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Armenian Church Representatives Elected to World Council of Churches

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  • Armenian Church Representatives Elected to World Council of Churches

    PRESS RELEASE
    Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
    Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
    Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
    Tel: (374 10) 517 163
    Fax: (374 10) 517 301
    E-Mail: [email protected]
    March 13, 2006

    Armenian Church Representatives Elected to World Council of Churches Central
    Committee

    In the month of February, under the auspices of and with the Pontifical
    blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
    of All Armenians, a high-ranking delegation of clergymen and laymen
    representing the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, attended the Ninth
    Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Porto Alegre,
    Brazil. Leading the delegation was His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosian,
    Director of Inter-Church Relations for the headquarters of the Armenian
    Apostolic Church.

    The Assembly brought together member churches of the WCC to reaffirm
    their fellowship, engage in discussions and to take counsel with one
    another. The theme of the Assembly was "God, in Your Grace, transform
    the word."

    The delegates for the Armenian Church were: His Eminence Archbishop
    Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Australia and
    New Zealand; His Grace Bishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate of
    the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern); His Grace
    Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada;
    Rev. Fr. Mkrtich Proshian, Dean of the Vaskenian Theological Seminary
    at Lake Sevan (Armenia); Rev. Fr. Hovakim Manukian, Office Director
    of the Department for Inter-Church Relations, Mother See of Holy
    Etchmiadzin; Rev. Fr. Shahe Ananian, Staff Bearer to the Catholicos
    of All Armenians, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin; Rev. Fr. Vahram
    Melikian, Director of Information Services, Mother See of Holy
    Etchmiadzin; Dr. Karen Nazarian, Director of the Armenian Round Table
    Office (Armenia); Dr. Hacik Rafi Gazer, Director of the Theological
    Faculty Martin Luther University, Halle-Withenberg (Germany); Deacon
    Robert Tashjian, Youth Ministry from the Armenian Diocese of Egypt;
    Mrs. Paula Devejian, Director of Internet Development, Mother See of
    Holy Etchmiadzin; Miss Naira Martirossian, Project Manager, Armenian
    Ecumenical Resource Center (Armenia); Miss Gayane Alexanian, Department
    for Inter-Church Relations, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin; Miss Lilit
    Antonian, Secretary, Catholicosate of All Armenians; and Miss Izabel
    Genjian from the Armenian Diocese of Brazil who participated in the
    Assembly as a youth delegate. The delegation was one of the youngest
    Orthodox groups in attendance.

    Members of the delegation took an active participation in the Assembly
    in many areas. Rev. Fr. Ananian attended the Youth Pre-Assembly
    and Mrs. Devejian attended the Women's Pre-Assembly. Abp. Aghan
    Baliozian served on the Assembly Committee for "Consensus Decision
    Making", which worked to implement a new procedural method of voting,
    which was adopted for the first time at the Assembly. Bp. Vicken
    Aikazian served on the Assembly "Message" Committee, which developed
    and presented a document that captured the experience and hopes of
    those gathered in Porto Alegre. Bp. Yeznik Petrosian was a Moderator
    during a 3-day workshop entitled "Emerging Forms of Ecumenism" as well
    as served on the assembly "Business Committee" which coordinated the
    daily business of the assembly. Rev. Fr. Proshian presented a workshop
    entitled "Through the Creation to the Creator", which introduced a
    new concept of ecological education from a theological perspective
    referred to as "Green Theology". Dr. Nazarian presented a paper in
    one of the workshops entitled "HIV/AIDS - Involvement of clergy in
    counseling, stigma and discrimination", as well as served on the
    assembly nominating committee which was responsible for identifying
    candidates for the election of presidents and new members of the WCC
    Central Committee from among the delegates. Mrs. Devejian served
    on a leadership team in a three-day workshop entitled "Overcoming
    health threats to humanity in the context of HIV and AIDS", as well
    as spoke during the final general plenary session on the topic of
    "God in Your Grace, transform our societies". In addition to these
    activities, delegates attended specific regional, Orthodox, youth and
    women's issues meetings, as well as attended workshops on the Middle
    East and various lectures on subjects of importance to the world-wide
    Armenian Church.

    During the business sessions, the assembly delegates accepted the
    strategic and planning activities for the upcoming seven years for
    the WCC, and presented a final general resolution. The Assembly
    also produced six communiques, related to Latin America, defense,
    the reconfiguration of the United Nations, water issues, terrorism
    and human rights, and the elimination of nuclear weapons.

    The final sessions were highlighted by new elections to the WCC. First
    was the election of the eight regional presidents of the WCC,
    representing the family of Christian Churches. Elected to represent
    the Oriental (Ancient) Orthodox Church family was His Holiness Abba
    Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

    The same afternoon, the delegates elected a new Central Committee
    to serve for the next seven years. Elected to represent the Armenian
    Church and the Catholicosate of All Armenians were His Grace Bishop
    Aykazian (USA) and Mrs. Paula Devejian (Armenia).

    On the final day of the Assembly, the Central Committee elected the
    new 20-member Executive Committee. Among those elected was His Grace
    Bishop Vicken Aykazian. Elected as the new Moderator for the WCC is
    Rev. Dr. Walter Altmann from the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran
    Confession in Brazil (IECLB).

    The Armenian Church delegates returned to Holy Etchmiadzin and their
    respective dioceses at the end of February.

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