- Source: Krikor Peshtimaljian
Krikor Peshtimaljian (died 1837) was an Armenian Protestant Christian who inspired the Armenian Evangelical Church, founded in 1846. He was the leader of a group within the Armenian Apostolic Church, known as the Union of the Pious, which called for a spiritual renewal within the church and was inspired by Armenian proto-Protestant groups such as the Paulicians and the later Tondrakians. Members of the group questioned many of the perceived unbiblical practices within the Armenian Apostolic Church, this led to their excommunication by Patriarch Matteos Chouhajian, leading Peshtimaljian's followers to found the Armenian Evangelical Church.
