Changes

With 564 delegates in attendance, the Council opened with Divine Liturgy at the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral (Uspenskii Sobor), the Council opened with Divine Liturgy celebrated by the future martyr [[Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Kiev and Gallich|Metropolitan Vladimir]]. Of these 299 were lay delegates and 265 were from the clergy which included [[bishop]], [[priest]]s, [[deacon]]s, and [[sacristan]]s. It also convened without the presence of the chief procurator, whose position was disestablished on [[August 5]] by the Provisional Government. The metropolitan of Moscow, [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]], was elected chairman of the Council by a large majority. Plenary meetings of all members met under the Presidium that handled the daily agenda of the Council and considered petitions from members as well as personnel issues. All proposals to the Council were required to be in writing. A quorum was established of at least one third of the membership of all Council members. Committees/sections were established to consider and draft decree legislation on specific issues for the review of the Council plenum and vote by the Council. Assignments to the various sections was determined on choices made by each member. Each section was chaired by a bishop and kept minutes of its meetings.

Three sections were established for administrative purposes and nineteen to consider specific issues before the Council. Six of these addressed issues concerning the administration of the Church, six concerning religious issues, four involving education issues, and two involving economic issues of property and clergy remuneration. A special section concerning publication was also established. All decrees passed by the plenum were reviewed by the Episcopal Conference that consisted of all the bishops at the Council and that could reject any decree within three days by at least a three-fourth majority vote.