The Australian arm of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has been encouraged by New Zealand's decision to grant the church approval to conduct weddings.

Key points: Church had application for NPO status rejected in Australia, appeal planned

Church had application for NPO status rejected in Australia, appeal planned Began in US as protest against creationism in schools

Began in US as protest against creationism in schools Australian pastafarians encouraged by church's recognition in New Zealand

The oddly named church started as a satirical religious protest group in the US but, as New Zealand's decision shows, the church is gaining some official international recognition.

New Zealand's registrar-general of Births Deaths and Marriages Jeff Montgomery approved the church's application to be able to nominate marriage celebrants.

"My role is to enact the Marriage Act and that act enables organisations who promote religious beliefs or philosophical convictions to become a nominating organisation for marriage celebrants," Mr Montgomery said.

"I've assessed their application against that criteria and have come to the view that they uphold or promote philosophical convictions and therefore are able to nominate marriage celebrants for me to consider further down the track."

Born from satire, church wants recognition

The church began in the United States a decade ago when founder Bobby Henderson wrote an open letter in protest at the teaching of creationism in schools.

Simon Cuthbert, an ordained minister of the church, said while it was born of satire, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster should be taken seriously.

"We have a supreme being like any other religion," Mr Cuthbert said, "wonderful carbohydrate, there's some protein there as well but he's an all-seeing, all-knowing type god but he doesn't discriminate against anyone.

"You can be straight, gay, transsexual, Catholic, atheist — it really doesn't matter."

The minister said members can even be gluten intolerant.

"You can just eat the meaty parts," he said. "That's fine."

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, like other churches, has canons of conduct.

"For example, the spaghetti monster doesn't want to be basically put up on a pedestal," Mr Cuthbert said.

"He just believes that everyone should be treated the same.

"There's ones in there about how we should be allowing people who want to be together to just be together and a few other quite humanistic values there."

Pastafarians face 'full spectrum of reactions'

The minister said his church was often accused of making fun of other religions.

"A lot of people get offended by it," he said. "Some people may cry because they think that we are going to end up in hell.

"Some people get quite angry. There's a full spectrum of reactions which I can understand because really we're challenging something that is held very personal for them."

Mr Cuthbert said Australia's 1,500 pastafarians were being left behind.

"New Zealand seems to be leading the way and it's only a hop, skip and a jump to Australia, the mainland," he said.

"I think Australia likes to boast that we're ahead of the times but I'm afraid we're falling well behind them at the moment and particularly in things like this."

The church said its application for incorporation as a not-for-profit organisation was rejected by the South Australian Commissioner for Corporate Affairs. But, the church is planning to launch an appeal in the District Court.

Mr Cuthbert said the church's newfound recognition in New Zealand was encouraging.

"No matter what avenue we can take whether it be for births, deaths and marriages, the state, national — we are going to have a go at it and then get them over the line eventually," he said.