The Greater World Christian Spiritualist Church (of Jersey) a été enregistré le enzieme jour de Mars 1954, pour la celebration des mariages, en conformité de l'Article 38 de la Loi sur l'Enregistrement de Naissances, Mariages et Décès passée par les Etats l'an 1841 le 1er jour de Novembre et confirmée par Ordre de Sa Très Excelente Majesté en Conseil en date du 27 Avril 1842.

AN ORDER OF SERVICE FOR THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES

(It will be observed that the following notes were written around half a century ago (1952), but the situation concerning English marriage laws does not seem to have changed a great deal at this present time (2000), although there are proposed changes awaiting legislation. A person can apply to be an "Authorised Person" and "deputise", as it were, for the Registrar, and therefore the Registrar need not attend the Service; this is applicable in England for Methodist, Jewish and Muslim weddings, for instance, but it is not yet applicable in the Island of Jersey. If two people do not desire their marriage to be officiated by a vicar of the Church of England, then a Registrar or an "Authorised Person" must be present. As has been pointed out in the following notes, contact should be made with the body representing the legal aspects of marriage according to the jurisdiction of the place where the marriage will occur. In order to overcome difficulties which may arise between the legal and the spiritual aspects of marriage, some Registrars suggest that the law of the land be satisfied with the legalities taking place in the Registrar's office, and then the Marriage Ceremony according to the faith of those wishing to marry be satisfied spiritually with the appropriate Marriage Service in the church of whichever particular persuasion is preferred. The depth of detail given in these notes concerning English marriage laws, offers insight into the laws of other countries although they will be different laws according to degree. TB).

NOTES REGARDING LEGAL AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS AFFECTING THE MARRIAGE SERVICE

This form of Service has been arranged in accordance with the requirements of English laws and English customs governing Marriages. Care should therefore be taken when the Service is used in other countries to ensure that all necessary legal and other formalities are duly complied with.

No marriage may take place in a Nonconformist Church, that is to say, in a church outside the Church of England, without the presence either of the Registrar or an "Authorised Person" duly appointed under the Marriage Act of 1898, and unless the building in which the marriage is intended to be solemnised has been duly certified for worship and registered for marriages under the Marriage Act, 1836.

In either case notice must be given by one or both of the parties in person to the appropriate registration officer and a Superintendent Registrar's Licence or Certificate obtained.

A person wishing to give notice of his or her intended marriage should apply either to the superintendent registrar, a registrar of marriages or a registrar of births and deaths acting in and for the registration district in which the applicant resides. It should be understood however that the notice is held not to have been duly given until it has been received by the superintendent registrar and entered in his notice book.

When the marriage by licence is intended, only one notice is required whether the parties reside in the same or different districts. Both parties must be in England or Wales or have their usual place of residence in England or Wales on the day notice is given and one of the parties must have resided in the registration district in which notice is given for 15 days immediately preceding the giving of the notice and the marriage must (with certain exceptions) take place in that district. One week day, other than Christmas Day or Good Friday, must intervene between the day on which the superintendent registrar enters the notice in his notice book and the day on which he issues his licence.

When the marriage is to be by Superintendent Registrar's certificate and the parties reside in the same district each party must have had his or her usual place of abode or residence within that district during seven days immediately preceding the giving of the notice and the notice may be given by either party. If the parties reside in different districts notice must be given in each district and each party must have had his or her usual place of abode or residence in his or her respective district during seven days immediately preceding the giving of the notice in such the district. A period of 21 clear days must intervene between the day on which the superintendent registrar enters the notice in his notice book and the day on which he issues his certificate.

The consent of the parents or lawful guardians or guardian of a person under 21 years of age (at the time of writing - 1952) must be first obtained.

A marriage may not take place between persons either of whom is under the age of 16.

All marriages must be between the hours of eight in the forenoon and six in the evening. (NB: at present - the year 2000 - The latest time that a Registrar will attend a marriage in the Island of Jersey is three o'clock in the afternoon, ).

The law requires that the doors of the Church be kept open during the marriage service.

Two witnesses must be present at the marriage and to sign the Register. The only parties required by law to be present are the Registrar, or if the marriage is solemnised under the provisions of the Marriage Act, 1898, the Authorised Person, the parties, and two witnesses on their behalf.

The law requires that the particulars of every marriage solemnised must be entered in the Register immediately after, and not before, the ceremony. Where the marriage is solemnised in the presence of a Registrar of Marriages, it will be registered by the Registrar and not by the Minister.

It is essential to the marriage that in some part of the ceremony each of the parties should repeat, after the Minister or "Authorised Person" or any minister who may be officiating at the marriage in conjunction with the "Authorised Person", the following words: "I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, (stating Christian and Surname in full) may not be joined in matrimony to (stating Christian and Surname in full)." And each of the parties shall say to the other: "I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, (stating Christian and Surname in full) do take thee (stating Christian and Surname in full) to be my lawfully wedded wife (or husband)." These words must be said in the presence of the Registrar (or Authorised Person as the case may be) and the witnesses. If they are not so said it is not a marriage and cannot be registered as such.

A marriage at a Register Office may be followed by a Service in the Church. The Marriage and Registration Act, 1856, contains the following section:

"If the parties to any marriage contracted at the registry office of any district conformably to the said recited Acts or any of them, or to the provisions of this Act, shall desire to add the religious ceremony ordained or used by the Church or persuasion of which such parties shall be members to the marriage so contracted, it shall be competent for them to present themselves for that purpose to a clergyman or minister of the Church or persuasion of which such parties shall be members, having given notice to such clergyman or minister of their intention to do so; and such clergyman or minister, upon the production of their certificate of marriage before the superintendent registrar, and upon payment of the customary fees (if any), may, if he shall see fit, in the church or chapel whereof he is the regular minister, by himself or by some other minister nominated by him, read or celebrate the marriage service of the persuasion to which such minister shall belong; provided always, that no minister of religion who is not in holy orders of the United Church of England and Ireland shall under the provisions of this Act officiate in any church or chapel of the United Church of England and Ireland; but nothing in the reading or celebration of such service shall be held to supersede or invalidate any marriage so previously contracted, nor shall such reading or celebration be entered as a marriage among the marriages in the parish register."

"This section, it will be observed, is not confined to members of the Church of England. The ceremony may take place in any church, chapel or other place of worship selected by the parties, wherever it may be situated, belonging to their particular denomination, and without any authorisation being necessary. The whole marriage service may be used, but, as the ceremony does not constitute marriage from the legal point of view, it will not remedy any defects in the existing marriage."

It is important therefore that before the ceremony the Minister will request and carefully scrutinise the Certificate of Marriage issued by the Superintendent Registrar, and see that all is in order.

ORDER OF MARRIAGE SERVICE

**The persons about to be married, being assembled in Church, together with their friends and relations, and the Registrar of Marriages being present if so required, the woman standing on the left side of the man, the Minister will say:

Dear friends, we are gathered here in the sight of God and before this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy Matrimony. Marriage is an honourable estate, instituted by God and blessed by Christ, Who was a willing guest at the marriage in Cana of Galilee, where He performed His first miracle. It is right, therefore, that we bear in mind that marriage is the sacrament of human society, and is not by any to be taken in hand lightly or heedlessly, but reverently and with prayer to God, duly considering the causes for which Matrimony was ordained.

Firstly, it was ordained to fulfil God's holy purpose for mankind, that through the gift of parenthood children might be born, to progress through the earthly experience, and to be brought up in the knowledge of God's laws and the Way laid down by Christ.

Secondly, marriage was ordained because men and women were meant to be the complement of one another, that is to say, that the good qualities of one should strengthen the good qualities of the other. When there is sympathy of mind as well as love between husband and wife happiness in its highest form can be attained, because, through the coming of children, those wonderful capacities of devotion and service are released in both a natural and spiritual way. God's laws underline the value of the Family Spirit, and the families on Earth can be an introduction to the all-pervading Family Spirit which permeates the Spiritual World.

Thirdly, mutual understanding and co-operation are the basis of true marriages. This means that the will of one must never be imposed selfishly on the will of the other, and the physical desires must always be governed by the higher promptings of the Holy Spirit within us.

If any person can show any just cause why this man and this woman may not lawfully be joined together, let him speak or else hereafter for ever hold his peace.

**The Minister addressing those about to be married, will then say:

I require and charge you both, as in the sight of God, that if either of you know any cause or impediment why you may not be lawfully joined together in Marriage, you do now confess it.

**If no impediment be alleged, the Minister will then require the man to say after him as follows:

I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I "Names" - stating his Christian and Surname in full - may not be joined in Matrimony to "Names" - stating her Christian and Surname in full -.

**The woman shall likewise repeat after the Minister:

I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I "Names" - stating her Christian and Surname in full - may not be joined in Matrimony to "Names" - stating his Christian and Surname in full -.

**Then the Minister will say to the man:

- "N ames" - Christian and Surname in full -, wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife, to live together according to God's holy laws? Wilt thou love, honour, comfort and keep her, in sickness and in health, and cleave only unto her as long as you both shall live?

**The man shall answer:

I WILL

**Then the Minister will say to the woman:

- "Names" - Christian and Surname in full -, wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband, to live together according to God's holy laws? Wilt thou love, honour, comfort and keep him, in sickness and in health, and cleave only unto him as long as you both shall live?

**The woman shall answer:

I WILL

**One of the parents, or other responsible person, will answer:

I DO

**Then the Minister receiving the woman at her parent's or friend's hand, shall cause the man with his right hand to take the woman by her right hand, and say after him as follows:

I call upon the persons here present to witness that I "Names" - Christian and Surname in full - do take thee "Names" - Christian and Surname in full - to be my lawful wedded wife, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, according to God's holy ordinance.

**Then they shall both loose their hands; and the woman, with her right hand taking the man by his right hand, shall likewise say after the Minister:

I call upon the persons here present to witness that I "Names" - Christian and Surname in full - do take thee "Names" - Christian and Surname in full - to be my lawful wedded husband, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, according to God's holy ordinance.

**They shall again loose their hands; and the man shall give to the woman a ring, placing the same on the book held by the Minister, who will then say:

This ring shall be token of this covenant between you, as the ancient and accepted symbol of marriage, and as witness of the love in which you have declared yourselves to be wedded one with the other; according to God's holy ordinance, and the law of this land. May she who wears it keep true faith unto her husband, and likewise her husband be faithful unto her, to live together in this holy bond.

**The Minister taking the ring, shall deliver it to the man to put it upon the fourth finger of the woman's left hand; and the man, holding the ring, will say after the Minister:

With this ring I thee wed, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

**Then, the man leaving the ring upon the fourth finger of the woman's left hand, they shall both kneel down, the people remaining standing; and the Minister will say:

ETERNAL Father, Giver of all spiritual grace, send Thy blessing upon these Thy servants whom we bless in Thy Name; that they may faithfully perform and keep the vow and covenant between them made - whereof this ring given and received is a token and pledge - and may ever remain in true love and peace together, and live according to Thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

**Then joining their right hands together the Minister will say:

Those whom God has joined together let no man put asunder.

Forasmuch as these, our brother and sister, have solemnly engaged and pledged themselves, each to the other, to live together in holy Matrimony, and have witnessed the same before God and this company; I pronounce that they be man and wife together; in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

LET US PRAY

OUR FATHER Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. When in temptation, Thy Love sustains us, and deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory. For ever and ever. Amen.

**The Minister will then read from the Gospel, saying:

The Gospel is written in the 19th chapter of St. Matthew, beginning at the third verse:

"The Pharisees came to Jesus, tempting Him, and saying: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And He answered and said unto them: Have ye not read that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female; And said: For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

**The Minister may now speak to the newly married as follows:

My brother and sister, you have now become man and wife and, as always, this service is built up around the taking of vows and the receiving of a blessing. You have made this great promise willingly and gladly because you have thus given yourselves to each other in unselfish love. Love must always be unselfish, and service to each other is the true secret of a happy married life. It means consideration and patience, ready sympathy and forbearance, talking over and sharing together the special interests and cares which each of you will have. And thus you will learn to share one another's burdens as you walk on the road of life, making the journey together with happiness and hope.

But this service is much more than the taking of solemn vows. It is one of blessing. For it is only through God's help that you can keep the promises you have made. Let Christ always be the unseen Guest in your home.

So, with high and confident hopes for all that this day means to you, we send you forth on the journey of your new life. May God's unfailing love always surround and protect you. May He, day by day, now and always, give you joy in your married life, and every blessing, peace and happiness.

**The Minister will then add this Blessing, and the Benediction:

May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep you; the Lord mercifully with His favour look upon you; and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace that you may so live together in this life that in the world to come you may have peace and joy everlasting. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.

CONTENTS OF THE SERVICES BOOK