Vahe H. Apelian
Keurkune’s church remains center stage in the lives of Keurkunetsis. Although most are away but all carry the church in their hearts.
I do not think there has been any social event of significance to the villagers of Keurkune that was not held in the church. When there were issues to resolve such as equitable allocation of the water from the village’s spring for the orchards below or for regulating the practice of late-night hunting etc. Any issue that pertains to the village as a whole was resolved there. My mother used to tell me that in her younger days, people held vigil in the church praying for better weather for their livelihood.
Also, celebration, get togethers were held in the church courtyard. Consequently, there are. Many pictures depicting social events held at the church. Attached a few.
More pictures can be seen in Facebook’s “Keurkune and Keurkunetisis to know and to preserve” site initiated and ably managed by Garo Konyalian.
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Arguably the first picture of a social event held at the church is depicted in the picture below. From the wooden balcony of the pastoral complex, and the dirt covered roof of the church, indicate that it is indeed a very early picture of a social event held at the church.
"Thirteen months later, on Sunday July 12, 2015, the renovated and refurbished Armenian Evangelical Church of Keurkune was formally reopened and Sunday service was held there. Rev. Selimian welcomed Rev. Jirair Ghazarian, the newly-appointed pastor for the Armenian Evangelical Churches in Kessab. After the service a reception was held in the church’s courtyard."
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