The ULC Monastery proudly ordains military personnel

July 7, 2011 - PRLog -- Military personal are typically not the type of people that come to mind when one thinks of those who become legally ordained online. Civilians wearing ministerial garb, not soldiers in crisply-ironed uniforms, are the images conjured when laypeople hear about people performing wedding, baptismal, or burial ceremonies with an ordination they received online. These perceptions are not necessarily true, surprisingly enough. The Universal Life Church Monastery, the largest federation of ULC ministers and perhaps the largest online ministry in the world, has ordained over 4300 men and women in uniform since it was founded in 2006.

These military ministers can - and frequently do - perform all of the same duties fulfilled by their civilian counterparts in the ULC. Wedding ceremonies, the most fundamental service performed by ULC ministers, are commonly performed by these military personnel.

Navy Electronics Technician Matthew Oliger officiated the wedding of his best friend in May 2011 and found that being a ULC minister can be a deeply meaningful experience.

“I have to say that it was a great feeling to be able to stand before both families and pronounce [my best friend and his fiancee] man and wife,” Oliger said. “I greatly enjoyed it and I will enjoy many more ceremonies, marriages or baptisms to come.”

Army Chief Warrant Officer Barry Sullivan finds performing wedding ceremonies for friends and family to be so enjoyable that he has performed three ceremonies since his ordination and plans on doing six more.

The ULC Monastery’s broad belief base helps it appeal to military personnel of all creeds. In addition to doing benedictions and invocations for retirement ceremonies, Navy Aviation Electronics Technician Kenneth Hensley has found that the ULC Monastery’s all-inclusive outlook on religion appeals to his alternative religious beliefs.

“[I am] interested in the Druid religion and [found] that [the ULC Monastery] has the flexibility to accommodate my needs.” Hensley said.

Many military ministers become legally ordained online to be able to officiate burial ceremonies. Army Captain Jennifer Philson became a pastor online to do so.

“I like to be prepared for any occasion,” Philson said. “I have not yet been required to officiate over any services but have promised to oversee several of my friends [funeral] ceremonies as needed.”

The Universal Life Church Monastery salutes the soldiers, sailors and airmen who keep the American way of life safe and secure. We are proud to offer them our online ordination services in return for the sacrifices they make without question or hesitation.

If you would like to learn more about the ULC Monastery, please visit our flagship website: http://www.themonastery.org/. Our ordinations are fast, free and lasts a lifetime.

If you would like to become legally ordained online like the men and women in uniform described above, please visit http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ordination.

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The Universal Life Church Monastery was founded in 2006 and has ordained hundreds of thousands of ministers through our free and fast online ordination process. These ministers have gone on to perform weddings for thousands of loving couples.