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Information About the Universal Life Church
by Patricia Deneen
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Overview
The Universal Life Church (ULC) provides fellowship and ministerial ordination for anyone regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof. The church's founder, Rev. Kirby J. Hensley, wanted to fill what he saw as a need for people of any faith to be able to legally perform ceremonies such as weddings, baptisms and funerals.
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Philosophy
The ULC has no doctrine beyond do that which is right as long as it doesn't harm others. The church strongly supports the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Its official slogan stated on its website, ulchq.com, is "To live and help live."
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Headquarters
The ULC is based in Modesto, California, with a small full-time staff. The church has Sunday services with a minister presiding, but it has an open forum policy where others are welcome to speak to the congregation. The founder and his wife, Kirby and Lida Hensley, have passed away. Their son, Andre Hensley, is the current president of the church.
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Ordination Facts
Ordination is free, but donations are accepted. ULC doesn't provide instant ordination. All applications are reviewed before an approval decision is made. Applications are accepted online. After being approved, applicants receive a minister's package consisting of a certificate, ID card and minister's handbook.
The church also has an online store that sells blank certificates for marriages and baptisms as well as church forms such as congregation applications, bookkeeping and congregation reports.
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Misconceptions
The fact that the ULC has no one set of dogmatic rules that all must follow does not make it a fake church. It simply respects the right of every individual to find their own way to the Universal Life through whatever path they choose so long as it harms none.
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Warnings
ULC ordination is not recognized by every state or country. The church website, ulchq.com, lists the states where extra steps need to be taken to perform ceremonies legally. While the church does its best to vet applications of frivolous and unqualified applicants, it may not be able to verify that all applicants are telling the truth about their backgrounds.
Applicants come from all walks of life, including those with many years of previous experience ministering in their chosen faith to people new to their religion. For this reason, it is important to not rely solely on an ordination certificate from ULC but on background research of the person in question.
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Benefits
Many alternative faiths such as Wicca and New Age paths don't have a central authority from which to obtain ordination. The ULC provides these people with the credentials needed to minister to others of like minds as well as an online and offline community to turn to with ministerial and life questions.
