What is an Interfaith, or Non-Denominational Church?

Folks often ask us what we mean when we say that American Marriage Ministries is an interfaith, non-denominational church.

It’s a very important question, and since every organization uses the term differently, we want to explain what the terms interfaith and non-denominational mean to us - and why we’re a good fit for you, regardless of what your personal beliefs may be. 

For starters, there’s a lot of overlap between interfaith and non-denominational. 

There are other terms that we could apply: ecumenical, non-sectarian, interchurch. But generally speaking, if an organization is interfaith, then it incorporates multiple faiths. That means it can include Hinduism, Christianity, Atheism, and everything in between.

Non-denominational means the inclusion of multiple denominations, and is more often used to include organizations that embrace different strands of a specific religion. 

When it comes to our use of the two terms, we combine them in a way that encompasses the entire religious and non-religious spectrum. We feel that this broad range of meaning allows us to welcome everyone of any religious background, and offer them ideological and spiritual support and acceptance - providing they agree to our simple tenets of respect and dignity for all people.

With such a “big tent” platform, some of you might be wondering how we are even a church. That’s actually our goal: to reimagine what a church can be in the 21st century. 

We provide an alternative to exclusionary ideologies. We believe that what unites us is not who we pray to, or what we believe happens to us after we die - but our shared humanity. And it’s that shared humanity upon which our doctrine is built.

So, with all that in mind, we'd love to welcome you as a minister of our church. You can get ordained right here on this website for free -- that's our mission and our promise to you!