It’s important to note that while you can go through the motions of becoming ordained online, it’s not legally binding in the UK. You can find Universal Life Church’s page at https://www. themonastery. org/wedding-laws/united-kingdom. Open Ministry can be found at https://www. oministry. com/.
The direct link for the ordination request form is https://www. themonastery. org/ordination-form, while Open Ministry’s form can be found at https://www. oministry. com/get-ordained/. You need to be at least 18 years old to become ordained. Some ordination sites will require a fee once you submit the form, but others just ask for donations.
This email acts as your receipt for your ordination. You may need to check your spam folder to find the email.
Some ordination sites require you to purchase a package through their website, while others don’t. You can find the link to Universal Life Church’s Ordination Package at https://www. themonastery. org/catalog/ordinationpackage-p-129. html. Open Ministry’s packages can be found at https://www. oministry. com/packages/.
You can find the ceremony guide at https://www. themonastery. org/training/weddings/performing-a-wedding-3-steps. The wedding ceremony script generator helps you design the script you’ll use at the wedding, including things like the welcome statement, wedding sermon, and exchange of vows. Use the wedding ceremony script generator at https://www. themonastery. org/training/weddings/wedding-ceremony-script.
They’ll be able to give you advice about what type of ministry would be best for you. If you’re not close with your chaplain, vicar, or other head of the church, visit a church and reach out to them in person, asking if you could talk to them for a few minutes about what it takes to become ordained. You might say something like, “I’m hoping to start on a path to ordination, and I’d really appreciate any advice you have for me. "
For example, if you want to be fully immersed in your training and are able to leave your current house and lifestyle to do it, you might look for full-time residential trainings at theological institutions near you. Some theological institutions, like Trinity College Bristol, provide the option of doing your training part-time that’s geared towards working people. Learning takes place just a couple evenings a week. If there aren’t many theological institutions near you, you may need to research non-residential options. Many have the choice to do part of your training online, meaning you would only need to commute for a portion of your learning.
Be aware that this could take roughly three years if you’re studying part time, while a full-time student could finish in about half that time.
For reference, a deacon is one step below a priest. Think of this time as a shadowing period where you learn as much from the vicar as possible. The time commitment will depend on the specific parish in which you’re serving and how involved the vicar wants you to be.
Once you’re a priest, you’ll be able to do weddings and baptisms. It should take you roughly a year after starting your curacy as a deacon before becoming a priest, depending on the specific sort of ministry you’ve chosen.
