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Join Us!
We warmly invite you to become a member of the Church of Pain! Our aim is to build our fellowship both in Norway and internationally and we hope that you will join in this effort. We are registered as a religious organization in Norway but have yet to receive state recognition that would allow us to legally officiate ceremonies (such as weddings, burials, baptisms, etc.) and receive funding from the government. Showing that we have a fellowship of like-minded people who share our belief in the divinity of Nature is key to receiving recognition from the state and we hope that you will help us to achieve this goal!
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If, at any time, you wish to discontinue your membership, please send us an email at contact@churchofpain.org and we will remove you from our members list.
Stay up to Date!
Don't want to be a member but want to keep tabs on our news and events? From time to time, we will send out a newsletter with updates and items that we believe are of interest to you. We promise that these will not flood your in-box!
Photo: Katarsis Foto
CoP Statutes
The Church of Pain (hereafter “CoP”) is open to and accepts everyone but certain types of behavior provide grounds for exclusion or expulsion. Behaviors or statements that are sexist, racist, gay/ transphobic, or otherwise disrespectful to other people’s life situation, choices, and boundaries will not be tolerated.
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Members shall do their best to support each other in the performance of rituals and to act with respect for each other.
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A fundamental value of CoP is that members must have and develop self-respect and self-support.
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A low level of self-respect and self-support are not in themselves a basis for exclusion from CoP, but the board reserves the right to limit participation in rituals for members who are perceived to have the need for other types of professional counseling and/or treatment.
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Since CoP is based on something that is common for all, people will not be excluded for their belief in specific gods or powers.
Only people who are endorsed by the board may lead or facilitate rituals for CoP. This authorization shall be granted individually. Individuals who otherwise shall serve in an official capacity must also be authorized to do so by the board.
All members have the right to speak publicly about their membership in CoP and their participation in rituals. Speaking on behalf of CoP may only be done with explicit authorization by the board.
All members shall have a voting right and the right to make suggestions to the board regarding CoP’s organization and form. An annual meeting will be held in March of every year.
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The deadline for submitting suggestions to the board for consideration is February 14th.
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Decisions put up for a vote must be ratified by the board who has final approval authority.
The statutes can be changed by the board with a simple majority vote. Members can suggest changes to the statutes. Statute changes will be considered at the board level.
The board shall always have at least two but not more than five full-time members.
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The board must approve new members by a majority vote.
Consideration of shutting down CoP will only occur if a proposal to do so is put forth by a board member. In the event that a majority of the board vote to shut CoP down, the board will be responsible for completing CoP’s accounts and transferring any funds remaining to other organizations who do work in-line with CoP’s values.