The Armenian Cilicia Evangelical Church (ACEC) of today started its mission as the Armenian Congregational Mission of Pasadena, California, on June 18, 1922.
It was the first Armenian church in Pasadena. Later in 1927 the church changed its name to the Armenian Cilicia Congregational Church. The “Cilicia” portion of the church’s name reflected the fact that the majority of the founders were refugees of the 1915-1922 genocide perpetrated by Ottoman Turks. They were originally from the portion of Turkey which used to be called Cilicia, an Armenian Kingdom of the 12-14th centuries. The church was formally recognized by the Southern California Congregational Conference as a “Member Church” on November 10, 1927.
