The following are the current guidelines pertaining to the granting of permission to perform marriages in the CABC (revised by the Board of Ministerial Standards & Education October 2011):

1. Accredited Ordained Ministers (serving in churches, in chaplaincy, on staff, retired or not currently serving a church) are registered to perform marriages by this Convention through the Executive Minister while on our list of accredited ordained ministers.
2. Ordained pastors whose credentials are not held by this Convention (but who are accredited and are in good standing with another denomination) may be registered while serving one of our Baptist churches if they are not already registered under another denomination. (Note: A copy of their ordination certificate and a letter of good standing from their denomination must be provided.)
3. Non-ordained pastors in the ordination track: The following motion was passed at the 1988 Convention Assembly to amend the 1970 motion: “Pastors in full time service who have held Association Licenses to Minister for two years and have concurrently served two years in full time pastorates should be granted licenses to perform marriage ceremonies. Full time is to be interpreted as 25 hours per week or more. This privilege is to be accorded on a year to year basis.” The following motion was passed at the October 2011 meeting of the Board of Ministerial Standards and Education: “these pastors must hold licenses toward ordination, have met with the Board of Ministerial Standards and Education and have been approved as Candidates for Ordained Pastoral Ministry.” (Notes: The Candidacy requirement is not retroactive. This registration is “permanent” only so long as Candidacy, an Association License and a ministry placement remain current; this privilege may be withdrawn if these requirements are not maintained.)
4. Non-ordained pastors who are ready to begin the year of Internshipmay be registered to perform marriages once their Internship is arranged with the Supervisor, upon request to the Executive Minister’s office. In some cases the Candidate may already be registered under #3 above.
5. Recognized Convention Lay Pastors: In June 2004 and October 2011 motions were passed to allow Pastors to be registered after being approved by the Board of Ministerial Standards and Education as a Recognized Convention Lay Pastors and after receiving a pastoral ministry placement in a local church. Both requirements must be met before permission is granted.

Because of provincial government regulations, permission to perform marriages is automatically revoked when a pastor moves from the province in which he/she is registered. If a pastor moves to another Atlantic Canadian province, he/she will be registered in that province upon request to the Executive Minister’s office.

Registration is on a permanent basis within the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, until a pastor moves to another province. Pastors in Newfoundland must make their own arrangements with the government authorities. Ordained ministers not accredited by the Convention will cease to be registered when they are no longer serving a Convention church. It is the responsibility of the pastor to ensure that he/she is properly registered to perform marriages before performing a wedding and should contact the Executive Minister’s office to ensure that these arrangements are made. Those not registered may assist a pastor who is registered in performing a wedding ceremony, as arranged with the registered pastor.

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