The Validity of Universal Life Church Ordinations

The Universal Life Church was started during 1959, in Modesto, California by Kirby Hensley.  It had been established on the basis of Kirby's belief that religion should be free, and that this freedom has to be asserted in order to be protected.  Many people got their noses out of joint at Kirby's concept that anyone can get ordained, without question of their beliefs, for free and for life.

Insecure ministers and priests of a lot more well-known and mainstream religions (which Kirby referred to as the "Big Dog" churches) asserted that the minister must go through years of seminary training as well as being approved by a committee, adhere to doctrinal standards, and other such requirements.  Whenever confronted with the argument that Peter, Paul and the rest of the disciples had received no training, they had no response.  And when shown the most recent headlines that tell the stories of priests who have become ordained using the traditional process, and yet have gone on to engage in horrific acts of abuse, there is virtually no support for the idea that "approval" has ever been necessary.  Due to such obstacles, many warm-hearted folks have stayed away from their ministry.  Regardless of the advances in society, there are still a lot of churches who bar women from preaching.

Becoming ordained should be a personal decision, between you and your God (or merely you and yourself), so Kirby established the Universal Life Church to make this happen.  His church, known as the Universal Life Church (ULC), is known worldwide and has since consistently grown in popularity and membership over the years.  Today, the church has become well known, and many celebrities have even proclaimed with pride that they are reverends from the ULC.  Modesto, the headquarters of the International Universal Life Church, where it all started, is the place individuals are thinking of when ULC comes to mind.

Unfortunately, this notoriety and acclaim inevitably drew the attention of scam artists and other people who would seek to line their pockets by making use of the well-established name of the church.  To confuse the masses, these charlatens have been making use of the name of ULC, adding endings like '˜network' or 'monastery' then claiming to be the 'genuine' or 'original' ULC, hoping people won't notice the difference. That is no different than those who sell 'Romex' watches or 'Guccci' purses.  It never occurred to Kirby that people would do such dishonest things or how easily it could be done over the internet, so he never sought to trademark the name Universal Life Church and even encouraged Seeking to spread the word in an honest way, Kirby never trademarked the name ‘Universal Life Church. It never occurred to him that individuals would do the type of behaviors they are doing today or the ease of which it could be done on the internet.  Today, these types of deceptions are happening more often than ever before, creating much confusion and concern by honest individuals wanting to start their own ministries.

Operating from mail drops or trailer parks, these manipulative ULC groups began proclaiming not only that they're a part of Universal Life Church, but even suggesting that they're THE Universal Life Church. One of them even claimed that Kirby Hensley had sold him the ULC in 1964, when that person had been only four years old!  Employing all manner of tricks and word games to get some Google-love, some have even managed to climb well up in the search engine listings, which have resulted in tons of people who assume they have been ordained by the Universal Life Church of Modesto, but who had been really inadvertently associating with 1 of these dishonest groups.

By creating a whole new definition of ˜truth, these groups post sites and blogs and such, twisting the facts in some cases, spouting bald-faced lies in others.  1 such lie told is that ministers must buy credentials to be considered legal.  That, of course, is just a partial truth. Only a small number of states require you to show a credential and that's ONLY in the event you want to perform a marriage ceremony. Most states require nothing.  It is certainly not required for anything other than performing a wedding.  Authentic ULC sites know this and wouldn't dream of pressuring you to buy anything. More than that, real ULC sites share a good deal of stuff away at no cost.

One particularly offensive scammer urges ministers to buy "Letters of Good Standing", saying that they're necessary in order to perform marriages and perform additional functions of the clergy.  The number of states which require the letter is very small and Modesto will send the letters free of charge. The only exceptions are for the few states that require the notarized letter “ there is then a fee for the notary.

The ULC has 2 ˜official web sites.  ULC.net is the oldest active web site of the church, established during 1997.  That site, known affectionately as ˜the bookstore provides a host of services for ministers, including a forum, support desk, ordination, directory, and bookstore.  If you wish to confess online, there is a place to do that.  The other official site is that of the administrative headquarters office, which is still located in Modesto, California.  It may be found at ulchq.com.  The ULC Seminary is another respected site and also offers many items of interest to ULC ministers, and has been affiliated with the genuine ULC residing in Modesto It's a well-established and respected site. With both the Bookstore and the Seminary, the advice is free and they are available to answer their phones and offer support.

Take caution with any of the other sites who claim to be ULC.  There are plenty of good sites out there, created by upstanding ULC ministers, but anyone claiming they ARE the ˜real Universal Life Church, or claiming they are the only Christian one or any site you get a bad negative gut reaction from, do not be led astray.  If you are though, don't be disappointed.  Many others have been duped before you, and it is painfully easy for it to happen to you.

If you want to be sure, verify the facts for yourself.  Corporate records are available to the public so you will be able to check on any which claim to BE the Universal Life Church.  Find the state out of which they operate then look at the Secretary of State's records.  You'll easily find that the real Universal Life Church became incorporated in 1962, as a non-profit in the city of Modesto, CA.  (The church started in 1959, but didn't incorporate until 1962.)  Others, in they event records for them exist at all within the legal state records, will show they only began operations just a few years ago. When you're told the legality of your ordination hinges on your spending money, flee for hills and guard your wallet!

The Universal Life Church has opened the way for millions to become ordained and to follow their dreams and are pleased that so many others have taken up the torch to assure that same freedom.  Today, you'll find hundreds of churches which also use the open-ordination model, and that's a great thing. The honest churches establish a unique name for themselves then take care to distinguish their ministry and mission in other ways as well.  But there will remain people who find it easier to simply lift the well-known name, knowing that many individuals will never bother to check into it -- At least not until it's too late, and they have been separated from their cash!

Please do your homework. Seek ordination from a reputable site and find the site that make you feel good to visit it.

Kevin Andrews encourages individuals to become a minister through his authorized ULC website. Amy Long also runs a legitimate Universal Life Church site, which is affiliated with ULC Headquarters in Modesto, CA.