Become a Minister Online

It can be argued that the Internet has changed more things about our society than any other piece of technology in history. Not even the space shuttle has overtly impacted so many lives on so many levels for so long.

Now, thanks to the power of the Internet, a full time career, second job, or passionate hobby is within reach without years of seminary school. That's right; people can now become fully ordained ministers in the religion of their choice without leaving their Internet connection.

Various services exist on the web that offer to ordain ministers with the point and click of a mouse. The reason this is allowed and legal is because no government agency can regulate the actions of a religious group. Any person or group in the United States can establish their own religion and ordain their own ministers, priests, preachers, cardinals, etc. on their own terms.

The status of these Internet ordained ministers has already been challenged in the courts. Since the U.S. government can't regulate the practice of any religious group, these cases are often dismissed and Internet ordained ministers are allowed the same rights and considerations as any other clergy members. This means that Internet ordained ministers may perform wedding ceremonies, funerals, new born rituals, etc.

When a person seeks ordainment from the Internet they must first find an online ministry that fits their belief systems. Many Christian ministries have been started that only require ministers to have faith in Jesus. For those of the non-Christian faith, multi-denominational ministries have sprung up that offer to ordain any person so long as that person holds a belief in a higher power, no matter what that higher power may be. When a person is ordained as a minister it means that the parent church, temple, mosque, etc. has chosen to recognize the individual as a minister of its organization. In most cases, the multi-denominational ministry that ordains its ministers will allow their ministers to go into the world and preach whatever religious beliefs they feel called to, which allows Internet ordained ministers to set up their own religious specific churches, groups, classes, or ceremonies.

Online organizations that offer Internet ordainment may also offer charters for ministers to start their own ministries or churches. A charter is a paper that grants permission to a person or group to operate as an extension of a larger religious group. The local Catholic Church is allowed to operate by the Vatican because the Vatican has issued the smaller church a charter to operate.

When a person decides to become ordained via the Internet, they will usually also have to select a title. Depending on the message that the person wants to deliver, the title will vary. A Catholic may choose the title of Priest while a Muslim may choose the title of Imam. The title is very important to the ordained minister because it will identify him or her as a religious professional.

The reasons why someone would choose to become an Internet ordained minister vary. Some people decide to pursue an online ordainment so that they can perform the wedding of a good friend or family member or simply because they want to be able to lead a prayer/discussion group in their home town. The person may also want to start their own church in an area where religious services are lacking or where certain demographics for minority religions continue to go un-serviced. Perhaps the person simply doesn't have enough money for a full time seminary school and would like to put as much money toward actually starting the church itself.

The reason why anyone would want to become an Internet ordained minister is a personal one. The abilities or guidance that a minister can offer should not be discounted simply because of the way he or she went about becoming ordained. Listening to what a minister has to say is the only way to truly gauge his or her level of experience and his or her ability to perform ministerial duties.