Sam is a fourth-generation survivor of the Armenian Genocide. He was born in the Middle East during the upheaval of the Lebanese Civil War. During this time, his family moved between Lebanon, Syria and Greece before settling permanently in Montreal, Canada. This diverse cultural background gave Sam the opportunity to learn four languages: Armenian, Greek, French and English. God—in His glorious grace—used the witness of Sam’s mother to rescue him from his sins and grant him forgiveness and new life in Christ at a young age.

 

After completing a B.A. in Sociology from McGill University in 2008, Sam began his theological studies at the Presbyterian College in Montreal. He graduated in the spring of 2011 with an MDiv and settled in Toronto to complete an internship at the Armenian Evangelical Church of Toronto. Prior to his arrival at Calvary Baptist Church, Sam served as Associate Pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Oakville, ON. He was ordained by The Fellowship in May 2019. Sam’s greatest joy in ministry is to make the name of Jesus known through the preaching of the Gospel, doing so to the glory of God. He is passionate to see disciples formed in the local church who delight to “walk in Christ, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith and abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).

 

Sam is married to his lovely wife, Jennifer. The Lord has blessed them with three children: Brianna, Matthew & Tavit. In his spare time, Sam enjoys reading, drinking a good cup of coffee, going on family road trips, watching investigative journalism shows, perusing the statistics on the back of his sports cards and staying fit playing soccer (yes, even after two ACL surgeries). As an avid Montreal Canadiens fan, Sam keeps his hopes up by reminding himself that there is always next season!