Report No. 15
7. Recognised Churches.-
(1) For the purpose of advising the State Government as respects Churches to be declared as recognised Churches, the State Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish a Committee consisting of such number of Christians, not exceeding five as the State Government may think fit to appoint, and it shall be the duty of the Committee to examine applications by Churches for being declared to be recognised Churches and to make recommendations to the State Government thereon.
(2) In making any recommendation to the Slate Government under sub-section (1), the Committee shall have regard to the following, among other matters, namely:-
(i) whether the Church is properly organised;
(ii) whether the Church is registered under any law for the time being in force relating to the registration of societies in general or religious societies in particular;
(iii) whether the Church has well-established rules for the solemnisation of marriages;
(iv) whether the Church has proper places of worship;
(v) whether, according to the rules of the Church, clergymen are ordinarily ordained to solemnise marriages;
(vi) whether the strength or standing of the Church is such as to justify recognition being accorded thereto,
(3) The State Government, after taking into consideration the recommendations made by the Committee under this section, may by notification in the Official Gazette declare any Church to be a recognised Church for the purposes of this Act, and any such notification may also declare a group of Churches belonging to any organisation or • denomination to be recognised Churches.
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