[6] The Kingdom of Armenia was the first state in history to adopt Christianity as its official religion under the rule of King Tiridates III, of the Arsacid dynasty in the early 4th century.

[7][8] According to tradition, the church originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus (Jude) in the 1st century.

After this, Bartholomew came to Armenia, bringing a portrait of the Virgin Mary, which he placed in a nunnery he founded over a former temple of Anahit.

Upon his return, Gregory tore down shrines to idols, built churches and monasteries, and ordained many priests and bishops.

While meditating in the old capital city of Vagharshapat, Gregory had a vision of Christ descending to the earth and striking it with a hammer.

[21] Initially, the Armenian Apostolic Church participated in the larger Christian world and was subordinated to the Bishop of Caesarea.

In so doing, it reveals the divergent forms being practiced in Armenia, which have strong echoes of old East Syriac Rite.

[24] Christianity was strengthened in Armenia in the 5th century by the translation of the Bible into the Armenian language by the native theologian, monk, and scholar, Saint Mesrop Mashtots.

Thus, the Bible and liturgy were written in the Greek or Syriac scripts until Catholicos Sahak Part'ew commissioned Mesrop to create the Armenian alphabet, which he completed in c. 405.

[25] Although unable to attend the Council of Ephesus (431), Catholicos Isaac Parthiev (Sahak Part'ew) sent a message agreeing with its decisions.

[27] At the First Council of Dvin in 506, the synod of the Armenian, Georgian, and Caucasian Albanian bishops was assembled during the time in office of Catholicos Babken I.

The participation of the Catholicoi of Georgia and Albania was set to make clear the position of the churches concerning the Council of Chalcedon.

Almost a century later (609–610), the Third Council of Dvin was convened during the reign of Catholicos Abraham I of Aghbatank and Prince Smbat Bagratuni, with clergymen and laymen participating.

The Armenian Church officially severed ties with Rome and Constantinople in 610, during the Third Council of Dvin where the Chalcedonian dyophysite christological formula was rejected.

[31] However, again like other Oriental Orthodox,[32] the Armenian Apostolic Church argues that the identification as "monophysitism" is an incorrect description of its position.

[57] The Army Chaplaincy Program of the Armenian Church is made up of more than 50 clergymen serving as military chaplains to the Armed Forces of Armenia.

Since 2011, combined clergy company has taken part in the quinquennial Armenian Independence Day Parade on Republic Square in Yerevan.

[citation needed] The status of the Armenian Apostolic Church within Armenia is defined in the country's constitution.

[59] In 2009, further constitutional amendments were drafted that would make it a crime for non-traditional religious groups to proselytize on adherents of the Apostolic Church.

[61] After the Bolshevik revolution and the subsequent Soviet occupation of Armenia, all functioning religious institutions in the NKAO were closed down and clergymen often either exiled or shot.

"[71] "Beyond its role as a religious institution, the Apostolic Church has traditionally been seen as the foundational core in the development of the Armenian national identity as God's uniquely chosen people.

"[72] According to a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center, in Armenia 82% of respondents say it is very or somewhat important to be a Christian to be truly Armenian.

This persecution was highly criticized by the Armenian clergy, forcing Hovhannes-Smbat to release Petros and reinstall him to his former position.

"[77] Gerard Libaridian argued that because Armenians consider the church a national institution, it "must be respected and guarded at all times.

The church continues to ignore the things most people are worried about – vitally important social, economic and political problems and endless corruption scandals.

[92] In 2013 Navasard Ktchoyan, the Archbishop of the Araratian Diocese and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan were alleged to have been partners with a businessman charged with laundering US$10.7 million bank loan and then depositing most of it in accounts he controlled in Cyprus.

He added "Archbishop Kchoyan's reckless disregard and attitude is even more unacceptable due to his position in the Armenian Church.