For some, the road to ordination is long and winding. Prior to petitioning a church for ordination, they may study for years in seminaries or other formal settings. Most major religions have specific steps for becoming ordained, and those who want to be ministers within that religion must adhere to religious teachings completely. The requirements of each church, mosque, or temple will determine how to become ordained.
There is another, relatively painless way to become an ordained minister. This is an example of online ordination, which may or may not require you to hold a specific set of religious beliefs. There are a slew of websites where you can get ordained for free or for a small fee.
Certain religious beliefs are required some of these online ordination sites. Some, for example, will only ordain Christians, without specifying what type of Christianity is required. Others ordain any type of minister, whether or not they believe in God or some form of divine intervention.
Sites that sell ministry packages are one thing to keep an eye out for. Some “free” ordination websites make money printing official “minister” cards or selling educational materials at a later date. People can choose whether or not to buy these, but it’s a good idea to look for sites that aren’t expecting to profit from someone’s ordination.
Many people are perplexed as to why anyone would want to become an ordained minister. There could be a number of reasons for this. A person who wants to start a new religion or church might want to get ordained first so that they can marry members of that religion’s parishioners. Ordination gives people the power to baptize in most cases, and baptismal certificates are frequently legally recognized documents. Of course, some “new” church teachings may exclude baptism, but may include official baby-welcoming ceremonies.
People who seek ordination aren’t necessarily looking to start a new religion. Instead, they may be looking for ways to legally officiate at events such as weddings, or they may simply be looking for bragging rights. Before becoming ordained, people should check the status of their ordination to ensure that it grants them the legal right to marry within their state, county, or country. The best way to find out is to go to your local County Clerk’s office. Some ordination sites do not give people who become ordained this right, in which case marriages performed would be illegal.