Events and Activities : International Peacemaker to speak on Syrian issues at Vinton Presbyterian Church

International Peacemaker Tamar Wasoian will speak in the sanctuary of the Vinton Presbyterian Church, 608 First Ave., at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, followed by a meet and greet in the fellowship hall with refreshments. She will be hosted by the Presbytery of East Iowa from Sept. 22-25. This event is open to the public.

A descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors, Dr. Wasoian will speak about the Armenian presence in Syria, the memories of a past unacknowledged genocide and the current survival story of Syrians.

Dr. Wasoian is an Armenian educator and theologian from Syria. She began her seminary education at Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon. After completing her education, she was appointed as a youth worker and became responsible for Sunday Schools in the Armenian Evangelical Church in Syria.

As the Republic of Armenian declared its independence from the Soviet Union, the Armenian Missionary Association started its mission work in the Armenian homelands. Called to ministry in her homelands, she joined the church team and was in charge of the Christian Education ministry in the Republic of Armenia and Mountainous Garapagh.

In 2001, she joined the McCormick Theological Seminary to complete her MTS degree after which she returned to teach and minister in Armenia. She then pursued her doctoral degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Religious Education and Congregational Studies.

She currently lives in Chicago and teaches both at McCormick Theological Seminary and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Armenian history, communal traditions, faith and identity are at the core of her fields of interests and expertise. She is actively involved with the Armenian community and she is on the steering committee of Syria Lebanon Partnership Network of the Presbyterian Churches (USA), and the Middle East Task Force.