Regional Meetings Held Via Video Conference

Diocesan clergy and Parish Council Chairs and members of the Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest, participated in a video conference meeting with the Diocesan Primate on July 30, 2020.

Regional meetings were also held this week as the Primate met remotely with the clergy and Parish Councils of the Fresno, Scottsdale, and Las Vegas parishes on August 11 and the clergy and Parish Council members of the Greater Los Angeles Area and San Diego on August 12.

Among the many issues were discussed were the reopening of the Saturday and Sunday Schools, the reinstatement of the Diocesan Camp program requiring the full participation of all parishes, without exception. During the meeting, the Primate presented a thorough report wherein he introduced the newest missions that have been established at the Western Diocese including the Bridging Generations and the formation of the Deacons’ Executive Council, encouraging the engagement of all parishes in the God-pleasing missions.

The former aims to cater to the religious and spiritual needs of the faithful between the ages of 20-40 and to bring them closer to God and the Armenian Apostolic Church through Bible Training Classes, educational lectures and pilgrimages. The Bridging Generations mission is meticulously designed to prepare the lay ministry leaders of tomorrow.

The latter, whose goal is to establish a deacons' database, would facilitate the inter-Diocesan communication between the altar servers. Other topics including immersion in the community life through college (meetings with Armenian Student Associations) and hospital visits, tending to the spiritual needs of the elderly, and praying with parishioners. More specifically, this organization of Deacons will organize fellowship opportunities like retreats, educational lectures, and spiritual discussions within and outside of our communities. Each priest was requested to priest assign one Deacon to the Council in order that each community of the Western Diocese would be represented and be fully engaged in this mission.

The clergy and lay leaders also shared the state of their respective parishes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Archbishop Derderian expressed his wholehearted gratitude and commendation to the faithful in continuing to spread the light of the Gospel of Christ our Lord in their respective communities. “What is truly heartwarming and encouraging to me personally is that all of you as pastors and lay leaders have continued to look into the 1,000 ways to secure the continuity of mission of the Armenian Church,” said the Primate.

Other topics of discussion included the humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, missions and outreach programs in Armenia, the enhanced archival department of the Western Diocese and the implementation of security measures on all Diocesan levels.