>OK, so any ideas as to how to find ways around the state?
Don’t sign the state contract. Find a church willing to enforce basic patriarchal rules as laid down by Paul in the New Testament.
Interesting. But we do live in jurisdictions that have civil laws regarding relationships like this. I don’t think there’s any church authority that will overrule a state court’s ability to settle husband/wife relationship disputes under the common law, or is there?
That is not a solution, because you will eventually qualify as a “common law marriage”, and all the same state laws will apply whether you got a marriage license or not.