His Grace Bishop Nathan HovhannisianPrimate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain
His Grace Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian was born on 9th
May 1955, in Yerevan, Armenia. Before entering the Theological Seminary of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, he studied Piano and Music at the Aram Khachaturian Musical-Pedagogical College of Yerevan, then continued his musical education at the Komitas Conservatoire of Yerevan, graduating in 1980. He entered the Theological Seminary of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin in 1984 graduating in 1987.
He was ordained a celibate priest in 1988 and one year later he was granted the holy order of Vartabed. At the same time he became the Vice-Dean of the Seminary and lectured in Patristics and Early Church
History to the seminarians. In 1991 His Holiness the Late Vasken I appointed Nathan Vartabed as the Locum Tenens of the newly organized Armenian Diocese of Ukraine. In 1994 he became Dzayragouyn Vartabed (Doctor of
Divinity) for his thesis: "Petros Quture and his 'Anthology of Theology'".
In 1997 he was ordained Bishop by the Late Catholicos Karekin I and was appointed as the first Primate of the
Armenian Diocese of Ukraine. 1997-2000 he was a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin.
H.G. Bishop Nathan has been very active in Ecumenical circles. He has participated in
various International Conferences and Ecumenical Assemblies. He is a Correspondent Member and Hon. Doctor of the International Personnel Academy of Ukraine.
In June 2000 Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian was
elected the Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain and he took up his new position on 1st October 2000 as the Pontifical Legate and Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain.
