How to Register a Faith-Based Group or Religion as a Charity in Ontario?

Advancing religion is an important concept in charity law, especially for organizations that want to be recognized as charitable entities, such as churches, gurdwaras, mosques, synagogues, and temples. But what does it really mean to advance religion? Let's break it down in a way that’s easy to understand.

What is Advancing Religion?
When discussing advancing religion, that means activities that help promote, sustain, or increase belief in a particular religion. This can be done in various ways. According to charity law, the courts have described advancing religion as:

Promoting Spiritual Teachings: This involves spreading the spiritual teachings of a religion and maintaining the spirit of its doctrines and observances.

Spreading the Message: This means taking steps to spread the religion's message more widely among people.

Pastoral and Missionary Work: These terms refer to different focuses within religious work. Pastoral work is aimed at helping current followers grow in their faith, while missionary work is about reaching out to non-followers to spread the religion.

Who Benefits from Advancing Religion?
Advancing religion typically benefits two main groups:

Adherents: These are the people who already follow the religion or are interested in it.

The General Public: This includes everyone else who might be exposed to the religion through its activities.

Different religions might focus on one group more than the other. For some, gaining new followers is a major goal, while for others, it might not be as important.

Examples of Advancing Religion
Here are some examples of activities that can advance religion:

Preaching and Teaching: Holding services, sermons, or classes that teach the doctrines and practices of the religion to the public.

Establishing Houses of Worship: Creating and maintaining places like churches, gurdwaras, mosques, synagogues, or temples where people can come to worship according to the religion's practices.

Religious Schools: Setting up schools that teach children, youths, or adults about the religion.

These activities help spread the religion’s teachings and maintain its practices among followers and the public.

Private Practice vs. Public Advancement
It’s important to understand the difference between practicing religion privately and advancing religion in a public sense:

Private Practice: This is when someone practices their religion on their own, like saying prayers in their bedroom. While this is a personal expression of faith, it doesn't count as advancing religion in the charitable sense because it doesn't involve the public.

Public Advancement: This involves engaging with the public or a broader segment of the community. For example, a church service that is open to the public advances religion because it involves teaching and practicing the faith in a public setting.

The courts have made it clear that for an activity to be considered as advancing religion, it must have a public benefit. For instance, if religious services are held in a private chapel that the public cannot access, it doesn't count as advancing religion because it lacks the public aspect.

Balancing Private and Public Activities

An organization can still be seen as advancing religion even if some of its activities are private, as long as the majority of its activities involve the public. For example, a religious group might hold some members-only events, but if they also have public services and outreach programs, they are still advancing religion.

Religious Motivation and Charitable Purposes
It’s also important to note that just because an organization is motivated by religion, it doesn't automatically mean its purposes are charitable. To be considered as advancing religion under charity law, the organization’s activities must align with promoting, sustaining, or spreading the religion in a public context.

Advancing religion involves a range of activities aimed at spreading and maintaining religious beliefs, both among followers and the wider public. It requires a public element to meet the criteria set by charity law. Understanding these principles helps clarify what it means for an organization to be recognized as advancing religion, ensuring they meet the necessary legal standards for charitable status.

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