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1: Members/Associate Members or their immediate relatives (son/daughter) shall be allowed to solemnize their Wedding in the Church.

2: Regular worshipers (either not Members or Associate Members) who have been worshiping in the church for at least three years may write to the Pastor if a wedding involving themselves or their immediate relatives (son/daughter) is initiated. The Pastor(s) and an Ordained Elder, if they are satisfied, shall recommend to the Secretary for allowing the marriage to take place in the church.

3: The marriage fee for Member/Associate Member/Worshipper shall be Rs. 1,000/- but they shall have to pay a security deposit of Rs. 5,000/ which shall be refunded to the depositor after the wedding. The fee shall have to be paid to the Church Treasurer first and the receipt attached with the marriage bann when sent to the Secretary.

4: A marriage register shall be maintained in the church and the church shall have a list of empanelled Marriage Registrars. The Secretary shall verify the original marriage licence of the Marriage Registrar at least once after which it shall be entered into the register (mentioning the date of expiry of the licence). The register shall record the details of all marriages solemnized in the church. It shall be maintained by the Joint Secretary.

5: In case of a marriage to be held in the church, the Marriage Registrar shall write a letter to the Secretary expressing his intention of holding the marriage in the Church providing full details of the groom and bride in tabular format along with a copy of his licence for verification that it was valid and he had the jurisdiction to conduct marriage in Khurda district. Passport size photographs of both the groom and the bride shall also be furnished by the Marriage Registrar.

6: The Marriage Registrar shall be fully accountable if any information concerning the groom or bride is found to be incorrect.

7: No marriage between a professing Christian and a person from another faith shall be allowed in the church.

8: The marriage shall take place only after the Secretary communicates with the Marriage Registrar informing him that the Church has allowed the same.

9: Both the groom’s and bride’s party shall give an undertaking that they shall abide by the conditions/rules laid down by the Church Board for holding of the marriage after which the marriage can take place.

10: If any controversy breaks out with objections raised against the marriage by members from the family of, either the groom or bride, or any outsider, the marriage shall not be allowed to be solemnized in the church till Church Board is convinced that the controversy is resolved.

11: No decoration shall be allowed inside the sanctuary or near the pulpit. Decorations shall, however, be allowed near the portico or entrance.

12: No explosion of crackers or display of fireworks shall be allowed within the Church premises.

13: No arc lights or extra bright lights shall be allowed inside the church.

14: Limited photography shall be allowed inside the church during the solemnization of the marriage. No one shall climb the pulpit to take photographs. One photographer each (representing the families/friends of the groom and bride) shall be allowed to take photographs in front of the pulpit. If anyone wanted to take photographs using mobile phones or tablets can do so from their own seat only.

15: The Marriage Registrar shall have to submit a copy of the marriage certificate to the Secretary/Joint Secretary/or any other designated church official immediately after the marriage is solemnized.

16: A copy of the marriage bann shall be posted on the Church notice board for public notice about the marriage. The bann shall be read only once  in the English and Odia worship as part of the weekly notice.

17: In case of violation of any of the rules/conditions, the concerned Marriage Registrar shall be responsible for the same and he shall not be allowed to solemnize any marriage in the Church in future.

18: In case of violation of any of the above rules/conditions the party who deposits the security deposit of Rs. 5,000/- shall forfeit the amount.

The above regulations were approved by the Church Board on August 8, 2014 and it came into force with immediate effect. 

Mr. Paresh Das

(A committee was set up by the Church Board to go into the prevailing system of conducting marriages in the church and recommend measures to streamline the same. The recommendations were deliberated upon in the Church Board before the regulations were finalized at its meeting held on August 9, 2014.)