(Editor’s note: These Measures were repealed with effect from May 1, 2021, and replaced by the Measures for the Administration of Religious Clergy; they are provided for reference only.)
State Administration for Religious Affairs Order No. 4
The Measures for Filing the Appointment of Principal Clergy of Venues for Religious Activities were adopted at the administrative meeting of the State Administration for Religious Affairs on December 25, 2006, are hereby promulgated, and shall take effect on March 1, 2007.
Director: Ye Xiaowen
December 29, 2006
Article 1 These Measures are formulated in accordance with the Regulations on Religious Affairs in order to protect the lawful rights and interests of religious clergy and to regulate the filing of appointments of principal clergy of venues for religious activities and the management of such filings.
Article 2 “Principal clergy of venues for religious activities,” as used in these Measures, means the abbot (fangzhang or zhuchi) of a Buddhist monastery; the abbot (fangzhang or zhuchi) of a Taoist temple; the akhoond, imam, or khatib presiding over religious affairs at an Islamic mosque; the pastor-in-charge (parish priest) of a Catholic church; and the senior pastor of a Protestant church, a full-time elder equivalent to a pastor, and the like.
Article 3 Where a member of the religious clergy assumes the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities, the venue shall, within 10 days after the consent of the local religious body is obtained, file the appointment with the religious affairs department of the local people’s government at or above the county level.
Article 4 Where a member of the religious clergy assumes the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities in a different province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government, the venue intending to appoint that person shall, after obtaining the consent of the religious body where the venue is located, report to the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government. The religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government shall report level by level to the religious affairs department of the provincial-level people’s government, which shall accept the filing after seeking the opinion of the religious affairs department of the provincial-level people’s government where that member of the clergy is located.
Article 5 To file the appointment of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities, the Filing Form for the Appointment of Principal Clergy of a Venue for Religious Activities shall be completed, and the following materials submitted at the same time:
(1) A statement on the democratic consultation held by the management organization of the venue;
(2) Copies of the household registration certificate and resident identity card of the person to be appointed, and a copy of his or her religious clergy certificate.
Anyone who previously held the post of principal clergy at another venue for religious activities shall also submit proof of cancellation of the filing upon leaving the post of principal clergy at that other venue.
Article 6 The religious affairs department of the people’s government at or above the county level shall give a written reply within 30 days of receiving the materials submitted by the venue for religious activities; if no reply is given within that time, the filing procedure shall be deemed completed.
Article 7 A filing shall not be accepted in any of the following circumstances:
(1) The appointment was not made in accordance with the religion’s measures for appointing principal clergy of venues for religious activities;
(2) There was no democratic consultation by the management organization of the venue;
(3) The person to be appointed has left the post of principal clergy at another venue for religious activities without completing the procedure for cancelling the filing;
(4) The filing materials provided are untrue.
Article 8 After the filing procedure is completed, the venue for religious activities may hold an installation ceremony for the member of the clergy assuming the post of principal clergy and formally confer the duties upon him or her.
Article 9 When a member of the religious clergy leaves the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities, the procedure for cancelling the filing shall be completed in accordance with the filing procedure for appointment. To cancel the filing, the following materials shall be submitted:
(1) A statement on the democratic consultation held by the management organization of the venue;
(2) The written opinion of consent of the religious body where the venue is located;
(3) A report on the departure financial audit of the person leaving the post.
Article 10 Cancellation of a filing shall not be accepted in any of the following circumstances:
(1) It has not been agreed through democratic consultation by the management organization of the venue;
(2) It has not been agreed by the religious body where the venue is located;
(3) The departure financial audit has not been carried out.
Article 11 Where a member of the religious clergy holding the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities violates laws, regulations, or rules and the circumstances are serious, then, in addition to his or her legal liability being pursued according to law, the venue for religious activities shall, following the filing procedure for appointment, remove him or her from the post of principal clergy after completing the procedure for cancelling the filing.
Article 12 Where a venue for religious activities fails to complete the procedures for filing the appointment of principal clergy in accordance with these Measures, or practices fraud in filing, the religious affairs department of the people’s government shall order it to make corrections and, depending on the seriousness of the circumstances, impose administrative penalties in accordance with Article 41 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs.
Article 13 A member of the religious clergy may generally hold the post of principal clergy at only one venue for religious activities. Where, in special circumstances, he or she needs concurrently to hold the post of principal clergy at another venue for religious activities, that venue shall, after obtaining the consent of the local religious body, report to the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government, which shall report level by level to the religious affairs department of the provincial-level people’s government for filing.
Article 14 Measures for appointing principal clergy of venues for religious activities shall be formulated separately by the national religious bodies in light of the actual circumstances of their respective religions and filed with the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
Article 15 These Measures shall take effect on March 1, 2007.