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Universal Life Church

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The Universal Life Church (or ULC) is a religious organization that offers anyone immediate ordination as a ULC minister free of charge. The organization states that anyone can become a minister immediately, without having to go through the pre-ordination process required by other religious faiths.

History

The ULC was founded in 1959 by Reverend Kirby J. Hensley. Disappointed with the Pentecostal church, Hensley divorced his wife in 1955 and decided to venture on his own to find his religion. After five years of studying various religions, according to his own statements, Hensley concluded that the proper religion may differ for each man, and everyone is entitled to choose his or her own religion. No one should be criticized or condemned for wanting to practice the belief of his or her choice.

In 1959, Hensley, with the help of his new wife, Lida, moved to Modesto, California and founded the first Universal Life Church, incorporating with the State of California in 1962. Hensley served as the minister of the congregation and President of the Board of Directors until his death in 1999, while Lida filled the role of Secretary. Lida is now the President of the Board of Directors and the Hensleys' son Andre is the General Office Manager running the day to day operations. According to Hensley, the Modesto congregation grew rapidly over the years. The Church spread throughout the West Coast, and today claims to have congregations located all over the United States and parts of Canada and many other parts of the world. The organization also claims to have a membership of 22 million ULC ministers worldwide.

During the 1960s and 1970s, many people became ministers in the ULC because they believed that being a minister either would help keep them from being drafted into military service during the Vietnam War or would enable them to get income tax relief as members of the clergy. Both of these beliefs have always been false, as merely being ordained does not exempt one from being drafted and ministers as individuals receive no tax benefit, only churches themselves are tax exempt.

Ordination & ULC clergy

Actual ordination in the Universal Life Church is free, and what makes the ordination complete is its registry with the home church. Imitators have sprung up that charge a fee for ordination, either selling the free ULC ordination to unsuspecting new converts often through sites like eBay, or by creating a knock-off of the ULC model in establishing similar churches. Unlike most knock-off churches, the ULC holds weekly church services in a historic church building. ULC ministers are authorized by the church to officiate weddings and funerals, perform baptisms, hold services (also called meetings), and other sacraments and rites regularly performed by ordained members of clergy and part of the particular belief system the minister represents. Individuals who act as ministers are given no special tax advantage and any income from ministerial duties is fully taxable. Churches are, by statute, exempt organizations, and need not apply for permission to be churches, although they must take care to understand what the IRS considers to be a church, and what it does not. To avoid problems and to encourage donations, many churches choose to apply to the IRS for official tax-exempt designation. Many proponents of religious freedom consider this to be a mistake, for asking the government for permission to be a church. Some suggest this is contrary to the principles on which the ULC was founded. Regardless, only the Church itself is tax exempt not the Minister or other employees.

Beliefs

Dedicated ULC members state that they truly believe in freedom of religion. In other words, they want every member to be able to pursue their own spiritual beliefs without interference from the government, church agencies, or any other outside agency. Their one creed (or doctrine) is "Do only that which is right." Of course, every person has the responsibility (some might say the natural right) to peacefully determine what is right.

Controversy, criticism, and lawsuits

A major criticism of the ULC is that it accepts all peaceful religious beliefs, holds no views of its own, and is therefore not a "true" church. Various religious groups have spoken out against its practice of immediate ordination without any requirements, suggesting that such an ordination is only worth the paper it is printed on. Supporters of "open ordination" point out that none of the founders of the world's major religions had advanced religious training. The disciples of Christ were mostly fishermen, for example. They also point to the Bible itself as authority, citing John 15:16 (KJV) as evidence that ordination has already been granted from God, from the beginning, and that the church merely records the ordination in the official records as a means by which worldly governments will acknowledge it.

John 15:16 - 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.

In 2002 the Church sued the state of Utah regarding the legality of its Internet-based ordination process. Utah had passed a law banning ministers ordained by mail or over the Internet from officiating legal marriage. The court ruled in favor of the Church, declaring the statute unconstitutional and permanently barring the state from enforcing it, noting among other things that there is essentially no difference between an Internet-based application or mail-order application and one sent by courier, fax machine, phone, or done in person. Had the law been allowed to stand, it may well have had the unintended consequence of "defrocking" many ministers from traditional churches for purposes of officiating marriage, for the ULC is not the only church to conduct such business via U.S. mail.

The United States government was, for a period of time, concerned that perhaps the Church had been founded as a way for Hensley to avoid paying taxes. In 1985, the ULC began a series of court battles against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to prove its legitimacy as a church. The courts ruled that the ULC did indeed qualify for tax-exempt status for some years, but not for other years, based on its activities year-by-year. Churches are tax-exempt organizations by statute, and are not required to file for 501c3 status.

Moreover, the tax-exempt determination of the IRS is moot as it concerns the activities of ULC ministers, who are in no case tax-exempt themselves. Individual congregations of the ULC are independent legal entities, and are free to establish their own tax status, either relying on the statute definition or by the more formal means of applying for 501c3 status. Currently the ULC Headquarters in Modesto and three major sites, ULC Monastery ULC Online and ULC Seminary do not have 501c3 tax exemption with the IRS. The ULC Seminary has filed, however, and is currently under review. Current exemption status can be checked here.

According to the ULC Monastery,[1] other than a few locations in Canada, most countries outside the United States do not recognize the Universal Life Church.

ULC ministers officiating at weddings

A large number of people seeking ULC Ordination do so in order to be able to legally officiate at weddings. This aspect of the ULC has provided relief to interfaith couples experiencing difficulty in getting their union performed in a religious atmosphere. Some people living in remote areas also use their status as ordained ULC ministers to meet the marriage officiant needs of their communities.

Within the USA, all 50 states theoretically authorize ministers who are ordained and authorized by their church to officiate marriages. In most states, ordination as a minister is the only requirement for a minister to be able to officiate lawful weddings. Some states require additional documentation, such as a "letter of good standing" or that the minister present his or her credential of ordination and register. One state also requires that the minister must be a US citizen, and some states specify that the minister must be at least 18 years of age (although this is probably a presumed requirement in all states, since the minister will attest to a legal document).

New York City has imposed additional registration requirements for ULC ministers, forcing them to obtain various supporting documents that are not required of ministers of other churches, and which is the focus of yet another potential legal action to be taken by the church in the interests of preserving religious freedom for all. New York State has also annulled or invalidated marriages performed by ULC ministers, on the basis that ULC ministers do not have regular congregations, nor are they recognized by an established ecclesiastical body or hierarchy. (see Court cases involving the ULC's legal status)

Some states do not even require actual ordination, but permit those who declare themselves to be ministers to officiate marriage. ULC Ministers wishing to perform legal weddings should refer to the local authority in the jurisdiction where the marriage is to occur for specific information about jurisdictional issues and requirements.

Many others have turned to the Universal Life Church for ordination after being denied by their own church due to their gender or sexual orientation. The ULC also counts among its ministers many who have already been ordained into the ranks of more traditional churches, but who wished to also become part of the ULC in order to express their support for the church's mission to preserve and protect religious freedom.

Famous ULC ministers

US Cases

Utah

Virginia

New York

North Carolina

Mississippi

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