The Universal Life Church is one of several websites which offer ordination using the internet as a conduit. Since the split in the ULC, in 2006, it has become hard to tell which ones are scammers and rip-offs and which are real. This article clarifies the differences.
During 1959, Kirby Hensley started the Universal Life Church, in Modesto, California. In order for the freedom of religion to be protected, Kirby believed it has to be asserted. Kirby promised to ordain everyone who asked, free of charge, no questions asked.
There were jealous clergy of much more traditional Big Dog churches, who complained bitterly that to become a reverend, one must go through years of training, be approved by a committee and adhere to strict doctrinal standards. When confronted with the argument that Peter, Paul and the rest of the disciples had received no training, the complainers fell silent. And when shown the most recent headlines that tell the stories of priests who have gone through the traditional process, and yet have gone on to engage in horrific acts of abuse, there’s little support of the notion that “approval” is necessary.
Kirby believed that those who hear their calling, should be allowed to answer it in their own way, so he established the Universal Life Church to make that possible. Fairly rapidly, the Universal Life Church, as it became known throughout the world, has evolved and grown in popularity and size. Modesto, the headquarters of the International Universal Life Church, where it all began, is the place folks think of when ULC comes to mind.
Sadly, this notoriety and popularity inevitably drew the attention of con artists and others who would seek to line their pockets by making use of the well-established name of the church. Like the scammers who sell counterfeit Rolex watches calling them “Romex”, these charlatans created spin-offs with similar- sounding names, some of them even using the name of the original church, but attaching something like “network” or “monastery”. It never occurred to Kirby that people would do such dishonest things or how simply it could be done over the internet, so he never sought to trademark the name Universal Life Church. That left the field wide open for deceptions, and on the internet today, such falsehoods are occurring in rapidly increasing numbers
Do not be discouraged though. Their are honest organizations out there under the Universal Life Church banner. Just be sure to do your research and see what others are saying before joining one.