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Online Ordination FAQ
1. Is online
ordination a legal ordination?
Yes. As an
independent church with members around the world, The Southern Indiana
Virtual Church of Christ has the same legal rights as any other church.
This includes the right to legally ordain ministers, to issue independent
church charters, and other legally recognized church activities.
2. That sounds
good, but what is the legal basis of this?
In 1974, the
United States government was sued by the Universal Life Church in
response to the government's challenge to their right to have a
tax-exempt status. When the judge ruled on this case, he also addressed
the question of mail-order ordination, independent church charters, etc.
While the Universal Life Church is not really a Christian ministry,
nevertheless they performed a great service to all non-traditional
ministries by fighting this case in court and eventually winning.
The following is
excerpted from the court's decision in this case. The Universal Life
Church is referred to as Plaintiff:
"...an
Honorary Doctor of Divinity is a strictly religious title with no
academic standing. Such titles may be issued by bona fide churches and
religious denominations, such as plaintiff, as long as their issuance is
limited to a course of instruction in the principles of the church or
religious denomination... The statute is silent as to recognized honorary
titles conferred for some meritorious recognition."
The court then
addressed the issue of whether the ordination of ministers, granting of
church charters, and the issuance of Honorary Doctor of Divinity
certificates are substantial activities which do not further any
religious purpose. The following is excerpted from the court's decision:
"Certainly
the ordination of ministers and the chartering of churches are accepted
activities of religious organizations... The fact that the plaintiff
distributed ministers' credentials and Honorary Doctor of Divinity
certificates is of no moment. Such activity may be analogized to mass
conversions at a typical revival or religious crusade."
Now here is the
real meat of the court's decision, and the part that guarantees the
legality of your ordination:
"Neither this
Court, nor any branch of this Government, will consider the merits or
fallacies of a religion. Nor will the Court compare the beliefs, dogmas,
and practices of a newly organized religion with those of an older, more
established religion. Nor will the Court praise or condemn a religion,
however excellent or fanatical or preposterous it may seem. WERE THE
COURT TO DO SO, IT WOULD IMPINGE UPON THE GUARANTEES OF THE FIRST
AMENDMENT."
So you can see,
your ordination is completely legal and every bit as respectable as an
ordination from any other church. If you'd like to read the complete case
decision, it's filed in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of
California, Civil No. S-1954.
3. If that's true,
why doesn't this ministry issue Dr. of Divinity degrees?
That's a good
question. Since there are differences in the two, let me first address
the ULC, then World Christianship Ministries
and others.
First, it is
important to recognize that the Universal Life Church, while it is a
church, is not really a Christian church. Their only doctrine of belief
is that one should "do what is right", and they make no
definitive statement of what is right, but leave that up to each
individual member. The ULC openly and as a matter of policy embraces all
belief systems, even atheism. See, even an atheist can be ordained by the
Universal Life Church. These are all openly stated policies of the ULC.
If you are a Christian who has been ordained by ULC, you are especially
encouraged to join our church and receive a truly Christian ordination.
World Christianship Ministries, as well as United Faith
Ministries, and others like them, are what is known as "Ordination
Ministries", and are sometimes referred to as "mail-order
ordination services". As such, they provide a service and fill a
need, and it is not my intention to claim otherwise or in any way defame
them. However, they are not churches. They don't have a church
membership, beyond their own records of ordination, or certain
"associations" of clergy, membership to which they charge a
fee. In all fairness, they don't claim to be churches. They are, in fact,
exactly what they say they are, "Ordination Ministries".
Southern Indiana Virtual Church of Christ
on the other hand, is a Christian church, based on the Bible and its
teachings, and committed to spreading the Gospel of Christ. We have an
active membership of thousands of Christians around the world. Membership
in our church is free, as are our ordinations. In addition, If you are
ordained by the Southern Indiana Virtual Church of Christ
you can rest assured that your ordination is from an established,
Christ-centered church. That is what makes our ordination different from
those offered by the Universal Life Church, World Christianship
Ministries, and other "Ordination Ministries".
5. Okay, but I
haven't donated any money, or gotten a Certificate of Ordination, or
anything like that. I received a free ordination, and all I have is a
letter. Is this legally recognized?
Yes, a letter is a
legal document. Of course, you should copy the letter of ordination for
your own records. Also, many of our clergy do like to have the Certificate
of Ordination and laminated wallet sized card. If you're planning to
perform marriages, you should have no problem registering with the
authorities using only the letter of ordination. If you're going to be
registering to perform marriages, you should check with your local county
recorder or Secretary of State. For more information you should check the
marriage laws in your state.
6. Okay, I've been
ordained, and I'm ready to start a ministry or church.
How do I get an
Independent Church Charter? What's that cost?
Church Charters
are available for order from our ministry for a small contribution. When
ordering, please include a URL to your church's web site or some other
means for this ministry to verify that you're chartering a Christian ministry.
This ministry will not knowingly issue a charter to a non-Christian
ministry.
Ordained Ministers: Robert Martin 4/23/2014
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS... Having
satisfactorily demonstrated dedication to studying the Holy Bible and promoting
the Christian faith, this Independent Church Charter is hereby recorded
and granted to
Reverend David J.
Basham , on
this day, the 11th of
January in the year of Our Lord 2010.
Granted with all the
rights, privileges, and benefits accorded with this
Independent Church
Charter.“The Southern Indiana Virtual Church Of Christ”
Charter # 450-3
Rev.Dr. Charles Eskridge
Ph.D
Senior Pastor /Administrator
West
Virginia Church Of Christ
Family Help Ministry International
http://wv-family-help-ministry.org
Official Church Doc. 450-3
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