William Douglas Eberhardt

Raised in the School of Unity, I acknowledge that there are many paths to ethical behavior and spiritual enlightenment. Further, I have done significant self study across a variety of religions, and have had structured education via a mainstream Christian religion. You and I are responsible for treating others with compassion. I am not verbally evangelical, believing that actions show true character. One should lead by example. A retired management professional, I have worked and traveled around the world, experiencing many cultures. I truly feel blessed. I believe we should celebrate and share the grace and blessing that we receive.

No one should be denied a wedding by a minister because of their financial conditions. A couple I knew with extremely limited financial means told me of their inability to find a minister to perform a spiritual, Christian wedding. I felt like it was a calling to help them and couples in similar situations have a simple, spiritual wedding. I encourage couples to seek out weddings from their church community. But if they cannot afford the fees requested from a formal, structured church environment, then I offer a simple, religious service.

With respect to becoming ordained online, I felt I did not have the time at my age to return to a structured, formal education environment to seek ordination. I have been and am a life long learner. I have several university degrees and held numerous professional certifications, all of which I essentially taught myself. Over my life, I have had over 30 hours of structured religious training in a mainstream Christian church and have completed 8 courses on various religions via self study. I believe that many of the structured religions training programs are focused on "their path is the only way" to enlightenment. Being raised in the School of Unity as a child and teenager, I was taught to accept the possibility that the divine power has and continues to reveal itself to mankind, that faith is an evolving understanding of this power, and that I should not impose limits on the power. This perspective aligns very well with the Universal Life Church.

Originally raised south of New Orleans (where I attended the School of Unity), I have lived across the southern US and in Canada. I have worked around the world with people from every major religion. I currently reside in Southport, NC, USA.

I hope to be a resource for those couples wishing to marry who are not serviced by the traditional organized church structures. The area in which I live has many couples who are on the edge of earning a living wage. I feel a calling to help those people have a meaningful, spiritual wedding. I have been blessed and wish to share my spirituality as a living example.

I am not overtly evangelical. Unlike several of the organized religious institutions I have attended, I do not believe that I know "the one path" to the divine power. I do not criticize those that feel very strongly about their path; I just don't believe that I should attempt to judge or limit how the divine power choses to reveal itself to us individually.

I offer a simple spiritual experience that is accessible to people in my community. I tailor my ceremony with the couple's input to ensure they and their families are comfortable with the ceremony. Some of my focus points are the support that the couple should get from their families and friends, the value of prayer, and the need to communicate in their marriage partnership.

I live in the Southport, NC, USA area. Travel beyond the immediate region is possible, but my travel and living expenses would need to be covered.

I do require that the couple let me verify their identity, ages, and addresses by reviewing an identity document (such as a driver's license) early in the process of agreeing to provide a ceremony. I also supply sample ceremonies for them to customize, and an agreement that specifies the date, time, and location of the wedding, and expected fee. The agreement also provides links to the local county website for getting a wedding license and filing requirements. I have implemented these more formal processes to help sincere couples and to weed out those who are trying to scam ministers.