With gay marriage about to become legal in NYS, a friend & I were joking about getting ordained as ministers online in order to officiate at our friends’ weddings. (I’ve been out of full-time work for a while, and it sounds like a good way to generate money.)
I mentioned this to another friend, who has been in a committed relationship for almost two decades. He & his partner had decided a while back that if the law passed, they would officially tie the know. I jokingly suggested that I’d get ordained and marry them. Much to my surprise, he has told me that he liked the idea and, if I did get ordained, he’d actually like me to officiate!
I’m still thinking about it, not sure if I really would want to. But…how would I go about it? Anybody know?
NOLA, its not whether it’s generally legal, but whether it is legal in New York. New York State has fairly arcane laws about who can marry who.
Essentially, to marry others in most of the state you must be a religious officiant of a “congregation” OR the Clerk or a Town Mayor OR a sitting judge who’s willing to do it for free. Domestic Relations Law Section 11 (browse NYS laws here)
Secular officiants such as Justice of the Peace do not exist in NYS.
HOWEVER, online ministries are permitted within the boundaries of Manhattan ONLY. (a court case*, in the Second Department (which encompasses Brooklyn, Queens, and all of Long Island) found the Universal Life Church credentials were invalid to marry in their jurisdiction and the marriage thus performed was void. It is hard to sure if a marriage performed under ULC will be considered valid within New York State, outside of Manhattan where it is permitted, and Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk, where it is definitely not permitted.
Offiants in New York City must be registered to officiate in New York City with the office of the City clerk.
*Ranieri v. Ranieri, 146 A.D.2d 34, for those interested
ERROR - After the court case, the City of New York issued a new rule, valid only in New York City, accepting the credentials of ULC. ULC marriages continue to be invalid in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties.
A person I know very well started out as a DJ and decided to branch out several years ago, and became an ordained minister of the Church of Spiritual Humanism. He has performed dozens of weddings in both NY and NJ.
in order to officiate at a marriage you need to conform to the laws of your state (in the USA). you may need to register with the state or through other levels of government.
I’m ordained through the Universal Life Church- I figured it’d come in handy to be able to bless water, should the vampires attack. Just call me Reverend Lightnin’.
A friend of mine used her ordainment to marry her two friends a few years ago.
Of course its only pretend: ordination is by a church, not by a seller of phony certificates. (Come to me for tax help - I have a copy of Intuit - that ought to be enough, credentials,right?)
I just got ordained through the Universal Life Church. Is what kayaker said correct? This is legit in PA? What else is needed to preform marriages in PA?
So. . .you do not recognize The Universal Life Church? Funny, California does. My state (Pennsylvania) does. What churches in particular do you recognize?
Ministry work is a calling from God and people ordained by God (not man), as such some including ULC offer them openly as they should not stand in the way of a person’s callings, nor should place any restrictions on it. Some feel that restrictions and religious training detract from a ministry by mixing rules of men in with teachings of God.
Because it is of God, the state has to walk very carefully around it (separation of church and state)
One of my professors said two things about ordination: 1. The Holy Spirit may call whoever He wishes to ministry. 2. The Church has an obligation to protect the world against fraud. The Universal Life Church exists only to purvey PHONEY ordination certificates. God has nothing to do with them. The church has an obligation to test a person’s call - what church? I can think of several hundred. Not someone who ordains himself. Paul ordained Timothy and told him to study, not just go out and do it. No US government can decide on a church’s validity except on the most elemental level, so acceptance of a “certificate” is not proof of anything except a minimum pretense.
I’m an ordained Dudeist as well - for the price of a good Oriental rug (to tie the room together, man), I’d be happy to join any two consenting adults in marital bliss. So long as the dress code for the wedding is slacker casual (bowling shirt, shorts and jellies, bathrobe optional).