As approved by General Conference, 12-15 October 2011

1. Preamble
1.1 The Scriptures remind us that the gift of marriage is by divine institution and design (Genesis 2:18-24). When entered into with faith and obedience, marriage is a model of Christ’s relationship with His Church (Ephesians 5: 21-33) and provides the context wherein we find deepening wholeness and where children can be raised in a context of love and godly parenthood (Malachi 2:15).

1.2 Marriage in the Church is a solemn covenant before God between two people of the opposite sex who know and love the Lord (1 Corinthians 7: 39; cf. Malachi 2: 10-12). To this the Church gives its blessings. It is a relationship of fidelity which provides the opportunity for giving sacrificially one to the other thus reflecting Christ’s love for us. We seek therefore as a Church to ensure that all marriages taking place in our Church are in accordance with Scriptures and follow strictly the provisions of the law of the country.

1.3 To enable our ministers to fulfil their task responsibly a set procedure has been formulated. In any marriage or re-marriage, careful study and deliberation must be undertaken by the officiating minister. In all cases, nothing shall be done which will contradict the laws of the land or the rules of our Church.

1.4 No rule contained herein shall contradict any law or ordinance passed by the Government of Malaysia or which may be issued from time to time.

2. Persons Authorized to Perform Marriages
2.1 Any Methodist elder or deacon who has an appointment to a charge, and any unordained pastor appointed over a charge, shall be authorized to perform marriages according to the rules of our church. 2.2 Retired ministers not appointed to a charge may assist in such marriages.
2.3 All ministers so authorized shall be obliged to know the law of the country governing marriages, i.e. the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce Act) Act 1976 which came into effect on March 1, 1982. There shall be no concession given to anyone who claims ignorance of the law and the conditions outlined herein.
2.4 A minister who has transgressed or ignored the laws of the country and/or the rules of the Methodist Church shall be referred to the respective Board of Ministry. If he is found guilty, he shall be suspended immediately from performing marriages by the President. Such suspension shall be reported in the official organ of the Methodist Church, the Pelita Methodist.
2.5 A minister may reserve the right to refuse to perform a marriage out of con-science after a period of pre-marital counselling.

3. Persons Who Are Eligible to be Married in our Church
3.1 Persons who are members of the Methodist Church are to be married in our churches. Anyone seeking marriage in another Methodist Church must furnish the officiating minister with a letter from his own minister certifying his membership and consenting to the service being conducted in the other church.
3.2 Notwithstanding Rule 3.1, where only one party is a Methodist and the other a member of another Christian church, the latter must furnish the officiating minister from his own minister certifying his mem-bership and consenting to the service being conducted in the other church.
3.3 Where both parties are Christians from other Christian Churches, the parties must furnish the officiating minister with a letter(s) from their minister(s) certifying their membership and requesting the service to be conducted. All provisions of the marriage laws and our rules shall apply.
3.4 Where both parties are Methodists and temporary residents in this country, the officiating minister shall require of the parties to produce written proof of their membership in a Methodist Church in an-other country. Here again all provisions of the marriage laws and our rules must be fulfilled.
3.5 Where the parties are Christians from another country and request a Methodist minister to officiate their marriage, the minister concerned shall ask for adequate proof of their membership in a Christian Church and ensure that the laws of the country and our rules are not contravened.
3.6. Persons who are widowed may also seek remarriage in the Methodist Church.
3.7 For the minimum age and relationships, please refer to Malaysian legal requirements.

4. Notice of Marriage
4.1 Notice of all marriages undertaken by authorized Methodist ministers shall be no less than that required by law. Such notice must be made on approved forms provided by the Government.
4.2 Although a minimum period is stipulated by law, each officiating minister must ensure that a sufficient period is allowed (between the time the notice is posted and the actual time of the marriage) for the purpose of counselling, adequate explanation of the ritual and rehearsal of the marriage.

5. The Marriage Register and Other Documents
5.1 A marriage register is provided by the Registrar of Marriages. This must be kept in a safe place.
5.2 A marriage certificate of the Methodist Church may also be issued with a copy filed with the local church if the marriage has been registered with the Registrar of Marriages. 
5.3 All particulars as required by the law shall be carefully and meticulously solicited from the parties concerned. The officiating minister shall be responsible to ensure that all information provided is accurate.
5.4 A full wedding service is permitted within 28 days of a civil registry marriage.¹ However, ministers are to instruct such couples that they should not live together before the church wedding. Beyond this stipulated period only a thanksgiving service is allowed.
5.5 The only exception permitted beyond the 28-day stipulation, stated in 5.4 above, is when the couple’s marriage is registered overseas, i.e. outside Malaysia and Singapore. In such cases, the period within which a full wedding service may be carried out shall not exceed 3 months from the 28th day of the date of the civil registry marriage. Again, such couples are to be reminded that they should not be cohabitating before the church wedding. In all other cases, only a thanksgiving service may be performed.

6. The Venue For Marriage
6.1 The wedding shall be performed in a church/chapel which is recognized and/or registered by an Annual Conference.
6.2 Under special circumstances, the wedding may also be performed in places where Christian worship can be appropriately and reverently conducted. In this case, the prior permission of the President of the Annual Conference shall first be obtained.

7. The Time at which a Marriage May be Performed
7.1 Marriages shall only take place between the hours of 6.00 a.m. in the morning and 7.00 p.m. in the evening.
7.2 No marriage shall take place on a Sunday, during Holy Week² or on any other day which a local church or an Annual Conference may, for special reasons, rule as unsuitable.

8. Remarried and Divorced Persons
8.1 No marriages of divorced persons shall be conducted by the Methodist Church in Malaysia.
8.2 A thanksgiving service, however, may be conducted for any marriages involving one or more divorced persons.

9. Specifications and Conditions for Wedding
9.1 Wedding Service In Church 
a. The service must be conducted by an authorized minister of the Church. 
b. There shall be exchange of marriage vows and rings (or equivalent). 
c. The service shall be conducted within the following time stipulations: 
i. On the day the marriage is registered by the Assistant Registrar of Marriage appointed for the Church; OR 
ii. Within 28 days from the date of registration at a civil registry for marriage in Malaysia or Singapore; OR 
iii. Within three months from the 28th day from the date of registration at a civil registry of marriages outside Malaysia and Singapore.
d. Both the man and woman must be Christians.
e. One of the couple must be a member of the Methodist Church in Malaysia. 

9.2 Thanksgiving Service In Church 
a. The terms ‘Thanksgiving Service’ and ‘Service of Blessing’ are to be used synonymously. 
b. The service must be conducted by an authorized minister of the Church. 
c. There shall be no exchange of marriage vows and rings (or equivalent). 
d. A Thanksgiving Service may be conducted under the following conditions: 
i. In cases of marriages registered with civil registries where the time stipulations in 5.4 and 5.5 have lapsed. For all such cases, the service must be conducted within 12 months of the civil registration of a marriage. 
ii. For marriages involving at least one party who is divorced. 
e. Both the man and woman must be Christians. 
f. One of the couple must be a member of the Methodist Church of Malaysia.

9.3 Thanksgiving Service Outside the Church. An authorized minister, after consulting the District Superintendent, may agree to hold a Thanksgiving Service outside church premises. The pastor shall at all times however ensure that the sanctity of marriage is observed and not compromised in any way whatsoever.              

[¹ The reason for the stipulation of a 28-day period is to safeguard the sanctity of marriage. ² Some Annual Conferences like the Tamil Annual Conference do not allow for weddings during Lent.]