Can I Start a Church as an Ordained Minister?

If you find yourself researching ‘How to start a church?’ or ‘How to start your own church,’ you’re not alone. Many people feel called to this type of work, but there are important things you should know before you begin. 

 

Ordination does not automatically qualify you to start a legally recognized church. If you wish to start a legally recognized church (for tax purposes, to file for tax-exempt status for example), you must meet specific requirements set by the IRS, which can include incorporation, finding a location, obtaining a federal tax ID number for your church, writing bylaws, and obtaining a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. This process will look about the same if you want to start an online church. 

 

As an ordained AMM Minister, you can lead religious and spiritual services and minister to your congregation in a location that suits your needs, provide counsel on important spiritual matters, and conduct weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby blessings, and other ceremonies. Your right to conduct religious ceremonies of all forms is protected by the religious non-establishment clause of the First Amendment.

 

However, becoming an ordained minister does not automatically mean that you don’t have to pay certain taxes, or that you can automatically declare your home or office a church (for legal or tax purposes). AMM does not provide church charters, seed churches, or in any other way empower its ministers to start their own churches under its auspices. The scope of our ordination agreement is – our ministers are granted the spiritual authority to undertake ministerial duties as ministers of American Marriage Ministries in compliance with local laws and regulations. In other words, you are a minister of the ordaining body, and we do not empower you to set up your own separate and distinct church. 

 

Read More on this topic: Will Getting Ordained as a Minister Affect My Taxes? (aka ‘Do ordained ministers have to pay taxes?)

 

That isn’t to say that we are dissuading such action. It’s just that we cannot take responsibility for your actions, and you do so in your own capacity as a private citizen. To learn more about how to start a new church that’s legally recognized, we recommend you research different ways to structure your organization, define your intentions for starting a church (your mission statement), visit the IRS ‘Tax Information for Churches and Religious Organizations’ page, and contact your Secretary of State for specific information on incorporation.