Joel Veldkamp - Armenia’s Prayer Breakfast and the Crackdown on the Church | Ep 490, Nov 27, 2025 [EP490]

Groong Links:

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Guest:

• Joel Veldkamp

Topics:

• Clergy Arrests in Armenia
• Church Under Pressure
• Prayer Breakfast Controversy
• Western Silence on Repression
• CSI’s Findings in Yerevan

Episode 490 | Recorded: November 25, 2025

#ArmenianChurch #ReligiousFreedom #ClergyArrests #ChristianSolidarityInternational #HumanRightsInArmenia

Show Notes

Here are the Show Notes in clean Markdown, based exactly on your provided content, with all referenced links extracted and included at the end.

Summary

This episode of Conversations on Groong examines Armenia’s national “prayer breakfast” and the deepening repression against the Armenian Apostolic Church. Our guest, Joel Veldkamp of Christian Solidarity International (CSI), discusses his recent visit to Armenia, the arrests of clergy, the targeting of Church leadership, and the near-total silence from Western governments and many Christian groups. We explore why CSI is sounding the alarm, what is happening behind the government’s PR messaging, and what these developments mean for Armenia’s identity and future.

Main Topics Addressed

• Clergy arrests in Armenia
• Pressure on the Armenian Apostolic Church
• Prayer breakfast controversy
• Western and Christian-group silence
• CSI’s findings during its visit to Yerevan

Key Questions Discussed

• What is CSI’s history of work with Armenians since the 1990s?
• How did the blockade of Artsakh shape CSI’s global human-rights mission?
• What did CSI observe during its November visit to Armenia?
• Why does Joel Veldkamp view the campaign against the Church as systematic and state-led?
• What are the long-term consequences for Armenian identity if the Church is sidelined?
• Who are the jailed clergy, and what are the accusations?
• Why did Armenia’s Ministry of Justice block CSI from visiting detainees?
• Why are some Christian groups in the US silent or supportive of the current government?
• How does US geopolitical strategy shape Washington’s silence?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• National Prayer Breakfast coverage: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33592035.html

• Christian Solidarity International (about): https://csi-usa.org/about-us/

• Horizon interview with Dr. John Eibner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OEFM9n3Zk4

• CSI visit to Yerevan (Asbarez): https://asbarez.com/christian-solidarity-international-sounds-alarm-over-deteriorating-religious-freedom-human-rights-in-armenia/

• Veldkamp briefing in Washington, DC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8cLPdYWKk

• US National Prayer Breakfast background: https://www.opb.org/article/2023/02/02/congress-takes-reins-of-prayer-breakfast-from-secretive-christian-evangelical-group/

• CSI social posts and documentation: https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/1990450486307135876 https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/1990325276178293071 https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/1989734297746526618 https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/1989221412922433930

• Catholic News Agency report: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/267997/human-rights-advocates-decry-armenian-government-crackdown-on-christian-church

• CSI statement on Capitol Hill: https://www.csi-int.org/news/csi-warns-of-religious-repression-in-armenia-on-capitol-hill/

• MEMRI report: https://www.memri.org/reports/fratricide-armenian-church-hands-armenian-regime

• Pashinyan government lobbying in the US (California Courier): https://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/armenia-pays-u-s-public-relations-firm-to-attack-the-armenian-apostolic-church

Wrap-up

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful. Please find us on Social Media and follow us everywhere you get your Armenian news.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

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