How to Become an Ordained Preacher

There are many paths to becoming an ordained preacher.

There are lots of good reasons you might want to become an ordained preacher.

You have heard the call of God and sincerely believe this must be your vocation.
You want to give comfort and counsel to those who need them.
You want to effect positive change in your community.
You want to perform marriage ceremonies and other rites.

There is more than one path to becoming a preacher. This article explains some of your options.

Instructions

1. Ordain yourself. We live in age that is obsessed with credentials: identifications, certifications, diplomas and degrees. While there's nothing wrong with them our preoccupation with them may obscure a simple truth: You can become a preacher of the Gospel simply by starting to preach. Jesus himself was not ordained by any earthly religion.

   John 13:16 states, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

2. Get ordained by the Universal Life Church. The ULC was founded in 1962 by Kirby J. Hensley, a former Baptist minister. The church itself has no doctrine other than, "Do only that which is right." It ordains, without a fee of any kind, anyone who asks to be ordained. As a result of this open policy the ULC claims that it has ordained more than 22 million people worldwide. Many celebrities have declared they have been ordained including all four of the Beatles, Hunter S. Thompson and avowed atheists Madalyn Murray O'Hair and Michael Newdow. The legitimacy of ULC ordination has been frequently questioned but many jurisdictions in the United States and worldwide have accepted marriages solemnized by ULC ministers. Conversely, some jurisdictions have not. Check the laws in your town, state or province and country.

3. Get ordained by attending a seminary. A seminary is a religious college. The degree most commonly required to become a minister is Master of Divinity. Admission requirements vary by denomination and institution but commonly require a recommendation from a pastor, an interview with a committee at the regional level (a synod, presbytery, diocese or whatever your denomination calls it) and sometimes even a background check and psychological examination. An M.Div program requires a Bachelor's degree or you can choose a program that includes both degrees. The M.Div portion of the degree often takes at least 3 years.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid diploma mills. The Internet abounds with "schools" that will sell you a pretty piece of paper that means nothing. These documents can be worse than worthless if you use them to misrepresent your credentials. Check potential schools against the "Diploma Mill Check" section of Baker's Guide to Christian Distance Education. Understand that a preacher is not a church. Tax exempt status applies only to not-for-profit organizations, never to individuals. Do not solicit "tax-deductible" donations until you have formed a not-for-profit corporation or foundation and sought and received 501(c) classification from the Internal Revenue Service. The term "501(C)" comes from the part of the U.S. Code that covers tax-exempt organizations. Other countries have similar laws.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Baker's Guide to Christian Distance Education
• The Universal Life Church
• Download IRS Publication 557 on Tax-Exempt Organizations
• What Does It Take To Be Ordained?