Fr. Ghevond was born on February 28, 1984, in Akron Ohio. He was the first son of Gregory and Elizabeth (nee Bettinger). He was baptized at Holy Martyrs in Bayside, Queens, NY with the baptismal name of Justin Avedis after his great-grandfather, Avedis Koondakjian, the only one of five brothers to escape the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians.
In 1985, the family moved to Commack, NY where his brother Paul Deron was born the same year. After four years, in 1989, they moved to Mahwah, NJ where his second brother, Andrew Karnig, was born the following year. He and his family lived in Mahwah, NJ for ten years, and went to St. Leon’s Armenian Church sporadically. In 1999, while living in Waldwick, NJ, he began attending services at St. Leon’s on a regular basis after being interested following a St. Nersess Summer Conference.
With the encouragement of Rev. Fr. Diran Bohajian, pastor of St. Leon’s Armenian Church, he began serving at the altar every Sunday. He enjoyed the inspiration of the sacraments of our faith, and the depth of mystery of our services, and was ordained a tbir in 2000.
In 2002, he graduated from Waldwick High School and in the same year achieved the dual ranks of Sub-Deacon and Eagle Scout. He attended Seton Hall University for one year, and then transferred to Ramapo College of New Jersey, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.
Throughout his entire college career, Fr. Ghevond knew he had a calling to serve God and the Church. He was certain he was being called to attend the seminary, so after graduating from college in 2006, he began classes at the St. Nersess Armenian Theological Seminary and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary. He was greatly supported by Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean of St. Nersess Seminary. In this path he joined the ranks of many family members who had studied at the seminary and served the church. These included such St. Nersess graduates as his paternal uncle Deacon Vartan Ajamian (1988), his paternal aunt, Shake Derderian (1989) and his cousin Maria Derderian (2007). Even his maternal uncle, Joseph Bettinger, graduated from the seminary, and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1982.
While in the seminary, Fr. Ghevond traveled to Holy Etchmiadzin to study liturgics, Armenian and hymnology. While serving at Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Yerevan, Armenia, he met Hasmik who was a member of that church’s Youth Group’s Cultural Committee. After a year of dating, Fr. Ghevond and Hasmik got engaged.
Hasmik graduated from Paros Terlemezian Secondary School’s department of fine art as valedictorian. She then worked as an art teacher in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin’s Armenian Sons’ Home. Later, she worked at Bridge of Hope, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), as an art therapist, and then at Hayrenik TV, a children’s television channel, as a journalist, actress and director’s assistant. In 2008, she graduated as a valedictorian from the University of Practical Psychology and Sociology – Urartu. After graduating, Fr. Ghevond and Hasmik married on July 18, 2008, in Holy Trinity Church. Upon returning to America, he continued his studies at St. Nersess Seminary while Hasmik learned English and worked at the Eastern Diocese as assistant to the Diocesan Camp Director.
Fr. Ghevond was ordained to the diaconate in May 2010 upon his graduation from the seminary. In June 2010, he and Hasmik were relocated to St. David’s Armenian Church in Boca Raton, Florida, where he interned for, served, assisted and helped the community of St. David’s and the Very Rev. Fr. Nareg Vartabed Berberian. It was also in Boca Raton, Florida, where their daughter, Noelle Srbouhi, was born on January 11, 2011.
Only three months after Noelle Srbouhi’s birth, in March 2011, Deacon Justin traveled to Jerusalem where he studied for six months, learning Armenian, liturgics, hymnology, patristics, theology and Classical Armenian. Upon his return to America in October 2011, he was assigned as Deacon-in-Charge of the St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Dallas, Texas.
Deacon Justin was ordained to the priesthood and given the name Fr. Ghevond on August 25, 2013 at St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Dallas, TX. He was named after the Very Rev. Fr. Ghevont Samoorian who greatly encouraged and influenced him in his journey to the priesthood. Fr. Ghevond Ajamian continues to serve the Armenian community of St. Sarkis until today.
Previous Pastors of St. Sarkis:
2003-2008 - Rev. Fr. Mikael Devejian
2000-2002 - Very Rev. Fr. Haigazoun Najarian
1990-1999 - Rev. Fr. Nersess Jebejian
Fr. Ghevond's office hours are usually Tuesday - Friday
9:30 AM - 2:00 PM
To request a service, please contact
Fr. Ghevond at:
email: fatherghevond@gmail.com
or call: (201) 218-5045
office: (972) 245-6995
“You who are truly born of the Holy Spirit, are sons of God and co-inheritors with Christ.” - St. Ghevond the Priest
«Եւ դուք ճշմարիտ ծնեալք ի սուրբ Հոգւոյն, որդիք էք Աստուծոյ եւ ժառանգակիցք Քրիստոսի»: - Ս. Ղեւոնդ Երէց
