Haigazian University

About the President
Administration

About the President

REV. PAUL ARA HAIDOSTIAN, PH.D.

(Born September 23, 1961, Beirut, Lebanon)

Academic Background

B.A.      Psychology major. Armenian Studies minor,
Haigazian College, Beirut, 1984.

M.Div.  (Master of Divinity)
Near East School of Theology, Beirut, 1987.

Th.M.   (Master of Theology). Pastoral Theology,
Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, 1988.

Ph.D.   (Doctor of Philosophy). Pastoral Theology (interdepartmental),
Princeton Theological Seminary, 1994.
Dissertation Topic: “Armenian Evangelical Youth & Political Identity.”

Honorary Doctorate.  Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia, 2012.

Church Affiliation & Experience

  • Licensed Preacher, 1988. Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE).
  • Ordained Minister, 1994. UAECNE.
  • Guest preacher, Armenian Evangelical Church of New York. 1988-1993.
  • Preacher at numerous church conventions, pulpits and youth conferences.

Family

  • Married in 1990 to Maral G. Purzekian.
  • Two daughters: Garin, (b. February 1994) and Talar (b. August 1998).

Educational Career

  • 1983-1985: Teacher of Religion for intermediate classes at the Armenian Evangelical Central High School, Ashrafieh, Beirut.
  • 1989-1991: Teaching Fellow in Practical theology, Princeton Theological Seminary, in the areas of Pastoral Care, and Church Administration.
  • 1991-1992 Research Assistant to the Department of Practical Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary.
  • 1993-2002, Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at the Near East School of Theology (NEST), Beirut.
  • 2002-2010, lecturer at the Near East School of Theology.

Courses in Pastoral Theology:
Pastoral Care & Counseling
Pastoral Care of the Family
Pastor & Parish
Biblical Themes for Pastoral Care
Introduction to Homiletics
Advanced Homiletics

Courses in Christian Ethics:
Introduction to Christian Ethics
Social Issues in Theological Perspectives
The Church in the World

Course in Ecumenics:
The Ecumenical Movement in the Middle East

  • 1994-2002 Member of the Editorial Committee of the NEST academic publication, the Theological Review.
  • Between the years 1996-2000 taught Introduction to Ethics at Haigazian University (three semesters), Introduction to Christian Education at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Armenia (once), and Introduction to Practical Theology at the theological training 3-year sequence of the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches (twice).
  • 1989-1992 Member of the Society of Pastoral Theology, USA.
  • 2009-2018 Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of World Communion of Reformed Churches, published by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Geneva.

Published Articles

  • 1990 – A Costly Course: The Paradigm of Identity. Pages 61-73 in Koinonia, Vol.2 (1).
  • 1994 – A Church-Sect Continuum: The Case of the Armenian Evangelical Church. Pages 160-175 in Theological Review. Vol. 15(2).
  • 1995 – Can Theology be -Practical. Pages 47-60 in Theological Review. Vol. 16(1).
  • 1996 – Armenian Evangelical Vision and Revision. Pages 52-60 in Theological Review. Vol. 17(1).
  • 1996 – Armenian Evangelical, and Political. Pages 131-154 in Haigazian Armenological Review. Vol.16.
  • 2001 – An Introduction to the Study of the Personality of St. Paul?. Chapter Three in Paul and His Letters. Editor, Paul Feghali. Jounieh: Al-Rabita al-Kitabiyya (In arabic).
  • 2001 – When Death and Life meet in Christ. Pages 60-67 in Reformed World. Vol. 51(2).
  • 2006 – The Orthodox and the Evangelicals in the Middle East Council of Churches. Pages 313-319 in The Orthodox and the Evangelicals in the Arabic Orient: Historic reading and future horizons (in Arabic).
  • 2006 – Church Communion in the Middle East: An Armenian Evangelical Perspective. Pages 209-220 in Reformed World, Vol. 56 (2).
  • 2007 – Practical Theology in Lebanon: Five Letters from Beirut. Pages 138-157 in the International Journal of Practical Theology, Vol. 11, Issue 1.
  • 2009 – Haigazian University and the Armenian Genocide: The deportation of education to the institution of rebirth. Pages 40-42 in The Armenian Weekly.
  • 2011 – The Future of Congregationalism in the Middle East. Pages 32-38 in International Congregational Journal. Vol. 10 Issue 2.
  • 2012 – The Main Factors of Identity Formation in the Cultural and Political Context of Diaspora. Pages 12-20 in Diaspora Studies, Issues in Theory and History, Yearbook, YSU Publications (in Armenian).
  • 2015 – The Armenian genocide one hundred years later: Reflections of a theologian. Pages 97-108 in Theological review, Vol. 36(1).
  • 2019 – Lebanon’s Uniqueness in its Region:  A Descriptive Overview of the Armenians of Lebanon, Pages 22-31 in Lebanese – Armenians Today, Ethno-Sociological Studies, Publishing Institute Archeology and ethnography NAS RA, Yerevan – Beirut (in Armenian).
  • 2019 – Shifts in the Functions of the Armenian Family from traditional to 21st Century. Pages 22-28 in The Armenian family Vis-à-Vis Contemporary Challenges, Publishing Institute Archeology and Ethnography NAS RA, Yerevan – Beirut (in Armenian).
  • 2021 – Education for Peace – Building and Preventing Extremism, Pages 32-38 in The Journal of Social Encounters, Special Issue: Religion, Politics, and Peacemaking, Vol. 3, Iss. 1.
  • 2022 – Foreign Missionary Activity Prior to and During the Armenian Genocide. Pages 10-20 in Transformation:  An International Journal of Holistic, Vol. 39, Issue 1.
  • 2023 – 100 Years After the Burning of Smyrna Rev. Hagop Yeranian Remembered. Pages 57-67 in Theological Review, The Near East School of Theology, Vol. 44.
  • 2023 – The Role of the Protestants in Lebanon Between Yesterday and Today:  A Critical Review. Pages 72-85 in Blessed are the Peacemakers, Theology, Compassion and Action for a Global Mission. Luther-Agricola Society, Helsinki, 2023.

Numerous published speeches, studies and sermons in Chanasser (Armenian), An-Nashra,(Arabic), WARC publications (English) and daily Armenian newspapers. Numerous interviews and articles in Lebanese newspapers and magazines since September 2002.

Published Book Reviews

  • 1994 Review of The Christian Witness at the Crossroads in the Middle East by Arch. Aram Keshishian. Pages 88-90 in Theological Review. Vol. 15(1).
  • 1997 Review of Madkhal ila al-lahout al-adabi by Bishop Cyril Salim Boustros. Pages 154-156 in Theological Review. Vol. 18(2).
  • 1997 Review of The Creation of Kindness by Cora Cypser. Pages 156-157 in Theological Review. Vol. 18(2).

Languages

  • Armenian, English and Arabic: reading, writing, and speaking (also teaching) ability.
  • French, German: elementary reading ability.
  • Hebrew, Greek: basic seminary training.

Administrative & Organizational Experience

  • 2002-present: President of Haigazian University, Beirut, Lebanon.
  • 1994-2002: Member of the Administrative Committee at NEST.
  • 1994-1997: Chair, Christian Endeavor Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in Syria & Lebanon.
  • 1998-2001; 2002-2005; 2007-2009; 2010-present: Chair, Central Committee of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Iran, Greece, Australia).
  • Chair of the Student Council of theological seminaries of the ATIME (Association of Theological Seminaries in the Middle East) 1986-1987.

Ecumenical Responsibilities

  • Member of the Executive Committee of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), Geneva, 1997-2004.
  • Member of the Executive Committee of the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC) since 1996.
  • Chair of the Theological Committee of the FMEEC, 1996-2009.
  • Member of the Theology Committee of the WARC, 1997-2004.
  • Member of the Youth Committee of WARC, 1997-2004.
  • Representative of the WARC on the Reformed-Pentecostal international theological dialogue team since 1998.
  • Member of the Bible Society Board in Lebanon since 1995.
  • Representative of the UAECNE in the General Assembly of the Supreme Council of Evangelical Community in Syria & Lebanon since 1998.
  • Alternate member of the Faith & Unity Commission of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), 1998-2004.
  • Member of the “Global Network of Theologians” of the World Communion of Reformed Churches since 2011.
  • President on Behalf of the Evangelical Family of the MECC since 2022.
  • Acting President of the UAECNE since 2022.

Additional Community Services

  • Member of the Educational Council of the UAECNE-Lebanon since 1997.
  • Member of the Haigazian University Board, 1997-2002.
  • Chair of the Board of the Armenian Evangelical Central High School (Ashrafieh, Beirut), 2000-2003.
  • Member  of the Advisory Committee of the Goguikian Foundation since 2010.
  • Extensive speaking engagements in the larger Armenian and non-Armenian communities in Lebanon on topics ranging from pastoral theology to psychology, to socio-political issues, and ecumenism. These include teaching/lecturing opportunities at theological seminars, to church young adults’ groups, non-Protestant seminaries, and various cultural groups.