Armenian Armed Forces Dissolve Spiritual Service by Defense Minister’s Order

The Armenian Armed Forces have announced the dissolution of the Spiritual Service, a body that for decades provided pastoral care, religious services, and guidance to service members. The decision, issued by order of the Minister of Defense, constitutes one of the most consequential changes to the military’s internal life in recent years.

Historically, the Spiritual Service operated within the armed forces as a formal channel for religious support, closely associated with the Armenian Apostolic Church, the country’s dominant religious institution. Chaplains and affiliated staff offered regular liturgical services, counseling, moral-ethical guidance, and various welfare activities for troops stationed across units and operating environments. For many years, the service stood as a visible link between church and state in Armenia’s security apparatus, while also playing a role in morale, resilience, and discipline in challenging circumstances.

The Defense Ministry’s decree announcing the dissolution offers little in the way of public justification beyond characterizing the move as a major reform. It notes a restructuring of how spiritual welfare and religious guidance are delivered to soldiers but does not spell out the structure or body that will assume responsibility for religious matters going forward. As of this report, there has been no official release detailing the replacement framework, the fate of current chaplains and religious staff, or the practical steps needed to implement the change across units and bases.

In the absence of a published roadmap, questions have arisen about how pastoral care will be provided in the future and whether non-Christian service members and civilians within the armed forces will continue to have access to appropriate spiritual support. Armenia is home to a diverse religious landscape, and the dissolution of a centralized spiritual service raises questions about how religious observance, counseling, and ethical guidance will be accommodated under a potential new system. Analysts and service members alike will be watching closely for clarifications on oversight, funding, and who will manage religious matters in the post-dissolution era.

With the change described as a “major modification” to the army’s internal structure, the transition will likely involve careful policy development, the establishment of new protocols, and potential reallocation of resources to preserve the welfare needs of personnel. The Defense Ministry has not provided a timetable for implementation or detailed criteria for appointing any successor body or governance mechanism. Until such information is released, military commanders and troops in the field will have to operate under the existing command-and-control environment while awaiting guidance on how spiritual care will be delivered in the coming months.

The move also places the Defense Ministry at the center of a broader conversation about the role of religious life within Armenia’s state institutions. The dissolution of a formal religious support structure within the armed forces may signal a shift in how the military manages faith-based welfare and how it navigates relations with religious authorities. For international observers, the change is noteworthy as it touches on long-standing questions about church-state cooperation, civil-military relations, and the management of religious diversity within key state institutions. As Armenia continues to adapt its security posture and institutional reforms, the outcomes of this decision—particularly the development of new arrangements for spiritual welfare—will be watched closely by domestic stakeholders and international partners alike.

In the weeks and months ahead, the Defense Ministry will need to provide transparent updates, timelines, and concrete policy directions to ensure that service members receive consistent, respectful, and legally compliant access to moral and spiritual support. The real test will be whether the new framework can maintain the morale and cohesion that the former Spiritual Service helped cultivate while aligning with evolving norms around governance and secular policy in a modern state. Whatever model replaces the current arrangement remains to be seen, but the decision certainly places the Armenian armed forces at a pivotal juncture in its ongoing reforms.

The Defense Ministry’s action signals a turning point for how Armenia structures the provision of spiritual welfare within its armed forces. The immediate priority for officials will be to publish a clear plan that addresses personnel transitions, continuity of services for troops, and safeguards for religious freedom and inclusivity. The coming period should bring clarifications on governance, oversight, and the intended path forward as the military redefines its approach to pastoral care and ethical guidance in a changing security environment.

As Armenia reconfigures its military’s internal support structures, the dissolution of the Spiritual Service signals a pivotal moment that will require clear policy guidance to protect service members’ wellbeing while addressing broader questions about church-state relations within the armed forces. The coming weeks will reveal how the defense ministry intends to provide pastoral care and moral support going forward, and whether new mechanisms will sustain trust and cohesion across diverse units.