Like most communities of the Armenian diaspora, the Armenian-Cypriot community is predominantly Armenian Apostolic (about 95%). Some 5% belong either to the Armenian Evangelical Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Latin Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, the Plymouth Brethren Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church or are Jehovah's Witnesses; of this 5%, historically the most significant groups have been Armenian Evangelicals, who in the 1940s and 1950s comprised about 10% of the Armenian-Cypriot community, and Armenian-Catholics, who have been on the island since the time of the Crusades.

Armenian Apostolic Church

The Armenian Prelature of Cyprus was established in 973 by Catholicos Khatchig I. In the years that followed, some of its prelates participated in important church synods, such as Tateos (who participated in the Council of Hromkla in 1179), Nigoghaos (who participated in the Synod of Sis in 1307) and Krikor (who participated in a conference of Greek Orthodox Bishops in Cyprus in 1340). The antiquity of the Armenian Church in Cyprus was confirmed by a bull of Pope Leo X, which was issued in 1519 after multiple discords, according to which the Armenian prelate would be senior to and take precedence over the Maronite, Jacobite and Coptic prelates.Armenian Diocese of Cyprus

Historically, the prelature has been under the jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, and is the oldest theme under its jurisdiction. During the Ottoman era and the early British era, for various reasons, it was at times under the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem (1775–1799, 1812–1837, 1848–1861, 1865–1877, 1888–1897, and 1898–1908), the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (1759–1775, 1799–1812, 1861–1864, 1877–1888, 1897–1898, and 1908–1921), nad the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin (1864–1865). Cyprus was the place of refuge for two exiled patriarchs of Constantinople, Archbishop Tavit Areveltsi (1644–1648) and Senior Archimandrite Krikor Basmadjian (1773–1775).

For centuries, the prelature building was located within the Armenian compound on Victoria Street in walled Nicosia; when that area was taken over by Turkish-Cypriot extremists in 1963–1964, the prelature was temporarily housed on Aram Ouzounian Street (1964–1968) and, later, on Kyriakos Matsis Street in Ayios Dhometios (1968–1984). A new prelature building was erected in 1983 due to the efforts of Bishop Zareh Aznavorian and with financial aid from the Evangelical Church of Westphalia. The new building is located next to the Holy Mother of God Cathedral and the Nareg school and was designed by architects Charilaos Dikaios and Athos Dikaios. It was officially inaugurated on 4 March 1984, during the pastoral visit of Catholicos Karekin II. It was inaugurated on 3 February 1999 by Catholicos Aram I; numerous charity, communal and cultural events take place there. The prelature's consistory houses a collection of ecclesiastical relics, some of which were previously in the Notre Dame de Tyre church or the Sourp Magar Monastery.

The current charter of the prelature, first drafted in 1945 and ratified in 1950, consists of 102 articles and, in its present form, applies as of 3 September 2010. The administration is exercised by the Armenian Ethnarchy (Ազգային Իշխանութիւն) through the Diocesan Council, consisting of the Prelate, two priests and twelve elected lay people (7 for Nicosia, 3 for Larnaca, 1 for Limassol and 1 for Famagusta) and the Administrative Council, presided by the prelate and consisting of seven lay persons appointed by the Temagan, currently chaired by Sebouh Tavitian (as of 2007) and John Guevherian (as of 2011), respectively. As of 1998, the elected representative is ex officio a member of the Diocesan Council. There are also the local parish committees (թաղական հոգաբարձութիւններ, one in Nicosia, one in Larnaca and one in Limassol), the committee for Christian instruction and the ladies' committee. Under the committee for Christian instruction are the Sunday schools and youth committee.

According to the Decision of the Council of Ministers 66.589/19–12–2007, the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus receives an annual grant of €59,800 from the Republic of Cyprus; Cyprus also pays the salaries of the prelature's clergy and covers their medical and health care (Decision of the Council of Ministers 48.166/22–07–1998). The same arrangements apply for the Maronite Archbishopric of Cyprus and the Latin Vicariate of Cyprus (the latter, however, receives an annual grant of €51,260).

List of Prelates

+Prelates, Catholicosal Vicars and locum tenentes of the Armenian Prelature of CyprusYearPrelateYearPrelateYearPrelateYearPrelateYearPrelate ...1179... Bishop Tateos 1715–1735 Archimandrite Haroutiun ...1844... Archimandrite Tateos 1884 priest Hovhannes Papazian 1959 Bishop Hrant Khachadourian ...1307... Bishop Nigoghaos 1734–1735 Archimandrite Haroutiun 1846–1848 Archbishop Hovhannes Marashtsi 1885–1889 priest Hovhannes Shahinian 1960–1968 Senior Archimandrite Yervant Apelian ...1340... Bishop Krikor ...1736... Archimandrite Mardiros Sisetsi 1848 Bishop Hovhannes Yetessian 1889–1896 Archimandrite Khoren Portoukalian 1968–1973 Senior Archimandrite Arsen Avedikian 1421–1425 Bishop Levon 1744–1745 Bishop Tavit 1854 Bishop Hovhannes Mamigonian 1896–1897 priest Ghevont Der Nahabedian 1973–1974 archpriest Vazken Sandrouni 1446–1467 Bishop Sarkis 1751–1753 Archimandrite Hovsep 1856 Bishop Apraham Bulbul 1897–1899 priest Hovhannes Shahinian 1974–1977 Bishop Nerses Pakhdigian 1504–1515 Bishop Tavit 1773–1774 Senior Archimandrite Krikor Basmadjian 1857–1859 Archimandrite Boghos Vanetsi 1899–1905 Archimandrite Bedros Saradjian 1977–1983 Bishop Zareh Aznavorian 1553–1567 Bishop Ghougas ...1779 Bishop Mardiros 1859–1861 Archimandrite Atanas Izmirtsi 1906–1907 Archimandrite Yeremia Liforian 1983–1997 Senior Archimandrite Yeghishe Mandjikian 1567... Bishop Hovhannes 1783–1799 Bishop Hagop 1864–1865 Archimandrite Tateos Yeretsian 1907–1910 priest Hovhannes Shahinian 1997–2014 Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian 1581 Hieromonk Stepanos 1799–1812 Archbishop Hovhannes 1865–1869 Archimandrite Ghougas Khanigian 1910–1912 priest Ghevont Der Nahabedian 2014–2016 Archbishop Nareg Alemezian ...1618... Monk Vartan 1812–1814 Archimandrite Bedros 1870–1872 Archimandrite Vartan Mamigonian 1912–1917 priest Sahag Minassian 2016–2017 priest Mashdots Ashkarian ...1642... Archimandrite Mesrob 1814–1816 Archimandrite Stepanos 1872–1873 Archimandrite Movses Geomrukdjian 1918–1919 Senior Archimandrite Yervant Perdahdjian 2017–2024 Archbishop Khoren Toghramadjian 1644 Bishop Tavit Areveltsi 1816–1817 Archimandrite Teotoros 1873–1874 Archimandrite Maghakia Derounian 1920 Archbishop Taniel Hagopian 2024–present Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian ...1665... priest Sahag 1817–1819 Bishop Tionesios Garabedian 1874–1876 Archimandrite Mesrob Ghaltakhdjian 1920–1940 Archbishop Bedros Saradjian ...1668... Bishop Hovhannes 1821 Archimandrite Stepanos 1876–1877 Archimandrite Garabed Pakradouni 1936–1940 Archimandrite Barouyr Minassian ...1670... Bishop Melidon 1822–1827 Archimandrite Kapriel 1878–1880 archpriest Hovhannes Hunkiarbeyendian 1940–1946 archpriest Khoren Kouligian 1675–1695 Archimandrite Sarkis Cholakh 1827–1833 Archimandrite Haroutiun Izmirtsi 1880–1881 Archimandrite Zakaria Yeghissian 1946–1956 Archbishop Ghevont Chebeyan 1704–1705 Archimandrite Minas Amtetsi 1837–1843 Bishop Hovhannes 1881–1883 Archimandrite Movses Geomrukdjian 1956–1960 archpriest Khoren Kouligian

Armenian Evangelical Church

The first Armenian Evangelicals in Cyprus came after the arrival of the British in July 1878. As they were not committed, and very few, they quickly became associated with the Armenian Apostolic Church. With the influx of more Protestants, Armenian Evangelicals became affiliated with the Reformed Presbyterian Church as early as 1887. Although the main centres were Nicosia and Larnaca, gatherings were occasionally held in Limassol, Famagusta and Amiandos. In Larnaca, gatherings were held at the Reformed Presbyterian mission church (built in 1892 and re-built in 1901–1902). In Nicosia, gatherings were initially held at the Reformed Presbyterian mission church (built in 1906–1907), until Armenian Evangelicals built their own church in 1946–1947 behind the old American Academy building, near the Arab Ahmet Mosque; its foundation stone was laid on 28 July 1946 by pastor Yohanna der Megerditchian, who dedicated it on 1 June 1947. The building was renovated in 1955, while a kitchen was added in 1959.

In 1933, the newly formed Cyprus Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church divided its congregations into Armenian and Greek councils. Armenian Evangelicals were granted provisional autonomy from the Reformed Presbyterian mission in 1954, which was formalised in 1962. In Larnaca, as Armenian Evangelicals dwindled after the inter-communal troubles of 1963–1964, services were no longer held; in Nicosia, the Armenian Evangelical church was taken over by Turkish Cypriots and so services were then held at the American Academy chapel (built in 1955) until 1973.

After nearly 30 years of inactivity, by initiative of Nevart Kassouni-Panayiotides and Lydia Gulesserian and with the help of Hrayr Jebejian, Executive Secretary of the Bible Society in the Gulf, Armenian Evangelicals were re-organised at the Greek Evangelical church in Larnaca in 2002. Since 2005, when Hrayr Jebejian moved to Cyprus, services are held every few months at the Greek Evangelical church in Nicosia. Also, the Armenian Evangelical Church organizes a few lectures in Nicosia.

+Armenian reverends and preachers in charge of the Armenian Evangelical community of CyprusHeadmasterTermJurisdictionHeadmasterTermJurisdictionHeadmasterTermJurisdiction Reverend Haroutiun Sarkissian 1898–1905 Cyprus Reverend Hagop Sagherian 1946–1954 Cyprus Aram Sarkissian 1964–1966 Cyprus Reverend Siragan G. Aghbabian 1920–1932 Cyprus Manuel Kassouni 1954–1962 Larnaca Mihran Jizmejian 1967–1973 Cyprus Reverend Haroutiun Manoushagian 1922–1927 Nicosia Nshan Halvadjian 1954–1964 Nicosia Hrayr Jebejian 2005–present Cyprus Reverend Yohanna Der Megerditchian 1933–1947 Cyprus Levon Yergatian 1962–1964 Nicosia, Limassol

Armenian Catholic Church

Armenian Catholics first came to the island during the Frankish era from the nearby Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. It is unclear whether they had their own structure during the Latin era or if they were under the Latin Church of Cyprus, as has been the case since the Ottoman era. They used the Church of Saint Lazarus in Larnaca, the Holy Cross church in Nicosia (probably Arablar Djami/Stavros tou Missirikou) and the Virgin Mary of the Green in Famagusta, built between 1311 and 1317. Armenian Catholic monks and nuns also served at the Premonstratensian Bellapais Abbey and the Benedictine Notre Dame de Tyre convent in Nicosia, respectively. The only Armenian Catholic bishops' names which have survived until today are George Noreghes, appointed by Latin Archbishop of Cyprus Elias de Nabineaux , and the Dominican Julio or Julian Stavriano, who served as Bishop of the Armenians (1561–1567) and later became Bishop of the Maronites (1567–1570); he started as Armenian Orthodox and later embraced Catholicism. The latter's flock included about 1,000 Armenians and he used Saint Sergius' church in Famagusta.

During the Ottoman era, there was a very limited conversion of Armenian Orthodox to Catholicism, mainly due to the proselytising activities of the Franciscan mission in Nicosia and Larnaca, especially during the 17th and 18th centuries; however, these must have been temporary apostasies and their number never exceeded 50 at any given time. In 1794 the small (and perhaps newly formed) Armenian Catholic community of Larnaca was granted some holy chalices from the auction of the belongings of the old Capuchin monastery of the town.