29 November 2012

Denominations

In a forthcoming book chapter I've noted Australian recognition of religions, with for example the Church of the New Faith v Commissioner of Pay-Roll Tax (Vic) [1983] HCA 40; (1983) 154 CLR 120.

Section 26 of the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) states that "The Governor-General may, by Proclamation, declare a religious body or a religious organisation to be a recognised denomination for the purposes of this Act".

The current version of the Marriage (Recognised Denominations) Proclamation 2007, ie the proclamation under that section of the Act, identifies the following religious denominations. Jedi, to the distress of one student, is not featured on the list.
  • Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship of Australia 
  • Ananda Marga 
  • Anglican Catholic Church in Australia 
  • The Anglican Church of Australia 
  • The Antiochian Orthodox Church 
  • The Apostolic Church (Australia) 
  • The Apostolic Church of Queensland 
  • The Armenian Apostolic Church in Australia 
  • The Assemblies of God in Australia 
  • Associated Christian Ministries 
  • Associated Christian Spiritual Churches of Australia 
  • Associated Mission Churches of Australasia Incorporated 
  • The Association of Vineyard Churches Australia 
  • Australian Christadelphian Ecclesia
  • The Australian Church of Antioch 
  • Australian Fellowship of Bible­believing Churches 
  • Australian Fellowship of Mission Centres (Youth with a Mission) 
  • Australian Indigenous Ministries 
  • Australian Unitarian Druze 
  • Autocephalic Greek Orthodox Church of America and Australia 
  • Baha’i Faith 
  • Baptist Union of Australia 
  • The Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Australia and Abroad 
  • Bethesda Ministries International Incorporated 
  • Brethren 
  • C3 Church 
  • Global Calvary Life Assemblies 
  • Chinese Methodist Church in Australia 
  • Christian and Missionary Alliance of Australia 
  • Christian Brethren Christian Church in Australia 
  • The Christian Church 
  • The Christian Israelite Church 
  • Christian Life Churches International 
  • Christian Outreach Centre 
  • Christian Reformed Churches of Australia 
  • Churches of Christ in Australia Church of God (Australia) Limited 
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter­Day Saints 
  • Church of Scientology Incorporated 
  • The Church of the Foursquare Gospel (Australia) Limited 
  • Church of the Foursquare Gospel in Australia 
  • Church of the Nazarene 
  • Church of Tonga in Australia 
  • The Community of Christ Congregational Christian Church in Samoa
  • Congregational Federation of Australia Connexions Ltd 
  • Cook Islands Christian Church 
  • Coptic Orthodox Church of Australia 
  • CRC Churches International 
  • Crosslink Christian Network 
  • Dream Centre Christian Church Limited 
  • Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia, 
  • Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils 
  • Federation of Reformed Christian Churches of the Pacific Australia Incorporated 
  • Fellowship of Congregational Churches 
  • Fellowship of Evangelical Churches in Australia 
  • Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches 
  • Free Reformed Church of Australia 
  • Free Serbian Orthodox Church, Diocese for Australia and New Zealand 
  • Full Gospel Churches of Australia 
  • German Evangelical Lutheran Church 
  • Goshen Ministry International Outreach 
  • Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia 
  • Hindu Council of Australia 
  • Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East 
  • Hungarian Reformed Church of Australia 
  • Iglesia ni Cristo 
  • Independent Baptist Fellowship 
  • Independent Baptists of Australia 
  • Independent Church of Australia
  • International Council of Spiritualists 
  • International Society for Krishna Consciousness 
  • Islam 
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses 
  • Jewry 
  • Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Victoria, 
  • Liberal Catholic Church 
  • Lutheran Church of Australia Incorporated 
  • Macedonian­Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church 
  • Macedonian Orthodox Church, Diocese of Australia and New Zealand 
  • Ministers Fellowship International 
  • New Apostolic Church in Australia 
  • New Church in Australia 
  • New Life Churches of Australia 
  • OzReach 
  • Pacific LMS Church Australia Incorporated 
  • Potters House Christian Fellowship of Australia 
  • Power of the Spirit Ltd 
  • Presbyterian Church of Australia
  • Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia 
  • Presbyterian Reformed Church 
  • Reach Out for Christ Limited 
  • Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia 
  • Religious Society of Friends
  • Revival Centres International Revival Fellowship 
  • Rhema Family Churches Australia 
  • Roman Catholic Church 
  • Romanian Orthodox Church 
  • Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia 
  • Salvation Army
  • Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand
  • Seventh­day Adventist Church 
  • Sikh Council of Australia Incorporated 
  • Society of Saint Pius X Limited 
  • Southern Cross Association of Churches
  • Strict and Particular Baptist Churches of Australia 
  • Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox Church in Diaspora, Diocese of Australia and New Zealand 
  • Unitarians United Aborigines Mission 
  • United Church of God — Australia 
  • United Pentecostal Church of Australia 
  • United Spiritualism of Australia 
  • Uniting Church in Australia 
  • Victorian Spiritualists’ Union 
  • Victory Life Centre Incorporated 
  • Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Connexion in Victoria 
  • Wesleyan Methodist Church 
  • Westminster Presbyterian Church 
  • Worldwide Church of God 
  • Worship Centre Christian Churches Worldwide (Australia) Ltd