Why I Became Ordained By The Ulc

[rrcanna]

I became an ordained ULC minister because a terrific group of vegetarian hippies in Atlanta in 1969 told me it was a good way to escape from orthodox religion. They were so right, and those were wonderful days.

Then the world turned a few times, and I stepped off the Red Road to wander some very meandering paths.

Then, thirty years later, I did it again, figuring I was expired from the first time. It is a VERY very different organization these days, in membership at least, due to the internet.

[LOST SOUL]

I applied to ULC for the soul reason to legally and properly conduct a sold service to my faith. I

was directed here by a fellow minister. I was once lost and this is going to help me further my change in

life choices. I chose the name lostsoul because you cant find your self if you were never lost.

Every action has a reaction! I chose this way as the path i will follow.

[Guest RadioRev_Z]

At a young age I attended a Baptist Church, primarily because that's what my parents professed to be at the time and where they chose to go.

As I got older and began to think for myself, I questioned just about everything. I went from Agnostic to Atheist to Agnostic again and, after years of studying various religions, I eventually settled on creating my own faith, essentially cobbled from the parts of other more traditional religions that I agreed with and my own unique perspective on the universe-at-large.

Some might consider my personal religion vague but I see it as being "open-minded" and awaiting the universal truths to fill in the sketchy areas where I don't have hard answers.

When I discovered the ULC early last year, like many I thought perhaps it wasn't an entirely serious organization, but the more I read the more I found myself agreeing with the ULC's basic tenets. I read somewhere, either from Rev. Hensley himself or another ULC minister, that said something like "Religion is very personal and unique to every individual. Who knows what you believe better than yourself?".

Well, it didn't take rocket science for me to correlate the similarities between that statement and my own unique religion. I don't have to force others to believe as I do, only live my life believing what I wish, listening to the perspectives of others (I don't have all the answers but I'm always searching) and "Doing that which is right." Spirituality for me is about learning.

Could any other organized religion or church offer a more simple and easier-to-live-by doctrine?

If so, I never found them.

And thus I became a ULC minister (as did a couple of my friends who were also impressed that a legal religious order would allow them to believe what they wished and not force any particular set of beliefs or restrictions on them).

The ULC is the only order I know of that allows me to fit in and learn from others who don't necessarily believe what I do, but do believe that everyone should have the freedom to believe what they wish so long as it doesn't harm others.

That "open-door" policy is quite refreshing compared to some places where you might be beheaded for simply asking "Why?" about some facet of religion.

"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

There's no power structure in the ULC to become corrupted, either. There's no "head honcho" telling you what to do or punishing you for this or that.

[WAHM-Brenda]

I have always felt the "call" to be an ordained Christian minister. After discovering the ULC and its beliefs, along with how my Christian beliefs don't exactly line up with mainline Christianity, here I am :-)

[chirockdruid]

I guess the biggest reason behind my desision to become ordained was the fact that my best friend asked me to perform his handfasting. Up untill that point I was happy merely following my order with out any of the, shall we say, "pirks" that go with the job. But once I joined the form I got a better sense the I was just ordianed but part of something. I had become part of a free thinking people willing to put diffrence aside... most of the time and discuss religion and belifes not from the point of which is right, but from the point of enlightenment. So I guess my spirit must have pulled me to the place I fit in instead of me just becoming ordained.

Love, peace, and happiness

Chirockdruid

[scotsblood]

I chose to listen to the calling of the Holy Spirit and become

an Ordained Minister. Sadly many attacked my Ordination and called it bogus and ridiculous.

Many said it was a sin and I am quite sure you have heard all the negatives. I am quite devastated at the response negative to my wanting to serve Humanity as a ULC MInister.

I am in Perth Western Australia and feel somewhat disorientated now and lost and confused, and not sure now what to do and how to begin a Ministry and how to set up a church and Minister to the people noone else wants, the disenfranchised and most needy vulnerable in the Perth area.

I dont have money to buy vestments, dont have money to buy chalices and all the other things one would assume comes with Ministry including somewhere to Minister . I have no church, no fellowship and no flock.

am just so lost now. I truly wanted to serve Jesus, and Humanity.

All Perth churches seem so bigoted and claim it takes years to be ready to minister and be ordained and want doctorates and bachelors degrees in theology and divinity which costs thousands per yr. mNoone seems to want to allow me to Minister in their church.

Reverend Gabrielle

[scotsblood]

Don't let the nay-sayer get you down. If you truly want to serve and teach the Gospel, just do it. I do it in my home every Sunday sometimes it's just my son and I, sometimes others join us. I try to follow a "church-like" program and we do the readings from the lectionary. We do a little singing and we participate in Holy Communion. I give a brief homily or sermon based on the lectionary readings and those things which are touching our lives. I am getting vestments and decorations as I can afford them to enhance the atmosphere. The most important thing is committment to the Truth of the Gospel and a sincere desire to evangelize those within your friends, family and neighbors. I hold a non-religious "Get-together" at my home every two or three months so we can get to know one another and I can subtly let my neighbors know I am hosting a home-church. We are informal, relaxed and seeking true fellowship.

I encourage you to continue to grow, study and become the kind of pastor or leader or host you seek to be. God bless you.

Rev. Chris Killough, M. A.

www.professorjack.com

[Rev Dave Topping]

This topic is for people who want to share why they've become an ordained minister. (Linked from the October 2005 ULC Online Newsletter)

We can start here. Maybe we'll learn a little something about each other that was previously unknown.

I have been offering religious and belief assistance for some years by email and bulletin board.

Becoming ordained with the ULC gave me the option to also offer pastoral assistance, something I now do on a regular basis.

[RevGeoMass]

I've always had someone approach me for advise or just wanting someone to talk to. I became ordained by ULC because I didn't appriciate the various teachings or beliefs of the standard religions around me. I more or less wanted to be an interfaith believer. I have always been interested in cars as a hobby and that has brought others closer to me to share their problems. Motorheads and people that can't get their car started on a cold morning have as many problems as the rest of the world. (Go figure!) I did go through some agonizing reappraisels in reaching this decision having gone to Catholic school while brought up Protestant and having lived in a multicultural neighborhood. Not knowing much about others beliefs I listened and told them what I thought was right. I can't believe how far this attitude has brought me in life. At my job I listen and talk to people from many various cultures from around the world. This diversity has made me more aware that people are the same around the world. They want to make a peaceful living and raise their families. I truly do feel, that now, I am an INTERFAITH MINISTER.

Edited November 27, 2005 by RevGeoMass

[RevGeoMass]

It may take a while to be accepted in the complete community. Don't be disheartened. Preach wherever you can and whenever you can. Don't worry about the nay sayers, concentrate on the needs of those that need your spiritual help and advise. I held a short prayer meeting in the pits at a drag race. It would be nice to have a building in order to conduct services, however you don't need one to do so. The public may not come to you. SO....you will have to go tho them. Don't give up and you will prevail.

[jforrest]

This topic is for people who want to share why they've become an ordained minister. (Linked from the October 2005 ULC Online Newsletter)

We can start here. Maybe we'll learn a little something about each other that was previously unknown.

I'm a long-time ULC minister. I became ordained out of necessity in 1972.

I'm a school teacher and with the help of the local Health Department, a local church, and even the USAF, myself and a few colleagues started a free clinic for teens where they could get medical assistance with drug problems, STD's and birth control.

Well, my Vice Principal got wind of it and demanded that within the month I produce a list of the names of all students of our school who came to the clinic for drug problems. I checked with my attorney and I did not have any way of witholding this info. So, I became ordained through ULC---in those days it was by mail--- and refused to supply the list of names on the grounds that it would violate a trust betewwn a minister and his flock. On appeal to the Board of Education attorney, it stood as legal confidentiality and I (we) were off the hook.

John

Edited November 27, 2005 by jforrest

[Dana]

The Reason I was ordained.. Is because I felt my calling as a Heinzist Minister, and the ULC seemed to be one of the few churches that were open enough for me to legally practice my Heinzist Tradition.

This decision did not come over night.

At the age of 14 is when the Heinzist path was started by 1998, it was nearly complete in the beliefs section. People I went to highschool with looked up to me as a leader as a minister.

I was not only known as a spiritual person. But as the Leader of the Peace Keeping Rail Gang, who earned high respect for the locals, because we ran hate groups, and caused three violant gangs to truce peacefully between us, in the town of Milton, Wisconsin.

I was known to put my life as risk, and I have went head to head in some extremely dangerous situations. I could list a bunch of very interesting War stories.. which is even more interesting how a non-violant group takes on a violant group in making them think, can make one drop down all weapons.

One such group we ran out was the KKK. Who was desperately trying to recruit some of our friends and nearly had 3-4 within them, Which really made our work cut out to expose to our friend who these people really were, as she thought they were the coolest people to ever set foot on the earth.

Coming from an interracial foster home I have went against them, and other powerful organizations. I helped expose one minister who was sexually abusing, and mentally abusing his congregation and encouraging us .. his youth congregation to STEAL books from their library to steal anything non - christian to burn.

From what I understand New Life Assembly of God church on North wright road in Janesville, Wisconsins STILL practices this. My sister was a member of them last year an she burned some of my books. And they treated her all well, until she told them I was her sister, and was stupid enough to show my email I wrote to her about how I did not want anything to do with her or that terrorist church.

They started to treat her and her bf rotten, and they eventually left the church.

Anyhow the real reason I had became ordained is the same reason I do anything that involves a major choice.. To Make a positive difference.

All though highschool I had teachers whispering to me. You should become ordained through the Universal Life Church... I had students begging me to as well... And for years my foster sisters and I used to do our own ceremonies in the woods... and they too said I should...

It was after a chain reaction of visions and dreams, And the Spirits adding more towards my Heinzism Tradition .. http://www.heinzism.zzn.com Is when I realised... This is no longer just a belief system anymore.. It has now formed into a simple eclectic tradition.. And the Spirits urged me..

Go Public, Go Private, Live this, Teach This, Minister This!.

After 3 years of the Spirits I work with doing this. I finally had done so, and I have been into some amazing experiences. I have gifted psychic/healing abilities. Some of the locals call me a Shaman. I use the term Spirit Worker.... They use that term for the weather working abilities I been known for since 1989 when I was 9 years old.

I have been hit by lightning once .. after I went upstairs to prevent anyone from getting hit by making sure everyone was in bed. "Spirit Said" is that story... I have it posted all through the internet and you can find a link to it from my bio page.

Just recently I worked with a paraylised kitten and it made a full recovery.. this has not happened once but 3 times since 1997. So I know I am working with strong Spirits, Strong energy.

And the reason I became ordained is so I could do Spirits work, teach what spirits have taught me, and help make the world a better place.

I am Universal Life Church Minister.. of the Heinzist Tradition.

I am not a perfect person, and if you have seen me in any yahoogroups or chats you will know that I do not hide that.

Over there most of you if you go there know me as "DNatureofDTrain_CaseyJones" on other places "CaseyJTrain" or Just DNatureofDTrain. .. CaseyJonesTrain.

People here will probably recognize me from many chats or networks as I state that.

Take Care and Peace and Blessing,

Rev. Dana C. L.

"DNatureofDTrain"

[oakhill]

Dear Rev Gabrielle: I was touched by your answer and the anxiety you are feeling. Your wish to serve others is the foundation of your ministry. If Jesus is your model remember that he too suffered ridicule for departing from the established religion. Find people who need care and spiritual comfort and you will be on your path, which for all of us is a path of learning and discovery--our own spiritual journey. Sustain yourself with contact with your own spiritual guides--meditation, reading, quiet walks in nature, or counsel from a trusted source and you will be less concerned about vestments, chalices, etc. You are your most important tool.

Namaste

Rev. Jill DeCou

I chose to listen to the calling of the Holy Spirit and become

an Ordained Minister. Sadly many attacked my Ordination and called it bogus and ridiculous.

Many said it was a sin and I am quite sure you have heard all the negatives. I am quite devastated at the response negative to my wanting to serve Humanity as a ULC MInister.

I am in Perth Western Australia and feel somewhat disorientated now and lost and confused, and not sure now what to do and how to begin a Ministry and how to set up a church and Minister to the people noone else wants, the disenfranchised and most needy vulnerable in the Perth area.

I dont have money to buy vestments, dont have money to buy chalices and all the other things one would assume comes with Ministry including somewhere to Minister . I have no church, no fellowship and no flock.

am just so lost now. I truly wanted to serve Jesus, and Humanity.

All Perth churches seem so bigoted and claim it takes years to be ready to minister and be ordained and want doctorates and bachelors degrees in theology and divinity which costs thousands per yr. mNoone seems to want to allow me to Minister in their church.

Reverend Gabrielle

[Rev Skutnick]

Well, I guess I became Ordained to make my relationship closer to God.

[adventurer4203]

Because it was a calling for me

I was 18 and told God' after Our many tribulations that I was going anotherway.....

to help people .... So I went into work in a Nurseing home for 26 years....

and then 3 years ago i got ordained ......... best thing i did for me

then on oct 8th 2005 i was in a serious motorscotter accident .....

I am now recovering from .... and i ask ??? Why Lord Why didnt you let me come home

i seen alot of thiings why??? I have not recived an answer yet so if anyone see's this and gets 1

Please send it to me So Lost i want my life back!!

Adventurer4203-at-yahoo.com

[profpk]

Why I Became a Universal Life Church Minister

No, this is not "true confession," or any weepy story of redemption.

Fed up with the direction that The (formerly Protestant) Episcopal

Church in the U.S.A. was taking, I concluded that the fault lay in

its professionals -- the priests and bishops. If seminary teaching

and practice led to the garbage these people were spouting, then

their right to continue should be examined by someone in authority,

and heads should roll.

Well, it's not going to happen. They are intrenched and subject

to no effective discipline. The only "sin" they can be held

guilty of is failing to parrot the agitprop proclaimed by their

superiors. Hence, in my opinion, their "credentials" are spurious.

Any laymen with diligent study and purity of heart could do a

better job of serving Episcopal congregations.

So as a lark -- and as a protest -- I forked over $19.10 to the

Universal Life Church for a certificate of ordination and a laminated

identification card. This, together with a letter stating that I was

"in good standing" as a minister of the Univeral Life Church in

Brewster, Massachusetts, entitled me to recognition by the

Commonwealth as qualified to perform marriages -- straight, gay,

or whatever. Needless to say, I do not agree with our state's

pioneering of gay marriages, in or outside the church.

But then a strange thing happened. Something came over me

that I cannot explain. I starting acting like a clergyman. Sort of

like a friendly Baptist preacher. I took a far greater interest in

theology, the creed, the sacraments -- and in people. I thought

consciously about how to reach others so that they could lead

more satisfying lives. I worried more about those in my circle

with problems. I tried to help solve trouble relationships.

Can it be that God is using this tired old doofus for His purposes?

I wonder. What do you think?

See my blog at "www.profpk.blogspot.com"

"

[Brother Big Dave]

As a secular/humanist becoming a minister was nver something I thought I would do. But about a week before thansgiving, one of my besfriends asked me to solemenize his wedding. So here I am a minister for the sake of my friends happiness.

[starlite]

I chose to listen to the calling of the Holy Spirit and become

an Ordained Minister. Sadly many attacked my Ordination and called it bogus and ridiculous.

Many said it was a sin and I am quite sure you have heard all the negatives. I am quite devastated at the response negative to my wanting to serve Humanity as a ULC MInister.

I am in Perth Western Australia and feel somewhat disorientated now and lost and confused, and not sure now what to do and how to begin a Ministry and how to set up a church and Minister to the people noone else wants, the disenfranchised and most needy vulnerable in the Perth area.

I dont have money to buy vestments, dont have money to buy chalices and all the other things one would assume comes with Ministry including somewhere to Minister . I have no church, no fellowship and no flock.

am just so lost now. I truly wanted to serve Jesus, and Humanity.

All Perth churches seem so bigoted and claim it takes years to be ready to minister and be ordained and want doctorates and bachelors degrees in theology and divinity which costs thousands per yr. mNoone seems to want to allow me to Minister in their church.

Reverend Gabrielle

[reverendjoec]

All too often people are turned away by Clergy because they are "not of the faith" or they don't go to the right church, or they are Wiccans, or Pagans or Atheists. They are denied church weddings, christenings and other ceremonies that "People of Faith" i.e. Christian, Jewish, Muslim Hindu or other mainstream religions enjoy without a second thought. Sometimes they simply need an ear for thier troubles or a word of consolation or a recommendation on where to get needed help. I chose to become ordained as a non-denominational minister to have the ability to do these things for those who could find help nowhere else. I am also able to perform as a Deist minister, following my own beliefs and the beliefs of many like me. One day I hope to build a chapel where even an Atheist can sit comfortably next to a Believer in fellowship despite their differences in belief.

[Youch]

This topic is for people who want to share why they've become an ordained minister. (Linked from the October 2005 ULC Online Newsletter)

We can start here. Maybe we'll learn a little something about each other that was previously unknown.

At first, I explored the idea through an internet link that advertised the option, as I was curious. I discovered that the idea of being ordained via the internet was both real and legal, so I broached the subject with the she-devil that was my then-wife. She, a faux-Catholic of rather narrow perspective, considered ULC evil, satanic, subversive, and a waste of time, just as she had considered the venerable institution of Freemasonry in which I had previously been initiated. The wretched woman. But anyway, her opposition fueled my curiosity and so I soon took the plunge....I forked over the bucks, bought my ordination and two Doctorates, and then summarily boxed away the mailed goodies that soon followed. Now, I just carry the nifty black card in my wallet that denotes my piety as more a conversation piece than anything else... although I am willing and prepared to conduct any service I am fortunate enough to be called upon to perform.

I do not cite the purchased ULC Doctorates (Divinity and Metaphysics) on my business card, as they do not seem as worthy as those accomplishments I achieved through hard work and time. My fiance, who has two Masters and is soon to get her PhD, and I play with all our various letters and degrees just for fun. I am making her new biz card as a surprise. Here is my alphabet soup, sans Doctorates: Reverend MEK, LCDR, USN(RET), MBA, 32 Degree Mason, APDT, ABC Certified. I am not even sure how I would incorporate the ULC Doctorates into all that....I fear, despite their dubious authentication, they would trump my harder-earned achievements, and I do not want to do that.

Mike