Very Reverend Abraham K. Jizmejian

(a biographical sketch)

Mehran Janbazian

 

Rev. Abraham Jizmejian's cousin testifies that the reverend was an unforgettable person. Indeed, he was.  We had family relations thanks to my mother. They were co-workers during those years. I was present with my mother at his ordination. The last time I met him was at the Armenian Presbyterian Church in New Jersey and together we went to the celebratory function of the day. I copied the biography from his book "Why Did You Create Me?" The original (http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2023/06/blog-post_25.html)

Rev. Abraham K. Jizmejian

Rev. Abraham K. Jizmejian belongs to the generation that overcame all the sufferings and adversity of the First World War and the Armenian Genocide. His father Kevork was martyred in the battle of Dardanelles in 1914, during his military service in the Turkish army for the defense of his country, when Rev. Jizmejian was still a baby. He was denied the joy ofhis father's love and care.

Rev. Jizmejian was born on July 3, 1913, in the city of Birejik (Birecik), located on the banks of the Euphrates River. Shortly after his father's martyrdom, in 1916, his mother also died. He and his older sister, Efronia, remained under the guardianship of their paternal grandfather, Garabed, and grandmother, Anna, as well as his uncles, Hovhannes and Taniel.

A barely four-year-old boy, along with his relatives, he also embarked on the journey of the Armenian Calvary to Jarabulus, Raqqa and then Aleppo. He often remembered with emotion and great gratitude how our father Daniel, his 17-year-old uncle, on the path of theirexodus, carried him  on top of the heavy load he was carrying, so that his bare feet would not get bloodied from the dry roads.

Rev. Abraham Jizmejian, at the age of 11, surrendered himself to his Savior, to whom he remained a faithful witness until his death. Right after finishing his preschooling, he started working to eke out a living. For a while he traveled to the nearby villages with his uncles and worked as a craftsman and eventually he owned his own presser’s shop in Aleppo, pressing or ironing clothes.

After being away from school for more than 16 years, this intelligent and studious young man returned to the school and sat at a student’s desk at the age of 28 as a specialstudent at the American College of Aleppo and completed two years curriculum in  the same year. After graduating from Aleppo College, he continued his bible studies in the Shemlan,  Lebanon.

 Rev. Abraham Jizmejian remained a student throughout his life. He received the following certifications.

In 1948, Bachelor of Arts from from the American University of Beirut and from the Middle East Theological Seminary.

In 1962, Master of Divinity (Near East School of Theology - N.E.S.T.)

In 1963, Master of Education (M.A. Education, A.U.B.)

In 1982, he received a Master of Theology (M.Th. Immanuel College, University of Toronto), and defended his thesis titled, "The Christocentric Contextualism of B.D. Bonhoeffer" about the great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was martyred by order of Hitler during the second world war.

Rev. A. Jizmejian has been an educator, editor, writer, principal and pastor,  and served selflessly and faithfully in those capacities wherever he served.

Before 1944, as preacher and spiritual worker in the Armenian and Syrian churches of Aleppo.

1944-1957,  as the preacher of the Spiritual Brotherhood Church and as the principalof the Genats (Կենաց -  Life) school the brotherhood ran. During his term the school grew from a preschool to a secondary school.

1957-1961 as the principal of the Armenian Evangelical College, Beirut and lecturer atHaigazian College. During those years, the A.E.C. achieved noteworthy academic success, at the same time he encouraged the sports for the students.

In 1961 he toured on an evangelistic mission to the United States for six months (until February 1962.)

In 1962, as the visiting pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church in Damascus, to meet the needs of the church.

1963-1964 as the principal of Shamlian Tatikian Armenian Evangelical Secondary School in Nor Marash.

Principal Abraham K. Jizmejian congratulating the elementary school graduate of the
Shaman Tatigian Armenian Evangelical School, Nor Marash
Teacher Mrs. Zvart Apelian

1964-1969 as the pastor of Nor Marash Armenian Evangelical Church. He also served the Armenian Evangelical Union of the Middle East in various capacities.

In 1964, at the request of the Armenian Evangelical church community in Marash, Lebanon, he was ordained as a minister.

From 1969-1980 as the pastor of the Toronto Armenian Evangelical church.

From 1980-1981 After retirement, he accepted the call of the Armenian Missionary Association of America and served the Armenian Evangelical community in Los Angeles and in a short period of time through his visitations, sermons and personal example, he found support and established a new church in the Armenian neighborhoods of Hollywood.

The number of pastors who had the opportunity to establish a church is very small. Rev. Abraham Jizmejian is one of the few who founded not only one, but two churches during his pastoral service: in 1970-1971 in Cambridge, Ontario and in 1980-1981 in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

1981-1983 he served as the pastor of Armenian Evangelical Church of Montreal.

*****

In October 1949, he married Siran Bezirgianian and formed a happy Christian family. God blessed them with five daughters and two sons, who enjoy the fatherly care and care that he did not. He was an exemplary husband and a good father of the family, and a grandfather, as well as a loving maternal and paternal uncle to his 9 grandchildren, nephews ​​and nieces.

I have only pleasant memories from my childhood days. Whenever he came to visit us in Aleppo from in Beirut, he always had something for the younger ones, he would offer them candy, chocolate or colored chickpeas (leplepu) covered with sugar. Even our children enjoyed the same goodies here, and they remember him as a great chocolate-giving uncle.

I was so impressed by him in my childhood that I often faked his posture. "When I grow up, I will be just like Abraham Ammo (uncle)." Uncle Abraham was a man of faith and had complete trust in the God he loved and obeyed His will. I remember in one of the letters he wrote to my father conveying the good news of his engagement to Siran, he wrote. "God has prepared a bride for me, while I am looking elsewhere for what I want, just as He had prepared a ram for  Abraham  to sacrifice instead of Isaac. How can I not trust such a loving father?”

Rev. Abraham Jizmejian started losing his physical health shortly after his retirementfrom his many years of service. And after suffering for the last 14 weeks in the North York Hospital, on Wednesday, December 16, 1992, at 2:30 in the morning, he closed his eyes forever, joining his much-loved and adored Savior, to glorify his God, participating in the choir of heavenly hosts. 

"May the memory of the righteous be blessed." May the Lord render his memory blissful for all of us.

The cover of Rev. Abraham K. Jizmejian's book "Why Did You Create Me?"
Cover depicts Euphrates River on whose bank the Reverend was born in the city Birejik
The photograph courtesy Rev. Nshan Bakalian

*****

p.s. I attached his wife’s Siran’s obituary.

Passed away on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at the Scarborough Hospital - General Division at the age of 85.

Beloved wife of the late Rev. Abraham Jizmejian. Loving mother of Any, Maria, Arpi, Hasmig, Lida, Kevork Ary, and Hrag. Cherished grandmother to Jonathan, Kris, Antranig, Nyree, Armen, Keri, Sevag, Nareg, and Melody. Survived by her sisters, Maida and Arax. Siran lived a full and exemplary life, inspiring those around her with her dedication to family, to the church, and to the community. Her memory will be cherished by all those whose lives she touched. Friends and family may call on Wednesday, January 11 from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at the R.S. Kane Funeral Home (6150 Yonge Street, at Goulding, south of Steeles). A Funeral Service will be held on January 12 at 10:00am at the Armenian Evangelical Church of Toronto (2600 14th Avenue, Markham). Interment to follow at York Cemetery. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to the Rev. and Mrs. A.K. Jizmejian Fund, which provides scholarships for seminary students worldwide. Please make cheques payable to "The Armenian Evangelical Church of Toronto, Memo: Rev. and Mrs. A.K. Jizmejian Fund".