By Hratch Tchilingirian

he functional structure of the Armenian Church is primarily based on the canons and established traditions of the Armenian Church which were formulated over the centuries. One of the most important aspects of the Armenian Church administration is its Conciliar System; i.e., the administrative, as well as doctrinal, liturgical, and canonical norms are set and approved by a council--collective and participatory decision making process. The Council of Bishops (or the Synod) is the highest religious authority in the Church. 

The "norms" of the administrative structure of the church go back to the Apostolic times. A point could be made by the fact that there was a quasi-organizational structure in Christ's group of twelve apostles. Perhaps not as clearly defined, but nevertheless, it was an organizational subsystem that was endowed with a specific task and purpose. While the Scriptures do not record the organizational aspect of the "apostolic college," their activities and interaction underline the existence of certain "norms." For example, the group of the twelve had a treasurer (Judas Iscariot) and a "natural" division of labor based on the talents or the personality of each apostles. Matthew was a tax collector (a "government employee") and had certain familiarity with management practices of the time. In fact, Matthew was "sitting in his office," when Christ met him and asked him to "follow" him (Matthew 9:9). Then we read that "Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority..." (Matthew 10:1) to carry out their mission. We also find certain "rules" for carrying out Jesus's instructions: "The twelve men were sent out...with instructions," (Matthew 10:5ff). One could even see traces of "bureaucracy" (as defined by Max Weber) as early as Christ's time -  i.e., a) recruitment and hierarchy, b) division of labor, c) set of rules. 

After Jesus had "left" the twelve, the mission had to continue by the apostles. The first thing that the apostles did was to elect a replacement for Judas. "...A few days later there was a meeting of the believers...so they proposed two men_then they drew lots to choose between the two men, and the one chosen was Matthias, who was added to the group of eleven apostles (Acts 1;15ff). Interestingly, this "democratic" election and the proposal process, is indicative of yet anther bureaucratic norm, namely "promotion based on merit and qualification." Eventually, as the church progressed from being a persecuted entity of believers to an institutionalized organization, the rules and admonitions of "the apostles and the elders" (Acts 15:6) were integrated in the canon books of Christian churches, including the Armenian Church. A significant aspect in Acts 15 is the "conciliarity" of the decision making process.

The Hierarchical Structure of the Armenian Church
 

Clerical Hierarchy: Catholicos Bishop Priest

Lay Representation:  National Ecclesiastical Assembly  Diocesan Assembly  Parish Assembly

The Catholicos

First on the hierarchical ladder is the Catholicos, as the Chief Bishop and Supreme head of the Armenian Church. The Catholicos is elected by a National Ecclesiastical Assembly (NEA), consisting of lay and clergy representatives of the Armenian Churches from around the world. Working closely with the Catholicos is the Supreme Ecclesiastical Council, (the administrative arm of the NEA) which carries out the overall administration of the Armenian Church throughout the world. 

The Bishop

Second on the hierarchical ladder is the bishop, who is "elected" by the people and consecrated by the Catholicos with the aid of two other bishops (according to current practice, the Catholiocs has exclusive right to consacrate bishops). A bishop in a given diocese is the "chief executive officer" of the region, who works in cooperation with a Diocesan Council (consisting of clergy and lay members), who in turn are elected by the Diocesan Assembly of the region. The Bishop is the ex-officio president of each and every Diocesan organization.

The Priest

Third on the hierarchical ladder is the priest, who is appointed by the Bishop and accepted by the Parish Assembly of a given parish. The parish priest is the ex-officio president of each and every Parish organization. (In the case of "monastic priests," as it is the case in Etchmiadzin, Antelias, Jerusalem and Constaninople, they are under the jurisdiction of the Catholicos or the Patriarch of the given See).

The National Ecclesiastical Assembly

The National Ecclesiastical Assembly (NEA) consists of lay and clergy delegates elected by the diocesan Assemblies of the dioceses of the Armenian Church around the world.  Every bishop in the Armenian Church is automatically a member of the Assembly.  The Catholicos-or in his absence the Locum Tenens-is ex-officio president of the NEA. The primary function of the NEA is to elect a successor to a  deceased Catholicos. The last NEA was convened in April 1995, when it elected His Holiness Karekin I as Catholicos of All Armenians in Etchmiadzin.

The Diocesan Assembly

The Diocesan Assembly consists of lay delegates elected by the Parish Assemblies. Every diocesan clergy is automatically a member of the Assembly. The Diocesan Primate is ex-officio president of the Diocesan Assembly.

The Parish Assembly

The Parish Assembly consists of all baptized and/or dues paying members of a given parish in a given diocese. The Pastor is the ex-officio president of the Parish Assembly.

On each level on the hierarchical structure of the Armenian Church, clergy and lay cooperation is central to the overall administration and ministry of the church. While the Church is governed according to the standards set forth in the Canons, there are complementary By-Laws in most dioceses that further define the role and relationship of each functionary in the church within a given region. 

There are four hierarchical Sees in the Armenian Church: 

The Catholicosate of All Armenians in Etchmiadzin (established by St. Gregory the Illuminator in the fourth century).

The Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia (established in Antelias, Lebanon in 1930. Its roots go back to the 13th century).

The Patriarchate of Jersualem (the St. James Brotherhood established the Patriarchate at the beginning of the 14th century).

The Patriarchate of Constantinople (established in 1461 by Sultan Mehmet II).
 

The Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church
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