Becoming an ordained minister means becoming a priest, bishop, or deacon in some religions, while other religions have different titles. Women are often forbidden from this role, but some denominations allow it. Online ordination is possible, but some US states have additional requirements for performing religious ceremonies.
An ordained minister is one who has been consecrated to carry out the ceremonies and rights of his or her religious denomination. In the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox churches, becoming an ordained minister means becoming a priest, bishop, or deacon. In other religions, ordained ministers are associated with different titles. In Buddhism, one can also be ordained posthumously. While different religions vary in their ordination processes, the majority still share the common theology that forbids women from this role. Exceptions include churches such as The United Church of Canada, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, The Lutheran Evangelical Protestant Church, and various denominations of Judaism.
Individuals who are in the process of being ordained are sometimes referred to as “ordinandi,” while ordination rituals or liturgy are referred to as “ordinals.” Before the Internet age, seminary study was most often required to become an ordained minister of any religion. Today, you can get your order quickly through various websites, which offer paid ordering. For example, the nondenominational Universal Life Church (ULC) in Modesto, California sells ordinations among other products and allows an individual to become an ordained relatively inexpensively.
While the efficiency of online ordering may be ethically questionable, someone who has been ordained online can legally administer marriages and sign marriage licenses, just like any other religious official. As long as the person is in good standing with her church, she is legally authorized to perform a marriage in most parts of the United States.
There are some US states that require more than just online ordering from individuals who wish to perform religious ceremonies. States such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Delaware, Oklahoma and Virginia require ordained ministers to provide the state with a copy of their credentials and/or address before performing marriages. Rhode Island, Nevada, and Ohio all license ministers from their state, while the state of Tennessee’s requirement for ordination to be a “considered, deliberate, and responsible act” might implicitly limit someone who has become an ordained minister online.
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