• If you are looking to pursue a career or hobby as a spiritual leader, spiritual counselor or adviser, want to start your own ministry or simply want to be able to perform weddings or baptisms for your friends and family members, you will have to become an ordained minister. Although it is not a commitment to be made lightly, depending on your religious beliefs, ordination can be a relatively easy process.

• Before you decide definitively whether or not to become an ordained minister, it is not a bad idea to consult with another minister. Ask him or her about their role as an ordained minister; how he or she enjoys it, what responsibilities he or she faces, how it affects his or her daily life as well as any other questions you may have about ordination.

• If you are a member of a specific religion or church, speak to a church official about your desire to become ordained. Depending on your religion, you may have to take courses or meet certain requirements before you are eligible for ordination. You local official may even be able to perform the ordination for you.

• The simplest way to become an ordained minister is to do so through an organization that performs online ordination. This is also the best way to get ordained as a non-denominational minister. There are several churches that offer online ordination services, either for free or for a moderate fee.

One of the most popular online ordination services is offered by the Universal Life Church Monastery, which allows you to fill out a short online application. Once an official has verified your information, they will send you a certificate of ordination.

• Becoming an ordained minister can be a rewarding pursuit and is an excellent first step toward a career in spiritual leadership. After becoming ordained, you will be qualified to perform several religious rites and services, or may even establish your own church.
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