One of the most common questions aspiring wedding officiants ask is, “…Where should I get ordained online?”

 

 

You might have been asked to officiate a wedding, or maybe there’s another religious ceremony you want to perform, or maybe you just want to become ordained so that you can have the title “minister.” These are all legitimate reasons to get ordained! And for most people, the easiest way to make this happen is to get ordained online. 

 

En Español: Dónde ordenarse en línea: Lugares populares para ordenarse en línea, ¡y cuál es el más adecuado para usted!

 

The good news is that there are plenty of online churches (including secular ones) and religious organizations, so you'll probably be able to find one that shares your values and beliefs.

 

The next step is finding out what one fits your needs, including how much each church charges for ordination (American Marriage Ministries doesn’t charge anything), and clicking “Get Ordained.”

 

We list some of the most popular choices for online ordination below. Since we are obviously invested in this space, we need to make it clear that the article below is solely based on our research, is subjective, and doesn't reflect the official views or positions of any of the organizations mentioned. This list is for general informational purposes only, and everyone should do their own research.

 

While some of these churches take themselves more seriously than others, they nonetheless all provide legal ordinations and are therefore worth mentioning. 

 

 

So, without further ado, let’s jump into a list of online churches where you can get ordained online to perform weddings.

 

 

 

 

 

1. American Marriage Ministries

 

 

 

We’re going to give ourselves the number-one spot on this list because we think we provide the most robust ordination on the internet, backed by the best training for wedding officiants. (You can see all our free online training materials in our Wedding Officiant Training pages.)

 

Here at AMM, we believe that everyone has the right to perform marriage, and to have their wedding performed by someone who shares their values and worldview. Our free ordination grants full legal authority to conduct marriage ceremonies all across the US! 

 

It’s really that simple, and there’s not hidden ideology or voodoo that you have to subscribe to. Just be yourself, and be ready to serve your community by officiating weddings. 

 

 

 

2. Dudeism: The Church of The Latter-Day Dude

 

 

 

This modern religion, which was inspired by the film The Big Lebowski, bills itself as “the slowest growing religion in the world.” Founded in 2005, this religion promotes a modern interpretation of Chinese Taoism (a 6th century BC philosophy) and borrows from Greek Philosophy to promote “going with the flow” and “taking it easy” in the face of adversity. 

 

A “Dudeist” Ordination is free, and presumably grants ordained “Dudeist Priests” the right to carry out religious ceremonies as representatives of the Church of The Latter-Day Dude. 

 

 

 

3. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

 

 

 

This Church offers ordinations with the title “Pastafarian Minister.” There’s a lot to unpack here, and the church itself is somewhat hard pressed to spell out exactly what it believes, but their intentions seem to be to make the world a better place. That’s something we can get on board with!

 

Their online ordinations appear to cost around $35, but have held up to legal challenges so if you want to perform a wedding wearing a sieve over your head (which is something some of their ministers wear) than this ordination is perfect for you!

 

 

 

4. The Universal Life Church

 

 

 

These folks have been around since the early 1960s, when Kirby J. Hensley started his church under the doctrine, “do that which is right.” Also known as “The ULC” or simply “ULC,” this group has spawned hundreds of offshoots over the years, which is why we’re just going to focus on the original church, based out of Modesto, California. 

 

The ULC has no traditional doctrine and promotes individual determinism, on the condition that doing so does not infringe on the rights of others. Their website says that, “We do not stand between you and your God.”

 

 

 

5. Christian Churches Offering Online Ordinations

 

 

 

If you subscribe to the Christian faith, or are marrying a particularly devout couple, you probably want to get ordained by a Christian Church.

 

There's no shortage of Christian Churches offering online ordinations, and most of them will do so for under $100. It’s important to remember that most of these organizations require you to hold certain beliefs and values, and that violating their principles could nullify your ordination. We suggest you do your homework, and give an organization a particular church a call if you have any questions. 

 

Some places to start searching are The National Association of Christian Ministers, Minister Now, and Christian Harvest Church.

 

 

 

Other Online Churches and Religious Organizations 

 

 

 

To conduct your own search, just type “online ordination” into Google (perhaps that’s how you got here... ), and you’ll see that there are dozens more churches than are mentioned in this article.

 

We've found that many online churches are hard to categorize but are worth knowing about. Rose Ministries, for example, based out of Las Vegas, was formed to “support individuals in forming a ministry in accordance to their own calling and beliefs.” Universal Ministries, based out of Milford, Illinois, seems to bridge the ecumenical space, founded on New Testament and Christian Scriptures from the time of Christ, but are “open to all wishing to share spiritual faith and journey.”

 

 

 

To find out more about AMM's values, read our Philosophy on Marriage. 

 

 

Updated January 2022

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You might also like: 

 

 

• How to Officiate a Wedding For the First Time
   
• How to Start a Website for Your Wedding Officiant Business
   

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Why choose American Marriage Ministries for your ordination?

 

You have options when it comes to getting ordained. American Marriage Ministries (AMM) is the best option and this video explains just a few reasons why!