Its four-week average attendance reached 44, up from a baseline of 11 — an increase of 300%.
Khachkar Studios credits the parish with a social return on investment of 22 times.
The church bears the name of St. Gregory the Illuminator, who led Armenia to adopt Christianity as its state religion in 301. Small parishes like this one, far from the large Armenian centers of Los Angeles, Paris or Moscow, often struggle to sustain weekly worship. Growth from 11 to 44 is modest in raw numbers, but meaningful for a community of that size.
Each pilot is asked to meet two targets: double its non-holiday Sunday attendance from baseline, and bring women aged 18 to 29 above 15% of the congregation.
Parishioners are urged to spread the word with the campaign's slogan: "Bring a friend. Bring a family. This Sunday and every Sunday."
The First Group is more than halfway to the first goal. On the second, it falls short. Young women made up 172 of the 1,595 average attendees, or 11%. That gap matters for communities where the future of the parish — and of Armenian family life around it — depends on young adults staying connected.
Other figures in the report cover all 26 pilots:
* Online reach: The "Bring a Friend. Bring a Family." invitation videos have drawn 1,064,593 social media views.
* Classes: Total class attendance stands at 1,063 to date.
* Outreach: Pilots have made 1,409 outreach visits reaching 3,200 people in 2026, including 138 visits reaching 330 people during the week of October 4–10.
* Funding: The $1,010,399 in support works out to an average of roughly $38,900 per pilot. A per-parish breakdown accompanies the release.
About the program
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