Certification by Secretary of State; issuance, term and expiration of certificates.
1. If the county clerk approves an application, he shall notify the Secretary of State of such approval within 10 days thereafter. After receipt of such notification, the Secretary of State shall immediately certify the name of such minister to each county clerk and county recorder in the State.
2. A certificate of permission shall be valid until the county clerk has received:
(a) A written statement that the minister is no longer in good standing within his denomination, signed by a trustee, warden, responsible superior or other officer of such minister’s congregation authorized to speak for it; or
(b) A written statement that the minister to whom a certificate of permission was granted is no longer a minister, signed by a trustee, warden, responsible superior or other officer of such former minister’s congregation authorized to speak for it.
3. The written statements required to be sent by a trustee, warden, responsible supervisor or other officer of a congregation pursuant to subsection 2 shall be sent to the county clerk within 5 days following the time the minister ceased to be a member of the denomination in good standing or ceased to be a minister of the congregation.
4. If the county clerk in the county where the certificate of permission was issued has reason to believe that the minister is no longer in good standing within his denomination, or that he is no longer a minister, or that such denomination no longer exists, such clerk may require satisfactory proof of such minister’s denominational standing. If such proof is not presented within 15 days, the county clerk shall revoke the certificate of permission and shall so notify the Secretary of State.
5. If any minister to whom a certificate of permission has been issued severs ties with his congregation or moves from the county in which his certificate was issued, the certificate shall expire immediately upon such severance or move, and the trustee, warden, responsible superior or other officer of the congregation authorized to speak for it shall, within 5 days following the severance or move, give written notice of the fact of such severance or move to the county clerk who issued the certificate.
Last modified: February 25, 2006