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Hello everyone! I am a new forum member but have been a minister with ULC since 2010. My ministry is a healing one. I became a Reiki practitioner and found that even though Reiki itself is not a religion, it became a very deep connection to Spirit for me. I work with my Loving Angels and those of my clients to channel the unconditional healing Love of Spirit (the Universe) which is all around us to clear blocks that build up within us during our daily lives. Stress, anger and negativity all contribute to our not receiving this healing energy automatically. Lack of this energy is what causes us to become ill, feel alone and unLoved. In the Love of Spirit (the Universe) we are all One. Kind of a very long way to say that I became a minister because I felt that I could better learn to share my belief that simply LOVE is the answer. It is the one thing that is included in almost every currently established religion. I try to make it simple. Just be LOVE and all else falls into place. In Love we find peace, in Love we find healing, in Love we become ONE. Thanks for this forum where we can share our beliefs without fear of ridicule from negativity. Be Blessed, Be LOVE ♥ Joannie

I became ordained as a minister about a month ago. (I was raised Mormon but when I was 16 (so... 6-ish years ago) had a series of events that happened that made me not interested in following the normal conventions. Since then I've followed my heart to different paths and I'm currently an energy therapist/life coach with an emphasis in spiritual counseling, running my business to help clients in one-on-one situations and writing a book. I have struggled with the concept of religion and after delving into many, I've decided I don't like any that I've seen because I would benefit from something that has a few significant guidelines and almost no strict/specific rules.) I was guided to the ULC site and upon reading the quote on the front - "Do only that which is right" - and I literally felt like this was the best place for me to be right now and went through the ordination process immediately. I kind of forgot about it until I was adding the event to my Facebook timeline the other day and I've been told that it's a bit inappopriate for me to call myself a minister if I am not a Christian. Now, I know I'm treading the line of sounding like I am letting them convince me that doing what I feel is right is actually wrong, but they bring up a good point. Since I haven't been a minister for long, I don't feel like I can appropriately identify what it means to me to be a minister - all it means to me right now is being able to say I'm registered to perform spiritual rites including marriage with an actual church behind me. What does it mean to be a minister? What does it mean to YOU to be a minister? How have you dealt with people who express distaste because they don't think it's appropriate or fair that you have gone on this path?

There was a recent comment on the ULC Facebook site where a gal said she had been told her ULC Ordination was nothing more than a "Box Top ordination". I've written a short missive regarding that..... The ULC is often looked at as being a “cereal box ordination” or “bought credentials” and it is no wonder people, who are threatened by the vision of our founder Rev. Kirby Hensley, would think so. They still buy into the authority of the organized, mainstream religious Church. In reality, there are only twelve people that ever lived that had the “authority”, directly from the Christ (Jesus/Yeshua) to minister His message. Everyone else that came after Paul, Peter, Steven, Timothy et al followed their message and self imposed authority, dogma and doctrine. When the Christ gave the call to minister he picked fishermen, publicans and even tax collectors, as well as an assortment of regular everyday people, to teach his message of Peace and Love. He then instructed them to go forth and teach after his cruel death. In less than three years he crash studied his disciples into a Universal Message, not dogma or doctrine of a corporate organization. “Love each other.” The Christ did not issue credentials or make bold claims of his disciples having spent long, labored years in seminary learning the books of scholars. He taught them His message: Mat 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. In the early days of Christ's gathering up his followers he sought the men who had otherwise little or nothing to do with conforming to the rules and pageantry of the synagogue. Eternal Life had nothing to do with the ritualistic policies of the synagogue nor the long derasha (sermon) meant to instill fear and compliance to the whims of the religious leaders' interpretation of the Torah. As a boy and young man Christ had attempted to get the rabbis to understand that, according to His understanding of the Torah, to no avail. The Christ wanted the people to know that “salvation” came from their personal walk with God, not through their alliance with doctrine and dogmatic compliance with the edicts of men. Two thousand plus years later, we are still battling this ancient institution of organized and formalized religious practices taking precedent over the true calling of the individual's heart. And from my personal beliefs, I'll recall from one of my early Works a similar reference from The Faces of Odin (Codex 8th Century AD) that: “...many good souls are drawn to the runes, few learn them aright. Knowest thou the runes and the Mysteries contained within? Then shoudst thy calling be to them.” No hint of having to agonize through years of apprenticeships, though you'd never get Gild support without it, no “must do” one thing or another, just "read them aright" (know what you're teaching). Simply if it is in your heart to master the runes, you should do so. In short then, as ULC ministers, regardless of our religious teaching or particular Spiritual Path, if we have been called, in our hearts, to minister, it is by the Will of the Universal and Supreme Power we do so, not by the will of men. Whether we follow mainstream religious theology or that of the esoteric Orders, it is our heartfelt commitment to the message that compels us so, not because of the power of organizational leadership to pass judgment on our intentions. This is where organized religion and esoteric groups do have a common ground. If you have need of joining the club, being a legitimate part of their groups or wish to have an academic reference behind your Works, yes, of course there is a standardized protocol within most disciplines. To do so you also have to bend to the standard protocol of dogma and doctrine that applies itself to your discipline. However, to spread the Good News of Christ's words or that of any philosophy or Spiritual Path, you need simple intent. It's all within the scope of what you personally wish to accomplish. As far as the ULC being a “Box top” ordination? I don't think so, the Supreme doesn't work like that. The Spiritual Authority of our hearts will always trump the dogmatic authority of man-made institutions. Let them call us what they like and disparage the Omniscient, that in itself is all the non-credible defamation I need to not hear a word they say. Blessings of Peace,

I am moving to Canada as a Permanent Resident in the near future and I am wondering if I will still be ordained in Canada or if something special would have to occur to keep my status as an ordained minister. Thank you for your time. Blessing to All