What It Means To Be Ordained
- Be ordained through the ULC and be able to perform weddings, funerals, and baptismal ceremonies.*
The ordination process has both spiritual and legal meanings that vary greatly from religion to religion and place to place. It is a time honored tradition that is adhered to by Christian denominations all over the world.
In the spiritual sense, ordination involves the transformation of an individual from a layperson into a member of the clergy. To be ordained means that you become spiritually empowered to perform the sacred rites and rituals that mediate between a religious community and the divine.
Different traditions use various words to refer to their clergy. These words include pastor, minister, priest and rabbi. The exact role and duties expected from those ordained clergy also varies by tradition.
In the legal context, clergy have specific rights and responsibilities. They have the legal power to perform certain ceremonies, like weddings.
How To Become Ordained
If you are confident that you want to be ordained and become a minister, the next step is to choose a tradition that matches your values and beliefs. There are a wide range of legally recognized churches, temples and faith organizations to choose from in this regard. These cover the entire political spectrum from highly conservative churches to proudly progressive ones. If you are a woman or a member of the LBGTQ community your options will be more limited, as many churches have decided not to allow women or LBGTQ persons to be ordained with them.
Many churches require you to go through extensive education and training before you are allowed to officially become a minister. Typically this involves years of education at a special religious school called a seminary, divinity school, or theological college, and the successful completion of a master of divinity degree program at one of these institutions. The modern world fortunately provides options which allow you to quickly and easily become ordained online and thus by-step this extensive and prohibitive requirements. Non-profit online churches like the Universal Life Church (ULC) have ordained millions of people from around the world through their online ordination process!
Becoming Ordained Online Through the ULC
The ULC's online ordination process provides free and lifelong ordinations over the internet to anyone who wants one. You can complete this process in five minutes or less. Doing so empowers you both spiritually and legally.
You will be legally recognized as a minister in the vast majority of the United States if you become ordained online by the ULC; the Universal Life Church ordination is legally recognized in 48 states and ULC ministers are thus able to perform government-recognized wedding ceremonies in most of the U.S. Like the clergy of other churches, ULC ministers can perform a range of other ceremonies. These include baptisms, marriages, and burial/funeral ceremonies.
Spiritually, Universal Life Church ministers are able to start their own churches and congregations, lead scriptural studies, and provide faith-based counseling. They have the ability to be important spiritual leaders in their communities if they choose to be.
Add Your Comment