Christian Outpatient Ministry For Armenians in The City of Glendale

Fuller Theological Seminary
Empowered Living Program:

Christian Outpatient Ministry For Armenians In The City of Glendale
A Paper
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
MB572 Cross-Cultural Min Practicum
Dr. Betty Brewster
By
Jack Hakimian
Summer 2007
Table Contents
Introduction 2
Who Is The Program For 5
Armenians: Their Origen 5
Armenians: Their Religion 6
Armenians: Their Language 7
8
Armenians: International Presence
Armenians: Current Ideologies 8
Armenians: In the City of Glendale 12
Glendale: Population 12
Glendale: Economics 14
Glendale: Housing 15
Glendale: Education 16
Glendale: Spiritual & Social Roots 18
Glendale: Narcotics Related Arrest 21
How Will The Program Work 23
Program Summary 23
Program: Treatment Models 23
Program: Intense Out Patient 28

32
Program: Team Approach
33
Program: Holistic Christian Curriculum
Conclusion 35
Bibliography 37
1
Introduction
Alcohol abuse cost the United States 184.6 billion dollars a year. Most of that cost
came from lost of productivity, deaths, or alcohol-related illnesses.1 Drug abuse in
general cost us 109.8 billion dollars (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
1998).2 Health-care expenses in 1995 for substance abuse problems accounts for 20% of
Medicaid cost and 25% of Medicare cost.3 Medical cost associated with drug abuse in
1988 was $6.0 billion.4 Money lost due to premature deaths was $16.2 billion, and cost
connected with crime, crashes, and fires was $20.4 billion.5 As you can see the
predicament of drugs is a major crisis in United States of America.
According to experts it is the most problematic concern facing the country of
Armenia too. According Dr. Robert Winslow of San Diego State University, “…...80
percent of crimes committed in Armenia in 1992 were drug related”.6 In 1992 Armenia
began an anti crime campaign that increased the total number of persons brought into
formal contact with the criminal justice system. Statistics showed that for intentional
homicides the contact increased by 91.9%, for robbery 154.9%, for rape 20%, for theft
200% and for drug-related crimes 4000%.7 Seventy percent of the narcotics
confiscated by police in Armenia were imported from neighboring countries.8
1
Nace, Edgar P and Joyce A. Tinsley. 2007. Patients With Substance Abuse Problems:
Effective Identification, Diagnosis, and Treatment. New York, NY: W.W. Norton &
Company, 10.
2
Nace, Edgar P and Joyce A. Tinsley, 10.
3
4
5
6
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rwinslow/asia_pacific/armenia.html
7
8
2
Geographically Armenia sits on the crossroads of drug trafficking from Asia to Europe.9
In the last 10 years it has become a major route for people transporting drugs from Iran
(opiates), Russia and Georgia (opium, heroin, cannabis).10 Because Armenia’s borders
with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed, heroin dealers traffic to Turkey mainly thru
Georgia.11
12
According to Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program, two
organizations affiliated with the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
of Johns Hopkins,
“Seizures are small and similarly to many post-Soviet societies, corruption is rampant; the
ministry of interior and other law enforcement bodies are allegedly heavily involved in drug
smuggling, which led to the decrease in reporting drug offences in the last few years. Hence if
for example 453 cases were reported in 2002, only 368 cases were reported in 2003. Most cases
were reported in Yerevan, Shirak marz, Syunik marz and Lori marz. Cases revealed close
links between the law enforcement bodies and criminal networks”
9
10
http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/research/narcotics_crime/FactSheet/2004/Armenia.pdf
11
12
3
Corruption is high and the users are spreading. The main age and social group of users
are between 18-20 (47%) and the struggling working class (60%).13 Dr. Robert Winslow
reports,
“According to the Centre of Toxicology, the number of registered cases of drug use has
increased from 610 in 1996 (66% hashish and 34% opium) to 1,438 (90% of hashish and 10%
of opium) in 1998” writes. According to the Centre, the number of drug addicts is close to 300,
while the operative data of the Special Department of the Interior Ministry indicate the figure
of 20,000”
The question I want to raise in this paper is, “What city and country are these young
Armenian adults ages 18-20 trying to flee to? If, Glendale, California here in America
could they be transporting with them an epidemic birthed in Armenia and sustained in
America? If so, what it is the city with the highest population of 1st generation
immigrants doing to confront, minimize, and prevent these problems? In his October 15,
2007 executive speech Robert S. Mueller, Director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, specifically pointed out the growing corruption of organized crime in
Glendale by the Armenians. He said,
“I want to turn to organized crime for a moment. Public perception of organized crime may
be largely based on “The Sopranos,” but the reality is far different. While La Cosa Nostra still
poses a threat, criminals from Asia, Armenia, Albania, and Russia have become major players
here at home. These groups run drugs, launder money, and threaten witnesses. But, like other
multinational corporations, they are diversifying, from human trafficking to health care
fraud. In Glendale, California, Armenian organized crime has established a presence. The
unsolved murder rate is high; incidents of fraud, bribery, and witness intimidation run
rampant. Many residents are scared silent, and our state and local counterparts are not
adequately staffed to address the problem”14
Consequentially my goal through this 2007 summer practicum was to work with
Christian Outreach for Armenians Church Recovery Team to develop a department that
13
14
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/mueller101507.htm
4
will begin to address the issues of addiction and criminal behavior amongst the Armenian
populace of Glendale. Our outcome based goal is to minimize the problem of chemical
dependency and narcotic related arrest by 30-40% in the next 5 years. In this paper I will
present my discoveries about the target group such as their history, culture, societal
influences and the present statistics of Armenian drug related arrest. Then I will finish
this paper by proposing some practical steps needed to have a successful drug recovery
ministry “in” and “through” the church. My suggestions will be based on 6 months of
actual work experience with the “Empowered Living Recovery Team” (iempowered.org)
and research from various literature and Armenian drug recovery professionals in the
field. By utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach I have summed up what I believe are
essential facts for an Armenian drug recovery ministry to understand theoretically and the
practical ingredients needed in order to create a powerful ministry that brings
transformation and prevention.
Who Is The Program For
Armenians: Their Origen
The program is specifically designed for the people of Armenian Descent.
Armenians are people who find their origins from the southwestern part of Asia, just east
of Greece and north of “Asia Minor”.15 Around 1000 B.C. the people living there were
known as “the people of Urartu” the where Ararat derives from.16 Around 800 B.C. a
group of Aryan from the northwest mixed with the original inhabitants and formed what
15
Ara S. Avakian. 1977. The Armenians In America, The IN AMERICA Series. Minneapolis, Minnesota:
Lerner Publications Company, 11.
16
Ara S. Avakian, 11.
5
we know today as the “Armenian” people. The mixture caused these physically strong
mountain people to develop a culture, “accustomed to the rigors of the severer climate
and the achievements of high culture”.17 According to Armenian tradition they developed
the name “Hai” due to Noah’s great grandchild by the name of Haik who fought his
cousin Bel for the purpose of being able to live freely in that mountainous area. After
defeating him he started a nation called “Hai”. The accuracy of this story is disputed,
nevertheless it reveals the deep Biblical connection Armenians feel, to see their identity
rooted in the ancient Biblical narratives.
Armenians: Their Religion
This leads me to another aspect of the Armenians history as a religious people.
The chief spirituality of the pre-Christian Armenian religion was Aramazd better know as
i.e., Ahura Mazdā, the Lord Wisdom of Zoroastrianism.18 His evil opponent, Angra
Mainyu, the Frightful Spirit, is attested in Armenian as Haramani or, in a later form,
Arhmn. Before Christianity the Armenians were animist, who believed that natural
objects had divine personalities.19 According to tradition the Apostles Thaddeus and
Bartholomew came to Armenian and preached the Gospel with good reception from the
people, only to eventually become martyr’s in the Holy Land.20 The first 250 years
Christianity flourished underground and then eventually became mainstream with the
radical missionary work of St. Gregory. According to tradition under intense persecution
17
Ara S. Avakian, 11.
18
James R. Russell. 2005. The Armenians: Past And Present In The Making Of National Identity. In 2
Early
Armenian Civilization, edited by E. H. a. M. Kurkchiyan. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 35.
19
Ara S. Avakian, 13.
20
Ara S. Avakian, 14.
6
by King Tiridates, St. Gregory was able to convert the king to Christianity.21 Then a few
centuries later under the leadership of Mesrop Mashdotz the Armenians created an
alphabet so they can read and the Holy Scriptures in their language. According to Paula
Devejian, “The first sentence translated into Armenian was: "That men may know
wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight" (Proverbs 1.1).”22
Armenians: Their Language
The language of the Armenians, most likely came from the Aryan invaders
around 800 B.C. Before the official Armenian alphabet, the language was transmitted
orally. As Christianity grew the priest mainly read from Greek and Assyrian text.23 But
due to the illiteracy of many priests the patriarch Sahak and the scholar Mesrop Mashdotz
started working on the development of their own alphabet so they could translate the
Bible into Armenian.24 After they were done the Bible was considered the “Queen of
Translations”.25 The first written Armenian language was called the grabar. The
Armenian language has changed since then. The common everyday language is called
ashkharabar. Scholars consider the Armenian language a pleasant sound to the ear,
because each letter is pronounced fully with no stress.26
21
Paula Devejian. 2006. God, in Your Grace Transform Our Societies. The Ecumenical
Review (58.1-2 ), 1.
22
Paula Devejian,1
23
Ara S. Avakian, 16.
24
Ara S. Avakian, 17.
25
Ara S. Avakian, 17.
26
Ara S. Avakian, 17.
7
Armenians: International Presence
Due to hundreds of years of persecution, foreign rule, and genocide Armenians
now have an international presence in the Diaspora. Presently the statistics claim the
following: Los Angeles area, Fresno, San Francisco, CA (up to 1 million); rest of US
(500,000); Canada - Toronto and Montreal (45,000); S. America - Argentina (100,000);
France - Paris, Marseilles (200,000); UK - London (15,000), Greece (15,000); rest of
Europe (10,000); Turkey - Istanbul (50,000); Lebanon - Beirut (100,000?); Syria
(120,000); Iran (100,000); other Middle East (Kuwait, Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Gulf States,
Iraq, Egypt) (25,000); Bulgaria (15,000); Australia (20,000). Probably over 1 million
Armenians live outside Armenia in the former Soviet Union (Russia, Georgia in
particular).27
Armenians: Current Ideologies
The ideologies of Armenians vary due to their assimilation into various geographies
that dealt with their own particular political and socials issues. For example some current
Armenians are more nationalistic than others. When the Armenian Republic collapsed in
the late 1920’s the Soviet Union came in from Russia and the Turkish nationalist came in
from Anatolia.28 Most Armenians were happy that the Soviets came because they allowed
a certain portion of freedom from the Turks and amongst themselves. But, not all agreed
to this vassal type relationship, like Dashnaktsutiun party who according to Sunny,
27
Herzig, Edmund and Marina Kurkchiyan. 2005. The Armenians: Past And Present In The Making Of
National Identity. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 126.
28
Herzig, Edmund and Marina Kurkchiyan, 113.
8
“Because of Lenin's support for the anti-imperialist struggles of the Muslim East, Soviet
Armenia soon gave up its claims to Turkish Armenia in the 1921 Treaties of Kars and
Moscow. Defeated and displaced by the Bolsheviks, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutiun), now the major diaspora political party, opposed these 'anti-national'
policies and adopted a vehement hostility towards the new regime”29
Nevertheless the Soviet made great efforts to convince Armenians that the Soviet system
was superior to capitalism, that Soviet democracy was a higher form of democracy, and
that history was on the side of socialism. Many Armenians until this day are affected by
the communist ideology which explains why they have such a hard time adjusting to the
competitive capitalistic culture of America.30 This has led to a dependence upon welfare
and white collar crime to survive economically.
Some Armenians who migrated into the Middle East before and after the 1915
genocide rub shoulders with Islamic colonial powers and likewise have developed
mindsets similar, but yet distinctively Armenian for the sake of survival.31
One writer by the name of Panossian argues that current Armenians are actually
broken down into two main ideologies of “East” and “West”. He writes,
“…………. as far back as the early nineteenth century, Armenians were organized around two
different centers that competed with each other in terms of both culture and ideology. The
Western trend, based in Constantinople, now Istanbul, was stimulated by French and Italian
liberalism to acquire a reformist ideology laced with pragmatism and realism. The Eastern
trend was based in Tiflis, now Tbilisi, and was shaped by the romanticism of Russian and
German schools of thought and in particular by their revolutionary ideas. The two identities,
29
30
31
Herzig, Edmund and Marina Kurkchiyan, 132. The authors claim: “After the Genocide, survivors fled
first to Aleppo and then onwards around Syria, to Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, and Egypt, enlarging
already existing settlements of Armenians and creating new ones. These countries closest to the old
homelands were until recently the amorphous centre of the Armenian diaspora. As Adalian notes, 'the role
of [these] communities in the modern Armenian diaspora cannot be over-emphasized' (p. 102). While
influenced by the colonial powers in the region, Armenians in these countries developed a modern identity
with considerable continuity with the past in the same region, surrounded by many of the same peoples.
Armenian language use not only continued but actually increased, through mass education and literacy”
9
Western and Eastern, were divided by geography and evolved separately as parallel rather
than integrated leadership groups. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the distinction
between the two sides had become evident in the cultural and nationalist literature of
Armenia, both in respect of the language used and the distinctive political agendas formed on
either side of the division. After the 1915 Genocide and the consequent mass emigration from
Western Armenia, the Western aspect of Armenian identity became the dominant self-image
of the diaspora, whereas the Eastern shoot put down roots in Soviet Armenia. The subsequent
isolation during the Soviet period pushed the two groups even further apart. Turning to the
contemporary identity differences between the homeland and the diaspora, Panossian comes
to the conclusion that the concept of Armenianness carries different meanings for people in
Armenia from those it holds for residents of the diaspora. Today the two are recognizably
distinct cultural entities despite being united by the collective memory of belonging to the
same nation with its rich and extensive history. This situation poses serious questions about
the future. Is the gap between diaspora and homeland likely to widen over time, or might an
ongoing interplay between the two parts of the nation lead eventually to their being reunited?
Is the Republic of Armenia capable of gaining the legitimacy of a genuine homeland so that it
can either convince its lost citizens to come back or unite them on the basis of its own agenda?
Will the diaspora continue to sustain its internal communications and articulate its own
ideological programme, or will its members slowly become assimilated into other nations and
lose interest in Armenia's cause? More deeply, is nationalism, ethnic or otherwise, Armenian
or any other, on the way to becoming out of date and fading into the past of an increasingly
globalized world? These are open questions, to be decided by history.”32
Despite the difference of ideologies, Armenians still have a sense of oneness.
Especially, in “feeling” Armenian and having an emotional connection to the homeland.33
They are a people who have been wounded by the 1915 Genocide and have lived in the
midst of constant wars and oppression.34 Even though their land is rugged and isolated,
the Armenian high ground sits in the intersection of the greatest countries and wars of
history. Russell states concerning Armenia,
“…between the powers of the West (Greece, then Rome, then Byzantium, and now Turkey)
and the East (Achaemenian, Parthian, Sasanian, and Islamic Iran); and between those of the
North (Scythian, Cimmerian, Alan, and other Caucasian peoples, and now Russia) and the
South (Assyria and later Mesopotamia, and then the Arabs). Armenia has been assaulted
incessantly and conquered often, especially, given the prevailing layout of its mountain ranges,
by the great powers to the West and East, though raids by Caucasian tribes are a constant
through antiquity as well. Armenia's geography and history together militate against
centralized rule, and Armenians have rarely enjoyed full political independence. The threat
and reality of invasion and of foreign, often oppressive, rule is a constant in Armenian history,
from ancient to modern times. It is to be expected, then, that Armenian identity is a vital issue,
32
33
34
10
a political matter, sharply defined and generally contrasted to a world around it perceived to
be threatening.”35
Why spend so much time on the elaborating the history, culture and ideology of
the Armenian people? In order to work with them socially in the present time, one must
understand how the past has shaped their worldview and survival instinct. Armenians are
an ethnically proud and exclusive people for a reason. They find it hard to assimilate fully
into other cultures, except for reasons of survival. Most Armenians understand
objectively or intuitively that their history is rich and complicated with suffering and war.
They know they belong to a deep culture that has written it’s history with blood. The
young especially know this by looking into the faces of their elders and hearing their
voices, even if they didn’t learn it by reading books. This is why others of different
cultures who have come from a stable past are not able to understand the Armenian and
why they are the way they are. Historically they know they were the first nation to adopt
Christianity as their official government religion. Knowing this history comes to play
when treating an Armenian addict. They struggle with an addiction, but there is always a
deep sense of pride that I have not found in many ethnicities. Also, due to the history,
strong communal awareness and deep religious base the shame level of an addict is more
intense than an American who has been shaped by privatized, individualistic thinking.
Knowing this about the Armenian can aid the social worker in their appeal for change.
Individualistic language may not be as effective, as connecting the addict to his past and
present community. Dr. Sherwood Lingenfelter writes, “We must look through multiple
windows if we are to genuinely apprehend the transforming power of the gospel and
35
11
apply kingdom principles interculturally. Each believer sees through a glass, narrow and
constraining, but together as disciples with different perspectives, we can begin to
comprehend the wider impact of the Scriptures in a pluralistic world.”36
Armenians: In the City of Glendale
As stated in the introduction the purpose of this program is for the Armenian
people living in the city of Glendale, California. Let me briefly state some background
information on the city and examine how these realities could be one component out of
many that are shaping the current drug epidemic and rising drug related crimes and
incarcerations.37
Glendale: Population
During the 2000 census, the city population was 194,973. According to the State of
California the estimates are now 206,308.38 Since 1980 there has been an increase of over
55,000 people.39 This makes Glendale the third largest city in Los Angeles County and
the seventeenth largest city in the state of California.40 Out of a population of about
206,308 people 26% of them are Armenian. That equals about 53, 640 persons. However,
according to the LA Times:
“Glendale is home to 85,000 Armenian Americans. The surge in immigration began in the
1970s and has fundamentally altered the city”.41
36
Lingenfelter, Sherwood G. 1988. Transforming Culture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing
Group, 21.
37
38
http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/planning/census.asp
39
40
41
http://www.latimes.com/wireless/avantgo/la-me-kebab4nov04,0,7403426.story
12
The rest of the ethnicities are as follows: Mexican (11%), Korean (7%), Filipino (6%),
German (6%), Irish (5 %), English (5%), Iranian, Italian (3%) and so on. 42
Concerning the density, the city website writes:
“The population density in the city has also increased over time as available land has
been developed. The overall density for the city is 6,373 people per square mile, but
this varies widely--hillside areas have densities as low as 1,133 people per square mile
while some Census tracts near downtown exceed 30,000 people per square mile.”43
Currently, the city is experiencing amazing growth, most likely due to its closeness to
Downtown Los Angeles and the job opportunities the city provides. Additionally, most
Armenians coming from the diaspora don’t want to experience what Cashin labels as
“integration exhaustion”, so they keep moving into Glendale where they sense a greater
feeling of community.44 The negative aspect of this strong communal presence in
Glendale has resulted in excessive opportunities for leisure and confusion of societal
roles. Migrating from countries with high grid communal roles which resulted in greater
accountability for ones action to a society that emphasizes low grid roles with little
community accountable becomes difficult for immigrant families, especially their
children to adjust.45 Most 1st generational parents work hard to catch up or maintain
themselves economically, especially in California. In the process they are unaware that an
American individualistic worldview is shaping their children, not to mention an inherent
selfishness due to sin, thus bringing tension into the home, fracturing parent-child bonds,
42
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genealogyInfo.php?locIndex=10208
43
44
Sheryl Cashin. The Failures of Integration: How Race and Class Are
Undermining the American Dream. New York, NY: Public Affairs, 2004, pg 9.
45
Lingenfelter, Sherwood G., 27. Author writes, :The idea of grid focuses on how people in social game
categorize and constrain individual players by distinctive positions and roles. …In weak grid social game,
players make few social distinctions among their members.”
13
making their children, especially the boys, vulnerable to destructive behavior, like gangs
drugs and crime. Min Zhou writes, in the Annual Review of Sociology,
“Children with poorly educated and unskilled parents, in contrast, often find themselves
growing up in underprivileged neighborhoods subject to poverty, poor schools, violence and
drugs, and a generally disruptive social environment. Many immigrant children attend public
schools in their neighborhood with a clear numerical majority of minority students. In Los
Angeles County, for example, 57 unified school districts out of a total of 83 contain over half of
nonwhite students, and 34 have more than three quarters of US-born minority and other
immigrant students. In major immigrant-receiving cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco,
New York, and Miami, at least a third of the students in the entire school system speak a
language other than English at home”46
Glendale: Economics
In Glendale 96,399 (61.2%) of the population who are 16 and over are in the labor
force. These workers spend about 25 minutes on average traveling back and forth to
work. 47 People ages 25 to 34 make on average $41,642 a year. In comparison to the
state average which is $44,424 and the national average which is $41,414 their income
is lacking, especially when you consider cost of living of California in contrast to most
other states. People ages 35-44 make on average $47,322 a year. In comparison to the
state average which is $54,365 and the national average which is $50,654, again there
income is greatly lacking. City of Glendale website claims, “The median household
income for Glendale lags behind that of other local cities and even the County”.48 This
low income level in comparison to the high housing cost is a contributing factor to the
high percentage of children raised in Armenian homes with both parents working, or
the father not there to help contribute towards the child’s moral development. Social
46
Zhou, Min. 1997. Growing Up American: The Challenge Confronting Immigrant Children and Children
Of Immigrants. Annual Review of Sociology 23, 1.
47
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&
_county=Glendale&_cityTown=Glendale&_state=04000US06&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&p
gsl=010
48
http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/planning/census3.asp
14
programs like ours have to consider these factors and how we can help create a
community that promotes healthy family development and economic relief. We need to
have the city, county, federal and private sectors involved if we want to help bring long
term change to poverty and the unhealthy casual effects...
Glendale: Housing
The total housing units in Glendale are 73,713. Renter-occupied housing units are
44,263, which makes up 60.0% of the cities housing. That California average of renter-
occupied housing in a city is 40.6%. The nation is 30.8%. That means Glendale in
comparison to other cities has an extremely high number of renters. My question is who
makes up most of these renters in comparison to homeowners? Also, the average
household size has increased in the city of Glendale. The cities explanation is,
“Some of the causes for the increase in household size may include an increase in the
prevalence of extended families due to recent immigration, an increase in births, and
the high cost of housing. A high cost of housing may cause young adults to continue to
live with parents, or unrelated persons can share a housing unit to cut living expenses
such as rent or utilities” 49
This tells me that there is a need for both parents to work which creates a problem for
children and teenagers. The church has to find ways to help relieve their burden with
possible low cost child-care, pre-schools and after church programs. Also, the church can
be involved in the process of helping raise these children, so that we prevent the chemical
dependency epidemic. In relation to housing I often hear the parishioners of the church
complain that the housing and building structures, especially in the southern area (South
of 134 freeway) are too congested. The city does not have suitable common areas for
15
human interaction, except for parks and privately owned business that expect
remuneration. The only place to really interact is the parks, which are also congested with
athletes, teenagers, families, and the elderly. With the current research by urban designers
we know this type of landscape can be problematic. Every aspect of a city plays a role in
building a sense of community worth living in and living for. Such aspects to consider are
smooth traffic flow, pedestrian-friendly streets, fence free properties, common public and
play spaces and front porches.50 Legates and Stout claim, “Architecture may not
determine human behavior, but implicit in the following selections is the notion that bad
design can numb the human spirit and good design can have powerful, positive influences
on human beings”.51 Also, in the overall development or redevelopment of the city we
must consider the harmony of the structures with the “natural environment”. City like
Glendale must design “with” nature, rather than against nature.52 It must consider how it
will be a “sustainable” city that doesn’t excessively use up natural resources towards its
own demise.53
Glendale: Education
In Glendale 25,871 of the residents are high school graduates, which make up
19.2% of the population. 37,506 have some college, or associate's degree, which makes
up 27.8% of the residents. 28,149 of the resident have a Bachelor's degree, which makes
up 20.8% of the population. Those with Master's, professional or doctorate degree are
15,139, which is 11.2% of the population. These statistics show that almost half of the
50
Stout, Le T. Richard & Frederic. 1996. The City Reader. New York, NY: Routledge Publishing, 79
51
Stout, Le T. Richard & Frederic, 79.
52
53
16
population does not even have a completed Bachelor’s degree which is essential in our
day and time and could be problematic for the cities future. This could play a role in the
development of the youth and how they learn to cope with other American nationals who
are educated and ahead economically. Many minority youth like Armenians, Hispanics,
etc are developing what experts call “oppositional cultures”.54 This happens when those
minorities feel oppressed and separated from a people who are growing materially and
constantly propose an ideology of “freedom”.55 Zhou, Min claims,
“Because students in schools shape one another's attitudes and expectations, such an
oppositional culture negatively affects educational outcomes. School achievement is seen as
unlikely to lead to upward mobility, and high achievers are seen as sell-outs to oppressive
authority”.56 Matute-Bianchi (1986, 1991) found that the relationship between scholastic
achievement and ethnicity did not hold for native-born Chicanos and Cholos, who had been
uprooted from their Mexican heritage and were trapped in a caste-like minority status. They
reacted to their exclusion and subordination with resentment, regarded efforts toward
academic achievement as "acting white," and constructed an identity in resistance to the
dominant majority white society. Suarez-Orozco (1991) reached similar conclusions about
native-born Mexican Americans, who perceived the effect of the educational system as
continued exploitation.
Educational factors in Glendale are detrimental in our understanding of drug and alcohol
dependency. A whole drug culture is being bred in our own schools. If schools measure
their success by test scores and graduates then the problem is most likely not going to get
better. But, if character formation is part of the mission of a school, as well as parents and
community then education means much more than just inputting and outputting data. The
church should consider it’s influence in the school districts and recognize the direct
correlation between Christian morals and educational progress and contextualized
education that values the culture and background of it’s constituents. The feedback I get
54
Zhou, Min.
55
Zhou, Min.
56
Zhou, Min.
17
from students that attend our church is that many “white” teachers have no respect for
their Armenian heritage or the issues related to the Genocide. That alone justifies their
rebellion towards the academic institution and their proclivity to walk the easier route of
“mediocrity” or “failure”.
Glendale: Spiritual & Social Roots
In examining the historical data of the city my goal was to find spiritual
patterns that will be helpful for spiritual prayer warfare. Barna writes,
“A church that strives to evangelize its community without saturating its

efforts in prayer is like a race-car driver that jumps into his car at the stating line and
discovers that the tank has not been filled with gasoline”.57
Specifically we were looking for patterns of human behavior, the presence of aberrant
Christian groups or cults, and major historical news that would give us insight into the
activities of Satan and his forces (Ephesians 6:12). Historical sources reveal that the city
of Glendale was conceived in racism and greed. White farmers tried to take away the land
through intimidation from the Mexican landowners of Glendale, Burbank and Eagle
Rock. In the book Glendale Community Book it reads:
“During the pastoral days of California, the land held by Don Jose Verdugo enjoyed
peace but by 1846, the influx of white settlers had become an armed invasion. The
Mexican rulers unified against the invaders, termed Yankees, but without trained
armies, they fought a losing battle. In 1847 Gov. Pio Pico capitulated and the Days of
the Dons were on the wane.” 58
57
George Barna. Evangelism That Works. Ventura, Ca: Regal Books, 1995, 162.
58
C. W. Parcher, Glendale Community Book (Glendale: California: John W. Akers, 1957) pg 1.
18
After the covetous attempts of seizure failed a greedy Jewish banker stripped the
Verdugo family of their land by issuing them in a moment of desperation a high
percentage loan. 59 A Glendale Historian explains the details:
“The breakup of the great Rancho Rafeal was attributed to an event which the
owners at the time probably looked on as a minor financial transaction. As had been
emphasized, there was little “cash money” available in those times. Money was
wanted, some report say for the Portosueo house. Anyway, Julio ad his wife borrowed
$3,445.34, such an odd amount hinting at the sum including the cost which the pair
had to pay in conducting the transaction. They got the loan from Jacob Elias and
were allowed two years to pay. Interest was at 3 percent a month, compounded.
Interest of 36 percent a year compounded was a stiff charge for the money secured
but it is doubtful if Julio could have done any better elsewhere. The loan was
abstained in 1861. When the note came due and Julio couldn’t pay, a foreclosure
action was instituted. In 1864, the trial court awarded Elias $10,795. The judgment
also granted Julio a homestead, carved for the rancho. Elias protested that he should
get all and appealed the case. On retrial the court’s decision, rendered in 1865, gave
Elias $15,955.02, plus interest at 3 percent a month. Julio was willing to accept the
first judgment, partly because he was demanding a homestead and the treatment
failed it on him. The final decision came in 1869-four years later, by which the
accumulated interest, fees and other charges raised the judgment to a grand total of
$58,750 in repayment of a $3,440 loan.”60
How does this background information affect our understanding of the present status of
Glendale? Should it raise questions as to how the city is confronting and dealing with
racism? Has racism moved from being overt to covert? Charles Murray in a 1984 article
called, “Choosing A Future” wrote concerning the new face of racism by whites towards
blacks, “Beginning in the last half of the 1960s, the black poor were subjected to new
forms of racism with effects that outweighed the warning of the old forms of racism”.61
The churches, social organizations, and Christians in general must confront the roots of a
city if they are going to have deep and penetrating transformation on a systemic level.
59
. Caswell Perry E Parcher & Carroll W.. Glendale Area History (Glendale: California: Eric
Schneirsohn Xanadu Galleries Publishing,1981) pg 27.
60
Caswell Perry E Parcher & Carroll W, pg 27.
61
19
John Dawchild in his book, “Taking Our Cities For God”, shares a story of a city that
could not progress because of one ugly incident in the past. He writes,
“In one Midwest city I studies, radically inspired injustice seems to be the only major lot on an
otherwise wholesome past. And it all seems to be focused on one shameful incident. A white
mob, outraged over an unsolved crime, lynched an innocent African American man. People
told me this story as vividly as though it happened yesterday. Thus, the incident has lost none
of its power to create guilt and bitterness, even though it happened many generations ago”.62
In this work we must consider who the Armenian people are today and how the past has
shaped their ideologies, feelings, social involvement and priorities. Also, we must
consider the city of Glendale and how economical factors, housing issues, population,
educational problems and spiritual, social roots are affecting their lives today and how the
larger community is responding to them in connection to their social ills and chemical
dependency crisis.
62
Dawchild, John. 2001. Take Our Cities For God. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House.
20
Glendale: Narcotics Related Arrest
21
63
As you can see according to the September 2007, Crime Statistics and Activity Report,
“Vice/Narcotics”, “Drunk Driving” and “Grand Theft” arrest were up a considerable
amount in contrast to September 2006 data. The difference from last year to this year
totaled for narcotics 67, drunken driving 105 and grand theft 114. All three of these
crimes are interrelated and all three had the highest crime increase, in comparison to the
other categories (see website: www.ci.glendale.ca.us/police). Like, the country of
Armenia, the city of Glendale on a micro level is also experiencing an increase of drug
related crimes and things don’t seem to be getting better. In fact nothing will change
unless there is systemic change in Glendale. Robert Linthicum writes,
“When we talk about systemic change, therefore, we recognize that significant change cannot
occur in a society unless the articulated values of that society are truly embraced, and that
cannot occur unless structures function to implement those values and unless individuals who
63
http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/police/Reports/MO_RPTa_Web_Sep2007.pdf
22
run those structures work for the interest of the people. Only when individuals and structures
and values change, do you have systemic change”64
How Will The Program Work
Program Summary
The program is committed to having a holistic approach that takes into
consideration all the essential components affecting chemical dependency behavior.65 We
seek to do this without leaving the foundation of scripture and evidence based research.66
We see that the objective evidence of both are not in contradiction, but complimentary
for the practitioner who seeks to bring transformative results.67
Program: Treatment Models
What type of specific treatment model or ideology will we utilize? We seek to
understand and develop an interdisciplinary model that takes into consideration the
moral, physical and social elements that effect human behavior, in our case namely
addiction. To take an extreme position on any one of the three primary treatment models
is problematic and unwise. We see in scripture that all three factors (moral, physical
64
Linthicum, Robert. 2003. Transforming Power: Biblical Strategies for Making a Difference in Your
Community. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 25, 26.
65
Bean, Philip and Teresa Nemitz. 2004. Drug Treatment: What Works? New York: Routledge, 31.
66
2 Timothy 3:16, Matthew 5:17-19
67
Thombs, Dennis L, 14-16. According to the author “evidence based research” shows that schools and
community based prevention education works. If young students perceive that substance use is uncommon
(not prevalent) and socially unacceptable among their peers, then they are less likely to initiate or continue
substance use. Also, treatments programs (inpatient & outpatient) bring about significant change. For more
actual statics see pages 14-16.
23
[genetic], social) can play a role in shaping human actions. Firstly, the “addiction as sin
model” postulates that chemical abuse is an evil choice that springs forth from a depraved
nature.68 By “evil” we don’t mean on the same level as murder, rape, or theft. But,
something that clearly violates the “will of God”. The actions could lead to greater
consequences, or be less detrimental than the consequences of “murder”.69 The Bible
does affirm the view of moral choice, responsibility and outcome. Jesus claimed, “For
out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false
testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'………”70 Paul the Apostle list
drug abuse and alcoholism as vice that conceives from the sinful nature and leads to
spiritual death. He wrote in Galatians 5:19-21
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
idolatry and witchcraft (medication); hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before,
that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God”
But, God’s perspectives on an issue such as this should always be interpreted in light of
all that the Bible teaches. It is important when developing a biblical position to do an
inductive analysis of the entire scripture and then deduce your final position on a
matter.71 This type of systematic approach keeps the practitioner balanced and flexible,
realizing that scripture allows a certain type of flexibility based on the context or a
person’s individual needs.72
68
Thombs, Dennis L. 2006. Introduction to Addictive Behaviors. New York, NY: Guilford Press, 4, 5.
69
Thombs, Dennis L, 4, 5.
70
Matt 15:19-20For
71
T. D. Alexander and B. S. Rosner. 2001. New Dictionary Of Biblical Theology Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press.
72
Romans 14, 15
24
A Second cause of addiction, postulated by the experts is genetics. This view is
called, “disease model”. According to Dennis L. Thombs, "The exact nature of the illness
(disease model) is not fully understood at this point, but many proponents of the disease
models believe that the illness has genetic origins.”73 This view is mainly advocated by
medical doctors, the alcohol industry, and the recovery movement. All of them have their
reasons, but due to time and space I will not elaborate on their reasoning. But, what we
do know is that scientist don’t fully understand how the interconnectiveness of genes and
society work together to form a persons character and predispositions. That is why some
believe that the interaction between genotype and environment generates an enormous
number of individual traits and characteristics, which are referred to as the person’s
“phenotype”.74 This theory looked at impartially does not contradict the biblical
anthropology of humans which clearly states that we have inherited a sinful nature that
has contaminated and even distorted the “good material world” that God created. With
such a view sin has affected and can affect our genetic makeup (personality, disposition,
etc) to some degree, and as result mar the image of God.75 Even the church fathers like
Tertullian considered our humanity as a second nature (alia natura) with an “irrational
element” in the soul (is the present soul immaterial, material or a combination of both).76
Kelly, J. N. D. describes the church father Cyprians’ views of humanity as, “Cyprian,
73
Thombs, Dennis L, 6.
74
75
According to Genesis 1:31 all that God created in the material world was good. In Romans 5:12, Paul
argues that sin entered the world through Adam and was passed down biologically and spiritually to all his
descendents. Sin as we know has caused humans to be depraved and have a mutual propensity to rebel
against God laws (Romans 8:7, 8). This rebellion now makes the good bodies that God has created
instruments of sin and death (Romans 7: 5, 24). Since geneticist admit that thy don’t really understand how
genes affect human behavior, due to the spiritual interconnectiveness of humans, we can rightly concur that
certain traits and personality types can be passed down as basic structural units of heredity and thus play a
role in ones behavior. That role does not mean there is “genetic determinism”, but as one author noted,
“parameters of risk as well as protection”.
76
Kelly, J. N. D., 176.
25
who describes the effects of original sin, in language which is to become classical, as
‘wounds’ (vulnera). The Savior came, he states, in order to heal the wounds received by
Adam and to cure the serpent’s poison”77
It should be noted that a biological influence in ones DNA does not equal “genetic
determinism”, but merely sets parameters of what are possible traits of behavior a person
can expect to have if certain environmental and cognitive elements are there. As Thombs
claims, “Clearly, for complex human traits, genes are not destiny but parameters of risk
as well as protection”.78
Third cause of addiction, it is believed by some is the environment. This model is
called the “maladaptive model” or “behavior disorder”.79 The assumption is that a
person’s social environment such as family, friends, and community affect their
behavior.80 The person is viewed as a victim of uncontrollable circumstances and
learning conditions.81 Some behavioral scientists hold the “social learning theory” which
advocates that a person does have some cognitive responsibility and control over their
response to the environment. But, overall the primary influence will always be the
surroundings.82 Behavioral scientist in this field will avoid passing “right” and “wrong”
judgments upon the addict, because that would mean that the addict is evil or
irresponsible.83 Rather they seek to educate, change the person’s environment and teach
the skills needed to avoid relapse.84 Again this theory of environmental influence does
not contradict the Biblical perspective when held in tension with other factors. For
77
Kelly, J. N. D., 176.
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
26
example in Psalm 1:1 it reads, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of
the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers……..”. The verse is
assuming that if a person surrounds himself with a negative environment or counsel that
person will be led astray from God’s path. We know that this is not always the case, but
usually the case. Or else how would some of us be able to evangelize wicked people who
seek to corrupt our ways? How many people have been born into homes that provided a
bad example that led a person into painful consequences? Jesus knowing the power of
temptation warned people to avoid being a source at all cost, because God will hold
sources of temptation under fierce judgment.85 Another verse that emphasizes the power
of “environment” is in 1 Corinthians 15:33. Paul claims, “Do not be misled: "Bad
company corrupts good character”. Both of the verses warn against “bad environments”,
because they assume that the surroundings can powerfully influence conduct. That is why
the Bible calls people to “flee” certain settings.86 Ones ability to handle the lure is
impossible, due to human weakness. Scripture presupposes that we don’t always have the
power to resist external forces, like the behavioral scientist. But, there are exceptions
where people can choose against the grain of normative behavior and choose to do
something supernatural, as is the case of Joseph, Daniel, Jeremiah, Paul, Peter and
Christians who have lived radically in the face of sinful and oppressive forces.
A fourth model that I want to propose as a cause of addiction, that is minimized
and ridiculed by secular and even religious practitioners is the “spiritual warfare model”.
This is the belief that there are spiritual powers known as angels of “light” and angels of
85
86
1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:14, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:2
27
“darkness” that can manipulate and even control human behavior.87 Scripturally and
historically this view has always been held by the church. Justin Martyr ((100–165) the
great apologist wrote on the human condition, “Swarming everywhere, they (demons)
have obsessed men’s souls and bodies, infecting them with vice and corruption”.88 He
also wrote”…..the race of men, who from Adam’s time have fallen under the death and
deceit of the serpent”.89
Program: Intense Out Patient
The program we want to implement is a 6-12 month Outpatient Program. There
are commonly two types of outpatient programs. The first one is called a “Day Hospital”;
also know as a partial hospital. According to Nace and Tinsley, the name “refers to a
structured program of group psychotherapy, educational lectures, and individual
counseling that takes place 6-8 hours per day 5-6 days per week”.90 The second one is
commonly called an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).91 This type of program is held
in the evenings for 3-4 hours for patients who are encouraged to work during the day.92
Currently our program is seven days schedule of expectation for the addict and their
family. Below is a sample of what a typical daily\weekly schedule should like:
Monday • 6:30-7:00 am – Devotional Time – Connect with God

• 7:00-7:30 am – Family Breakfast – Connect with Family
• 8:00 -5:00 pm – Work- Connect with Community
• 6:00-7:00 pm - Relax @ home– Connect with Self
• 7:00-8:00 pm – Dinner – Connect with Family
• 8:00 – 10:00 pm – OUTPATEINT 12 STEP GROUP- Connect
with God, Self, & Group
• 11:00 pm – Bed Time
87
Ephesians 2:2; 6:12
88
Kelly, J. N. D. 1978. Early Christian Doctrines: Revised Edition. New York, NY: HarperOne, 167.
89
Kelly, J. N. D., 167.
90
91
92
28
Tuesday • 6:30-7:00 am – Devotional Time – Connect with God
• 6:00-7:00 pm - Relax @ home – Connect with Self
• 8:00 – 10:00 pm –BIBLE STUDY GROUP & PARENT
EDUCATIONAL GROUP- Connect with God, Self, & Group
Wednesday • 6:30-7:00 am – Devotional Time – Connect with God
• 8:00 – 10:00 pm – FAMILY OUTING – Connect with Family
Thursday • 6:30-7:00 am – Devotional Time – Connect with God
• 8:00 – 10:00 pm – OUTPATEINT 12 STEP GROUP & ONE
ON ONE COUNSELING- Connect with God, Self, & Group
Friday • 6:30-7:00 am – Devotional Time – Connect with God
• 6:00-7:00 pm - Relax @ home – Connect with Self
• 8:00 – 10:00 pm – OUTPATEINT 12 STEP GROUP- Connect
with God, Self, & Group
Saturday • 8:30-9:00 am – Devotional Time – Connect with God
• 10:00 -12:00 pm –LIFE SKILLS LEARNING & GROUP TIME-
Connect with God, Self, & Group
• 12:00-5:00 pm - Relax @ Home – Connect with Self
• 7:00 – 10:00 pm – FAMILY OUTING – Connect with Family
• 12:00 am – Bed Time
Sunday • 7:00-7:30 am – Devotional Time – Connect with God
• 9:00-12:00 pm – Supervised Activity - Open
• 12:00-1:00 pm – Family Lunch- Connect with Family
• 1:00 – 6:00 pm – FAMILY WORSHIP SERVICE
• 7:00-10: 00 pm - Relax @ Home – Connect with Self & Family
At all times the young person shall be supervised while in the program. Especially, when
they get out of a 28 day treatment center. Their brain is not completely healed from drug
29
abuse. It is triggering emotional memories, thus creating cravings.93 Environmental cues
are also working on an unconscious level making it hard to make clear decisions that
seem obvious to normal people. 94 According to Debra Jay,
“When the addicts and alcoholics using these brains say ‘I’m going to do it my way,’ it doesn’t
take too much imagination to know where ‘my way’ is going to lead: back to alcohol ad drugs.
Understanding the limitations of the addicted bring in early recovery makes it easier to
understand the battle cry of recovery: “Just follow the directions!” In other words, you can’t
trust your brain. So listen to what other people tell you to do if you hope to stay sober”95
That is why it is imperative that families follow the programs structure and revitalize
their family which has been slowly dying for causes unknown to us at that early stage of
treatment. To keep the addict serious about recovery we will also do random drug testing
once or twice a week. If they are court ordered or under 18 years of age then the parent
has a right to know the results of the testing. But, if they are in the program out of their
own will, or in some kind of contractual agreement with their families it is up to client in
that context to disclose the outcomes of the test at family meetings or at home. The
research shows that addictions are a family problem and not merely an individual issue.
Therefore the program is focused on cultivating family closeness by mandating shared
meals, weekly fun outings (Wednesday & Saturday), Sunday family worship, and family
counseling time (pastoral, psychotherapy, etc). We strongly teach the families that addicts
need “tough love” and “justice” when it comes to their treatment. Many Armenian
families treat the addicts with grace (undeserved merit) and give them gifts with the hope
93
Debra Jay. 2006. No More Letting Go: The Spirituality of Taking Action Against Alcoholism and Drug
Addiction. New York, NY: Bantam Dell Pub Group. 267.
94
Debra Jay, 267-268.
95
Debra Jay, 267-268.
30
that their children will repay them with obedience and sobriety.96 Addicts never give back
what is expected, because they have lost connection with love, justice and equity on
physiological, sociological and spiritual level. We can say that in their addiction their
soul is dead and unable to feel love that comes from God.97 Their addiction operates on
one principle, live for thyself and only thyself.98 Also, what is vital is that we help parents
to get disciplined & empowered by God. Many Armenian parents have developed
destructive actions or attitudes. They think they can do everything themselves, and make
their children change. They get caught up in what Carmen Renee Berry calls the
“Messiah Trap”.99 She defines it as “The Messiah Trap asserts that when the Messiah
“helps” others, they are benefited. The truth of the matter is, Messiahs hurt when they
help”.100 Soon as they do good, the excitement leads to their downfall again. Because
they were operating on emotions and not God’s authentic power or truth. 101 They have
lost all hope that their human child can change with a power greater then himself. They
will say that they believe that God has the power to change, but my child will most likely
not utilize that power because he his stupid or evil beyond hope. With such negative
words they confuse their children. They demand repentance, but expect nothing but
death. In their anxiety they confuse the addict even more and add on to the addiction a
96
Debra Jay, 289.
97
Paul emphasizes this Theo- Anthropological view in Ephesians 2:1-5 concerning the spiritual deadness
and sinfulness of humans, apart from God saving action. He writes, “As for you, you were dead in your
transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the
ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also
lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and
thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God,
who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace
you have been saved”.
98
Debra Jay, 289.
99
Berry, Carmen Renee. 1988. When Helping You Is Hurting Me. New York, NY:
HarperSanFrancisco, 56.
100
Berry, Carmen Renee, 56.
101
May, Gerald G. 1988. Addiction & Grace. New York, NY: HarperOne, 48.
31
spirit of hopelessness and despair. Dallas Willard describes this hopeless state of the
professing Christians by stating, “When we examine the broad spectrum of Christian
proclamation and practice, we see that the only thing made essential on the right wing of
theology is forgiveness of individual sins”.102 The he writes, “Transformation of life and
character is no part of the redemptive message. Moment-to-moment human reality in its
depths is not the arena of faith and eternal living”.103
• Recognizing their need for God’s parenting love & discipline

• Recognizing their need for God’s direction
• Reestablishing trust & respect
o Developing Character
o Developing Consistency
o Developing Honesty
• Teaching them the power of relationship followed by rules and
consequences (rewards or disciplines)
• Understanding the power of fellowship & protection
Program: Team Approach
Through this program we want to apply a team model of leadership. Even though
I am the executive director, I want to utilize the varied gifts and experiences each
member brings to the organization, so that we can achieve our outcome goal of
minimizing addiction 30-40% in the next 5 years in the city of Glendale. In fact without a
clear outcome based goal it is very difficult to have an effective team that senses a clear
purpose. Katzenbach and Smith write, “….one of our fundamental beliefs is that a
common performance objective is much more motivating for effective teams than the
102
Willard, Dallas. 1988. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God. New York, NY:
HarperCollins, 41.
103
Willard, Dallas, 41.
32
desire to be a team”.104Below is a list of the team members already working with the
leadership team and some players that will be recruited in time. The two main
qualifications we are looking for is spiritual maturity and emotional intelligence.105 Both
of these components are vital in this kind of people work.
Positions Serving Team Pending

Administrators 1
Chemical Dependency Counselors 1 (2 in school)
Lay Volunteers 1
Marriage & Family Therapist 1
Medical Doctor 1
Pastoral Counselor 1 1
Psychiatrist 1
Psychotherapist 1
Public Relations\Promotions Representative 1
Program: Holistic Christian Curriculum
As far as curriculum we will work with content that is Christian based, due to the
Christian history and influence within the Armenian community as previously noted in
the background section. Just for these families to confront and expose the issues of drug
abuse in their family is shameful enough, but to turn around and place them into a secular
or religiously pluralistic program like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), or NA (Narcotics
Anonymous) adds insult to injury.106 This maybe a one reason for the lack of Armenians
104
Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith. 2001. The Discipline of Teams. New York, NY: John
Wiley & Children, Inc, xii.
105
Daniel Golema, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee. 2002. Primal Leadership: Realizing The Power Of
Emotional Intelligence. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press, 5. The author writes, “If
people’s emotions are pushed toward the range of enthusiasm, performance can soar; if people are driven
toward rancor and anxiety, they will be thrown off stride”
106
Jeff. VanVonderen, 2004. Good News for the Chemically Dependent and those who Love Them.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, 123.
33
in these American sponsored meetings and their unwillingness, unless court ordered to
seek outside help. As one author put it,
“To say that it is not possible for someone to recover from chemical dependency without a
relationship with Christ would be incorrect. My opinion, however, is that that the only
adequate source of life, value, and meaning is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Only value and meaning received as a gift because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross can erase
the message of shame so deeply engrained by our own lack of performance in life and
relationships. From the place of Christ-earned value and life, a person can confidently go on to
steps three, four, and five. From a place of self-generated worth, a person can proceed only
tenuously”107
Surely our emphasis will be on a Christian understanding of “Salvation and Empowered
Living by the Spirit” that Paul so powerfully expounded on in Romans chapter 8.108 Also,
as a Christians we don’t believe in a strict psychotherapeutical approach that doesn’t call
the addict to change (repent from) his behavior for fear that the addict will have
“paradoxical reaction”.109 Rather in the context of love and non parental or persecutor
role a counselor can challenge the person to stop using the chemical.110 In fact a
counselor cannot even examine root causes until the addict has begun to sober up and
restore their thinking. The key ingredient is that the therapist has to have a clients trust
and utilize “Miller’s Motivational Interviewing”.111 Rotgers and Davis write “Miller
avoided the strategy of persuading clients to adopt an often pejorative label. He simply
asked them about their drinking, what bothered them about it, what bad things happened
when they were drinking, and what, if anything they thought they might do about it. And,
107
Jeff. VanVonderen, 123.
108
Howard Clinebell. 1998. Understanding and Counseling Persons with Alcohol, Drug,
and Behavioral Addictions. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 274-276.
109
Claude Steiner.1971. Games Alcoholics Play. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 121.
110
Claude Steiner, 121.
111
Fredrick Rotgers and Beth Davis. 2006. Treating Alcohol Problems. Hoboken: New Jersey: John
Wiley & Children, Inc, 31.
34
lo and behold, no denial!”112 Some call this manipulation, but God calls it “love”. A love
that uses ones authority, and skills to build trust for the purpose of leading the person
down a new life. Once the addict admits that they have a problem, you now have an
opportunity to show them how their actions and thoughts are contradicting each other. It
can be a gentle challenge that questions there desire to live in harmony with their
convictions and thoughts about what is right.
Conclusion
We have looked at the target population of this program, mainly Armenians. Their
history, culture, language, development and presence in this world. We have looked at
their present situation in Glendale and how their history from the ancient past in the
mother country of Armenia is still affecting them today. Armenians, like most other
cultures, are dealing with their own drug epidemic and life’s everyday issues as they
come. Historically Armenians have been a people caught up in wars, suffering and
political turmoil. Still, they have survived as one of the oldest cultures in the world.
Surely, Christianity and their ethnic exclusivism have played a role in their preservation.
Yet, here in the diaspora they find themselves lost. As Armenian Christians God has
called the church to live out what the prophet Jeremiah declared, “...seek the peace and
prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile”.113 Armenian Christians can
only seek this peace and prosperity, if they themselves are under the “Banner of Yahweh
112
Fredrick Rotgers and Beth Davis, 31.
113
Jeremiah 29:7
35
(The LORD)”.114 Pray for us as we seek to birth a movement of change by God’s Holy
Spirit and Truth. When Frank Buchman the founder of the Oxford Group who became
the catalyst for the AA’S Twelve Steps discovered the liberating truth of Christ
transforming power, he was bent on sharing the message of freedom everyday of his
life.115 It is said that Buchman's spirituality included four components he believed were
vital for living a life of passion and virtue:116
1. a daily "quiet time" during which he claimed to receive "divine guidance" by

which he lived all aspects his life
2. public and private confession of sin
3. restitution for harm done to others in the past; and
4. evangelism of these principles to those who were still "defeated by sin."
Through these simple spiritual practices each day this man has now affected the lives of
thousands and millions of people. Jesus stated the promise two thousand years ago, and it
rings true for us today who seek to dependent upon Him. He cried out,
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears
no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will
remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you
bear fruit unless you remain in me”117
114
Exodus 17:15-16 - Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, "For hands were
lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to
generation."
115
Selby, Saul. 2000. Twelve Step Christianity: The Christian Roots And Application Of The Twelve Steps.
Center City, Minnesota: Hazelden Pittman Archives Press, 6-7.
116
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_N._D._Buchman
117
John 15:1-4
36
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39

Christian Outpatient Ministry For Armenians in The City of Glendale

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Fuller Theological Seminary

Empowered Living Program:

Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Course

MB572 Cross-Cultural Min Practicum

Dr. Betty Brewster

Who Is The Program For 5

Armenians: Their Origen 5

Armenians: Their Religion 6

Armenians: Their Language 7

Armenians: Current Ideologies 8

Armenians: In the City of Glendale 12

Glendale: Spiritual & Social Roots 18

Glendale: Narcotics Related Arrest 21

How Will The Program Work 23

Program: Treatment Models 23

Program: Intense Out Patient 28

came from lost of productivity, deaths, or alcohol-related illnesses.1 Drug abuse in

predicament of drugs is a major crisis in United States of America.

According to experts it is the most problematic concern facing the country of

confiscated by police in Armenia were imported from neighboring countries.8

2007 executive speech Robert S. Mueller, Director of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation, specifically pointed out the growing corruption of organized crime in

Glendale by the Armenians. He said,

field. By utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach I have summed up what I believe are

practical ingredients needed in order to create a powerful ministry that brings

transformation and prevention.

Who Is The Program For

Armenians: Their Origen

The program is specifically designed for the people of Armenian Descent.

rooted in the ancient Biblical narratives.

Armenians: Their Religion

This leads me to another aspect of the Armenians history as a religious people.

wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight" (Proverbs 1.1).”22

Armenians: Their Language

because each letter is pronounced fully with no stress.26

Due to hundreds of years of persecution, foreign rule, and genocide Armenians

(500,000); Canada - Toronto and Montreal (45,000); S. America - Argentina (100,000);

France - Paris, Marseilles (200,000); UK - London (15,000), Greece (15,000); rest of

Europe (10,000); Turkey - Istanbul (50,000); Lebanon - Beirut (100,000?); Syria

Armenians: Current Ideologies

and white collar crime to survive economically.

Despite the difference of ideologies, Armenians still have a sense of oneness.

Especially, in “feeling” Armenian and having an emotional connection to the homeland.33

history. Russell states concerning Armenia,

constraining, but together as disciples with different perspectives, we can begin to

comprehend the wider impact of the Scriptures in a pluralistic world.”36

Armenians: In the City of Glendale

according to the LA Times:

Concerning the density, the city website writes:

feeling of community.44 The negative aspect of this strong communal presence in

community accountable becomes difficult for immigrant families, especially their

American individualistic worldview is shaping their children, not to mention an inherent

work. 47 People ages 25 to 34 make on average $41,642 a year. In comparison to the

term change to poverty and the unhealthy casual effects...

makes up most of these renters in comparison to homeowners? Also, the average

on human beings”.51 Also, in the overall development or redevelopment of the city we

constantly propose an ideology of “freedom”.55 Zhou, Min claims,

correlation between Christian morals and educational progress and contextualized

Glendale: Spiritual & Social Roots

“A church that strives to evangelize its community without saturating its

Rock. In the book Glendale Community Book it reads: