It is the ancient church of Armenia, traditionally founded by the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew and headed by the Catholicos of All Armenians at Etchmiadzin.
The Armenian Apostolic Church traces the Christianization of Armenia to Saint Gregory the Illuminator and King Tiridates III in the early fourth century, making Armenia the first state to adopt Christianity. It is a non-Chalcedonian Oriental Orthodox church, and a second catholicosate, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, is based in Antelias, Lebanon.
Sources
Primary
- The Armenian Book of Canons, the historic canonical collection of the Armenian Church
Secondary
- Vrej Nersessian, The Bible in the Armenian Tradition (2001)