The Ananias in my life

Pastor Rafi Shahverdyan
(Born in Iran, 28 May 1961, died in Armenia, 19 January 2023)

Founder and chief pastor of the People of God Church, Armenia; Author of several books, poems and songs; Founder of the first Christian Kindergarten in Armenia and an International speaker.

‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’
My companions led me by the hand into Damascus because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’
And at that very moment, I was able to see him.
Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth’.

Acts 22:10-14

Do you have an Ananias in your life? At times God brings people into our lives that bring about a transformation that lasts forever. These people we meet give us sight to look to Jesus, they point us to what God wants us to do, and teach us how to grow spiritually and draw closer to the Lord.

In my life, I have had several Ananias, one of whom was my pastor Rafi Shahverdyan.

I grew up in a strongly atheistic family, and I thought that religion and believing in God was for uneducated people. As a ‘smart’ and ‘clever’ person I would never think of such nonsense things. But the Lord opened my eyes to his grace after graduating from Medical University and I became a Christian.

However, I had a lot of confusion and conflicts in my mind. I was ultimately ‘blind’ and didn’t know what to do or where to go. It was then that I met Pastor Rafi who took care of me and gave me a vision of using my medical skills for the Kingdom of God.

Pastor Rafi (pictured centre) was a close friend of Dr Jany Haddad who once asked him if he knew anyone who could assist him during surgeries in Armenia. He organised a meeting with several medics from our church, and this was the first time that I was introduced to Dr Jany Haddad (pictured left).

This meeting was a life changing encounter. I was inspired by Dr Jany’s vision and with the encouragement of Pastor Rafi we started a group of Christian doctors (with only three doctors initially) which became the Armenian Christian Medical Association (ACMA). Within a year more than 50 people who had joined the association!

Pastor Rafi, who was not an ACMA member, was incredible in supporting the association from the very first meeting. He connected us to other doctors, advertised ACMA, prayed for ACMA missions and conferences, preached at ACMA annual conferences and meetings, and counselled ACMA members. One of his main messages to Christian doctors was to demonstrate the Father’s love to their patients, treating them with compassion in a way that other doctors cannot.

He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

Rafi was one of the few leaders who reminded ACMA members of the danger of burn out due to their medical workloads. He taught that the best place to go for the Holy Spirit’s refreshment was at the feet of Jesus Christ. I learned from him that inner healing is essential and that without inner harmony you cannot work efficiently and serve God.

During ACMA conferences, Rafi could spend several hours praying for every person there and listening to their stories and needs. His arms were always open to hug and comfort the broken ones.

In Armenia there is a national unforgiveness which is rooted in historical persecution with Turkey. As a grandchild of a genocide survivor, I too struggled with this. Pastor Rafi however, was a Christian that looked beyond nationalities. He looked at every nation with the eyes of the Lord and had a heart for them. He organised several reconciliation conferences inviting Turkish Christians, and he went to Turkey several times and sent several missionaries from his church to Turkey.

Pastor Rafi was trying to break the wall that had built up between these two nations since 1915, and was encouraging us as Armenians to forgive and love our neighbours. After one particular trip to Turkey he wrote a beautiful book, Armenian Wine and Turkish Bread – A Real-Life Journey of Reconciliation.

Because of Pastor Rafi, I started to look at the country of Turkey and its people with a different lens, and began to think about starting a Christian Medical group in Turkey. I shared my vision with Pastor Rafi who was delighted to hear of my plans and helped connect me to his Turkish contacts. This was the journey of starting a Christian medical group in Turkey.

Through Pastor Rafi, I was also introduced to Alice, an Iranian dentist, who is now leading a group of Iranian medics.

Pastor Rafi was a person with whom I could share my successes, difficulties and challenges and receive his godly advice and prayers. Our meetings always ended with gifts which were usually books that had either been written by him or had been a blessing to him.

The last book he gave us, in November 2022, was Wipe My Tears, a message of healing to comfort people who grieve. It was a collection of testimonies from people that he had met during his years of ministry. They were people who had experienced much brokenness but had also found healing and restoration in Christ. Their stories were a motivation to believers to help those who are grieving find comfort.

Pastor Rafi had a wonderful family. He was married to the lovely Janet and they had three beautiful daughters and five grandchildren. He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather and by just looking at his family you could already learn a lot.

I am very grateful to God for the Ananias and Loving Fathers I have met on my life’s journey. Because of them I am a completely different person.

Today my two spiritual Fathers are rejoicing in eternal life with our Lord. They leave us with beautiful memories and are a testimony of how to be a Loving Father to others before we join them there.

It is my prayer that everyone in ICMDA can be an ‘Ananias’ for someone and finds one for themselves. Amen.


Dr Kristina Alikhanyan is the ICMDA Regional Representative for Caucasus, Eurasia

3 Comments

  1. Syuzanna Voskanyan on 1 February 2023 at 10:18 pm

    Great testimony!

  2. Martine RANIVONTSOARIVONY on 2 February 2023 at 2:41 am

    Merci, très encourageant! Dieu bénisse la famille du Pasteur Rafi et le CMDA arménien!
    Bon courage aux relèves!

  3. Alex Bolek on 2 February 2023 at 11:16 am

    Dr. Kristina has written on a topic that I love and that is my heart beat. Ananias are the “Key People” in our life. I have a long list of them. People who because of their love for the Lord and walk with him, are a blessing to me and made me to be who I am today. God bless each and every Ananias!

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