Shant Kazanjian
Glendale
Summary
Senior Pastor with over 17 years of experience in church leadership, preaching, and mentorship, dedicated to fostering spiritual growth and community engagement. Proven success in planting churches and collaborating with global outreach organizations while promoting Christian values across diverse regions. Multilingual in Turkish, Arabic, English, and Armenian enhances the ability to connect with varied audiences. Expertise in strategic planning and project management drives team performance and operational excellence, consistently delivering impactful results through innovative problem-solving and effective communication.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Arabic Language Director
Christian Leaders Institute
09.2024 - Current
Consultant
Free Evangelical Church in Lebanon and Syria
01.2023 - Current
- Mentor local leaders, building capacity for autonomous program management. Facilitate workshops on conflict resolution and community building.
- Drive leadership development, measurably improving local program management efficiency. Implement effective conflict resolution techniques, strengthening communities.
- Nurture emerging leaders, facilitating their growth in autonomous program administration.
Pastor
Arabic Community Christian Church
Glendale, CA
02.2024 - 08.2024
- Leads church operations, delivering weekly sermons and Bible studies to engage and inspire congregants.
- Mentors pastoral staff and congregation, fostering spiritual growth and community involvement.
- Oversees pastoral care, providing guidance and support to congregation members.
- Assesses congregation's spiritual needs through data-driven insights, tailoring sermons and teachings to maximize relevance and impact.
Senior Pastor
Maranatha Free Evangelical Church
Damascus, Syria
10.2016 - 02.2024
- Led and oversaw all aspects of church operations, including preaching, teaching, and pastoral care.
- Conducted weekly sermons and Bible study sessions, engaging and inspiring congregants.
- Fostered an environment of spiritual growth and community involvement.
- Provided mentorship and guidance to pastoral staff and congregation members.
- Trained in leadership and expository preaching.
- Preached in conferences around the Middle East, Armenia, and the United States.
- Collaborated with global outreach organizations.
- Played a key role in promoting Christian values and fellowship within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Vice President
Free Evangelical Church in Lebanon and Syria
01.2021 - 01.2023
- Supported strategic planning, aiding president in decision-making, enhancing church operations.
- Represented church in national and international forums, expanding influence and outreach.
- Planted 3 new churches in Damascus, Aleppo, and Eskilstuna, growing community presence.
- Partnered with president on key decision-making, enhancing organizational effectiveness and fostering growth in challenging environments.
Country Director
Every Home for Christ International
01.2012 - 01.2020
- Directed national operations, achieving measurable growth in outreach and partnerships.
- Led evangelism and disciple-making, significantly increasing community engagement.
- Managed outreach programs, coordinating with local partners to advance mission objectives.
- Oversaw ministry activities, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and local needs.
- Cultivated a network of local partners, synergizing efforts to drive disciple-making and advance the organization's core objectives.
Education
Master of Arts - Leadership
Kairos University
06-2026
Bachelor of Divinity - undefined
Christian Leaders Institute
10-2023
Diploma of Divinity - undefined
Christian Leaders Institute
SpringLake, MI06-2023
Scripture Sculpture Training - undefined
Dallas Global Proclamation Academy
Dallas, TX06-2019
Certificate of Commission - undefined
Every Home for Christ
Colorado Springs, CO01-2019
Youth Bible College Training Program - undefined
Mediterranean Bible College
Bsalim, Lebanon08-2010
Skills
- Curriculum Development
- Theological Education
- Nonprofit Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Multilingual Communication
- Church Planting
- Cross-Cultural Skills
- Mentorship
- Public Speaking
- Leadership
- Relationship building
- Strategic planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Decision-making
Websites
Accomplishments
- Planted and helped establish two evangelical churches in Syria.
- Founded and currently lead Revive Community Church, an Arabic-speaking church plant in Glendale, California.
- Provided oversight and leadership support for an Arabic-speaking church plant in Sweden.
- Mentored and trained pastors, ministry leaders, and emerging church leaders in Syria, Armenia, Sweden.
- Developed theological courses and ministry training materials for Arabic-speaking students and church leaders.
- Led leadership training programs focused on preaching, discipleship, pastoral ministry, and church health.
- Completed advanced preaching training and regularly preached in churches, conferences, and leadership gatherings across the Middle East, Armenia and the United States.
- Established and directed Every Home for Christ in Syria, coordinating evangelism, outreach, and disciple-making efforts.
- Served as Vice President of the Free Evangelical Church in Lebanon and Syria, supporting national church leadership, strategy, and ministry development.
- Directed Arabic-language ministry development for Christian Leaders Institute, including course translation, curriculum development, and leadership training.
Certification
- Certified in Expository Preaching
- Ramesh Richard Evangelism and Church Health Organization
Languages
English
Full Professional
Arabic
Native or Bilingual
Armenian
Native or Bilingual
Turkish
Full Professional
Timeline
Arabic Language Director
Christian Leaders Institute
09.2024 - Current
Pastor
Arabic Community Christian Church
02.2024 - 08.2024
Consultant
Free Evangelical Church in Lebanon and Syria
01.2023 - Current
Vice President
Free Evangelical Church in Lebanon and Syria
01.2021 - 01.2023
Senior Pastor
Maranatha Free Evangelical Church
10.2016 - 02.2024
Country Director
Every Home for Christ International
01.2012 - 01.2020
Bachelor of Divinity - undefined
Christian Leaders Institute
Diploma of Divinity - undefined
Christian Leaders Institute
Scripture Sculpture Training - undefined
Dallas Global Proclamation Academy
Certificate of Commission - undefined
Every Home for Christ
Youth Bible College Training Program - undefined
Mediterranean Bible College
Master of Arts - Leadership
Kairos University
Links
Website: pastorshant.org