Page 63 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

64 The Armenian Church

– The Parish Council is elected in some
dioceses directly by the members of the
parish by public vote; in other dioceses it is
elected by the Parish Assembly. It is com-
posed of lay people and its mandate is to
organize and supervise all aspects of the life
and work of the parish.
In addition to these functional structures
on global, diocesan, and parish levels, the
conciliar life of the Armenian Church also
includes the following bodies:

– The Council of Bishops meets to dis-
cuss theological, doctrinal, liturgical, ethical,
and canonical questions. It is not a perma-
nent body; it convenes when needed. In the
past, issues pertaining to theology, liturgy,
ethics, canon, and doctrine were discussed
and decided with the active participation
of laity from all walks of life. This practice,
which is a concrete expression of the par-
ticipatory nature of the decision-making
processes of the Armenian Church, needs to
be restored.

– The Assemblies of Monastic Orders are
organically related to the Hierarchical Sees.
A monastic order or brotherhood consists of
celibate clergy of all ranks. Each monastic
order has its own bylaws, which regulate
the members’ internal monastic life and acti-
vities. Some of the members of the brother-
hoods serve at church headquarters, others