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An ordination mill is a religious organization or denomination in which membership is obtainable by trivial means and all members are qualified for self-
ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
as a
minister of religion In Christianity, a minister is a person authorised by a church or other religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance ...
,
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
,
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
or
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
without any prerequisite training, work, experience,
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...
study or other qualification. In some cases, ordination may be obtained online or by mail merely by submitting an application and a nominal fee. In recent times, online ordination has become increasingly popular as a fast way for a person to become registered to perform a wedding for their friends or co-workers.


History

The term ''ordination mill'', intended to be analogous to
diploma mill A diploma mill or degree mill is a business that sells illegitimate diplomas or academic degrees, respectively. The term ''diploma mill'' is also used pejoratively to describe any educational institution with low standards for admission and gradua ...
or
accreditation mill An accreditation mill is an organization that purports to award educational accreditation to higher education institutions without having government authority or recognition from mainstream academia to operate as an accreditor. Implicit in the ter ...
in higher education, is
pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...
. But not for some, as seen below. The term is not new; US
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
copyright archives list a
Camden, New Jersey Camden is a City (New Jersey), city in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan region. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828.Snyder, John P''The Story of ...
, newspaper report of "Clergymen made by mail-order ordination mill for $2 in 2 weeks" from 1927. The
Universal Life Church The Universal Life Church (ULC) is an American non-denominational religious organization founded in 1962 by Kirby J. Hensley,James R. Lewis, The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions' (2001), p. 769-70.U.S. Department of the Army, ' ...
, founded as the "Life Church" in 1959 by Kirby J. Hensley in
Modesto, California Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the List of cities and towns in Ca ...
, has long offered ordination by mail and has been at the centre of multiple court cases in which it has sought equal recognition with other denominations on
freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...
grounds. In 1970, the US Army's Office of the Chief of Chaplains described ULC Modesto as "like a number of similar 'ordination mill' denominations, it has 'no traditional doctrine' and 'will ordain anyone, for life, for a freewill offering'." The Universal Life Church's "freewill offerings" include the amount of $0.00, and the church offers supplemental materials for a fee. The ULC prides itself on being an ordination mill, which includes the case of attempts to free people from going to Vietnam (more details below).


Legal status

An ordination obtained online or by mail does not necessarily guarantee access to reserved clergy parking, preferential treatment during a
military draft Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
or tax advantages for individuals, despite an upsurge in demand for US ordinations during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. The church as an organization may qualify for registration as a
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
organization for activities specifically related to religious ministry, a status the ULC Modesto home church has obtained from the US
Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
in some years but not others. Clergy parking permits vary by municipality. In
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
annual permits are issued by the city, not the church, and are subject to narrow criteria: clergy qualify only if they work an average of at least twenty hours per week officiating at or presiding over services, with a limit of three registered vehicles per house of worship. This allows parking for up to five hours adjacent to the house of worship, three hours when visiting hospitals and four hours at a funeral establishment when performing official duties. The validity of online or mail-order ordination credentials for officiants of weddings, funerals and baptisms varies widely. Many, but not all, US states allow any ordained minister authority comparable to a civil deputy marriage commissioner to officiate weddings. Other countries impose more stringent requirements. In
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, requirements vary by province but it is not uncommon for provinces to require a denomination be a legally incorporated entity, hold tax-exempt charitable status, be in established operation for a specific amount of time with a minimum number of congregates (other than ordained clergy), operate at least one bricks-and-mortar house of worship in the province and maintain specific records, including lists of officiants and procedures for their appointment or removal. These requirements often pose obstacles to recognition of small, little-known or non-mainstream religious denominations; it is not uncommon for a new denomination to wait two years for
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
accreditation even if it meets all requirements. In 2014, Rodney Michael Rogers and
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
-based Atheists for Human Rights sued
Washington County, Minnesota Washington County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 267,568, making it the fifth-most populous county in Minnesota. Its county seat is Stillw ...
under Fourteenth Amendment equal protection of laws and the
First Amendment First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
free speech clause, their attorney claiming
discrimination against atheists Discrimination against atheists, sometimes called atheophobia, atheistophobia, or anti-atheism, both at present and historically, includes persecution of and discrimination against people who are identified as atheists. Discrimination against ...
as "When the statute clearly permits recognition of a marriage celebrant whose religious credentials consist of nothing more than a $20 '
ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
' obtained from the
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster The Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) is the deity of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or Pastafarianism, a parodic new religious movement that promotes a light-hearted view of religion. The parody originated in opposition to the tea ...
... the requirement is absolutely meaningless in terms of ensuring the qualifications of a marriage celebrant." The case was eventually dismissed for
mootness The terms moot, mootness and moot point are used both in English law, English and in American law, although with significantly different meanings. In the Law of the United States, legal system of the United States, a matter is "moot" if furt ...
when "Washington County changed its practice and vowed that it would record credentials issued by theists for Human Rightsfrom that date forward." Conversely, couples married by officiants ordained by non-accredited entities, such as the "First United Church of Canada" (not to be confused with the similarly titled United Church of Canada) or the "United National Church" selling $80 ordination packages in
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
from a
Toronto Eaton Centre CF Toronto Eaton Centre, commonly referred to simply as the Eaton Centre, is a shopping mall and office complex in the Downtown Toronto, downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and managed by Cadillac Fairview (CF). It was named ...
mail address, have had to apply to family court for an "order of validity" to make their marriages official, incurring hundreds of dollars in additional costs. Sometimes, the issue of validity arises during a subsequent divorce or is raised after the remarriage or death of one of the spouses; no valid marriage may mean no
alimony Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide ...
, no
prenuptial agreement A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple before marriage or a civil union that enables them to select and control many of the legal ...
or no widow's benefits as a void or voidable marriage may be
annulled Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almo ...
.


Unaccredited degrees and titles

In countries with a strong tradition of
separation of church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and Jurisprudence, jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the State (polity), state. Conceptually, the term refers to ...
, governments hesitate to act as arbitrator to decide what is or is not a validly held religious belief. This places churches in a privileged position unlike that of colleges and universities, whose accreditation bodies must answer to national or regional education ministries as a condition of maintaining degree-granting status. In the United Kingdom, the
Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...
degree is conferred as a
higher doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
in recognition of sustained scholarly achievement beyond the
PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
. Conversely, the degree is mainly awarded in the United States as an honorary title with few (if any) restrictions on its issuance, leading to the adoption of the credential by the Universal Life Church and other perceived ordination mills by virtue of the religious exemption. In the US, 28 states exempt certain religious institutions from post-secondary education accreditation processes as of 2007; however, institutional definitions range from being inclusively dissentient (California nominally extends the exemption to "non-profit religious corporation that satisfy specified criteria) to stringently circumscribed (Arizona only permits "religious degrees which are used solely for religious purposes within a religious organization which has tax exempt status from the
Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
", while Georgia's exemption encompasses "non-public, non-profit post-secondary educational institutions" that "do not grant postsecondary degrees of a nonreligious nature" and "accept no state or federal funds"). Accordingly, a select number of seminaries that offer full degree programs may elect not to pursue accreditation, committing to non-traditional pedagogical methods including the extensive utilization of
distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...
. Under federal law, a 1974 judgment accepted expert opinion that 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 (
Universal Life Church The Universal Life Church (ULC) is an American non-denominational religious organization founded in 1962 by Kirby J. Hensley,James R. Lewis, The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions' (2001), p. 769-70.U.S. Department of the Army, ' ...
), so long as their issuance is limited to a course of instruction in the principles of the church or religious denomination". Similarly, under the California Education Code, "an institution owned, controlled, and operated and maintained by a religious organization lawfully operating as a nonprofit religious corporation pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 9110) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code" that offers "instruction... limited to the principles of that religious organization, or to courses offered pursuant to Section 2789 of Business and Professions Code" may confer "degrees and diplomas only in the beliefs and practices of the church, religious denomination, or religious organization" so long as "the diploma or degree is limited to evidence of completion of that education"; institutions "shall not award degrees in any area of physical science", while "any degree or diploma granted under this subdivision shall contain on its face... a reference to the theological or religious aspect of the degree's subject area... a degree awarded under this subdivision shall reflect the nature of the degree title, such as 'associate of religious studies,' 'bachelor of religious studies,' 'master of divinity,' or 'doctor of divinity.'" In a 1976 interview with
Morley Safer Morley Safer (November 8, 1931 – May 19, 2016) was a Canadian-American broadcast journalist, reporter, and correspondent for CBS News. He was best known for his long tenure on the news magazine ''60 Minutes'', whose cast he joined in 1970 af ...
of ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...
'', Hensley professed that the Church's Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree was "...just a little piece of paper. And it ain't worth anything, you know, under God's mighty green Earth—you know what I mean?—as far as value." In 2006, Universal Life Church minister Kevin Andrews advised potential degree recipients not to misrepresent the title as an educational achievement to employers, recommending instead that it would be appropriate to list such credentials "under the heading of Titles, Awards, or Other Achievements" on curricula vitae. Universal Life in Modesto has awarded the Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree and other doctorates (putatively accredited by the church's "International Accrediting Association") for a specified donation and/or passing a contingent examination for over forty years. The advent of mass Internet access has led to a proliferation of sites offering rival unaccredited religious doctorates. The First International Church Of The Web offers an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in recognition of life experience, the American Fellowship Church requests a $50 offering for its Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree, and in addition to online ordinations, Rose Ministries also offers several honorary doctorates in recognition of life experience and the pursuit of knowledge; these sites also offer online ordinations.


In literature

In '' The Book of Bebb'' tetralogy by
Frederick Buechner Carl Frederick Buechner ( ; July 11, 1926 – August 15, 2022) was an American author, Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies ...
, ex-convict Leo Bebb is the head of a religious
diploma mill A diploma mill or degree mill is a business that sells illegitimate diplomas or academic degrees, respectively. The term ''diploma mill'' is also used pejoratively to describe any educational institution with low standards for admission and gradua ...
in Florida and founder of the Church of Holy Love, Inc., an ordination mill. In ''House With a Hundred Gates'' (1965), April Oursler Armstrong (the daughter of author
Fulton Oursler Charles Fulton Oursler Sr. (January 22, 1893 – May 24, 1952) was an American journalist, playwright, editor and writer. Writing as Anthony Abbot, he was an author of mysteries and detective fiction. His son was the journalist and author Wi ...
) describes initially not taking organized religion seriously, then continues with "The year my father became a bishop I was nine and thought it great fun. My father became a bishop with degree and credentials from an ordination mill in California, a mail-order house..."


See also

* Legal status of the Universal Life Church * ''
Name It and Frame It? ''Name It and Frame It?'' is a 1993 book by Steve Levicoff about unaccredited Christian colleges and universities, exploring the accreditation process and the nature of legitimate and illegitimate unaccredited institutions of higher education. T ...
'', a book about unaccredited colleges, devotes some coverage to ordination mills *
Universal priesthood The priesthood of all believers is the common priesthood of all Christians (a concept broadly accepted by all churches), while the term can also refer to a specific Protestant understanding that this universal priesthood precludes the ''ministeri ...


References

{{Use Oxford spelling, date=August 2019 Accreditation Religion and law