The Universal Life Church Monastery (ULCM) is a multi-religious interfaith ministry that has an online ordination program, which allows individuals to preside over weddings, baptisms, and funerals in the United States depending on state and county laws.
George Freeman is president of the
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
-based ministry.
It claims to have ordained 20 million ministers.
History
The Universal Life Church Monastery was founded in 1977 as an offshoot of the
Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church (ULC) is a non-denominational religious organization founded in 1962 by Kirby J. Hensley,James R. Lewis, The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions' (2001), p. 769-70.U.S. Department of the Army, ''Religious R ...
. The church first established a website that allowed individuals to apply for ordination in 1995.
Universal Life Church Monastery formally split from the Modesto-based Universal Life Church in 2006 following financial and legal disputes between the two bodies.
[ Universal Life Church Monastery then began ordaining ministers through its own website.][
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Beliefs
Universal Life Church Monastery's mantra is "We are all children of the same universe."[
*Every individual is free to practice their religion in the manner of their choosing, as mandated by the First Amendment, so long as that expression does not impinge upon the rights or freedoms of others and is in accordance with the government's laws.][
The monastery's stated mission is to ordain anyone regardless of their spiritual or religious denomination.][ According to the church, ordination allows its ministers to perform marriages, funerals, baptisms, and exorcisms.][ It provides ordination services free of charge.][
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See also
*Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church (ULC) is a non-denominational religious organization founded in 1962 by Kirby J. Hensley,James R. Lewis, The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions' (2001), p. 769-70.U.S. Department of the Army, ''Religious R ...
*List of ministers of the Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church (or ULC) is a religious organization that offers anyone semi-immediate ordination as a ULC minister free of charge. The organization states that anyone can become a Minister (Christianity), minister immediately, without ...
References
External links
Official website
Universal Life Church Legal Case Law
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Churches in Seattle
Monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
1977 establishments in Washington (state)