Popular Armenian clergyman may be exiled from U.S. over visa expiration

PanARMENIAN.Net - Dozens of parishioners demonstrated outside Glendale's St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in the rain Sunday, March 25 to express their anger over the transfer of a popular reverend who was forced to leave the country because his visa expired, Glendale News-Press reported.

His supporters said church officials did not work to extend Fr. Rev. Barthev Gulumian’s visa because of internal politics, sparking a campaign on social media against the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Gulumian was removed from his Glendale post, where he has worked for the last six years, and transferred to Venezuela.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Western Prelacy said that while it wanted Gulumian “to continue his valuable work in the Armenian American community, the Western Prelacy is compelled to comply with U.S. laws which in this case mandated that Father Barthev leave the U.S. albeit for a temporary basis.”

The statement added that his return “will be processed in compliance with U.S. immigration laws and policies.”