We recently received an inquiry asking why ordination terms expire: My understanding is that Ordination does not expire. Can you explain about the 2 year, 5 year and 10 year materials? What happens at the end of the time period? We think this question has widespread implications for wedding ministers, so we’re also posting our reply here: To be fully compliant with general legal standards, ordination cannot be granted “for life.” Most ordaining bodies — churches and religious organizations — conform with a standard that limits the ordination term to a specific period. This gives both parties the option to continue the relationship, or to terminate it. In essence, what happens if…
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State of the Union: Serving As A Wedding Officiant In New York
This article is part of a series for ministers on performing marriage ceremonies in the United States and elsewhere. In this article, we focus on New York State, as well as New York City, which has its own specific set of rules and regulations. We often hear from ministers and officiants that are concerned about the complexities of performing marriage ceremonies in New York. While it may seem complex on the surface, it’s actually fairly simple and straightforward — as long as you follow the rules. Basically, you must be legally ordained before performing a wedding ceremony in New York. If you are currently ordained and in good standing with the…
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Renewing Your Ordination Term: The Why and The How
Another question that we on the WedMinTeam at FNC are often asked is (1) why do I have to renew my ordination term as a wedding officiant, and (2) how do I renew my ordination term? The simple answer to 1 (the “why”) is that ordination isn’t for life. While some churches (and we all know who we’re talking about here) offer “lifetime ordination,” no real church or religious order grants unconditional ordination as a ceremonial minister for eternity. What happens if you change your mind about your beliefs or your calling twelve years from now? Should we still consider you ordained? What about your personal information in our incredibly…
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Making Beautiful Music … and Marriages, Too
We’ve heard and read countless stories over the years about wedding ministers that failed to show up for the ceremony. Not just late, but not at all! For a bridal couple that has gone through months and months of planning for their perfect ceremony — having chosen the venue, the wedding dress, written their vows — and then not have the officiant show up to perform the ceremony can be tragic. It’s always good to have a back-up plan in place, just in case. Of course, if the wedding is taking place at a church or chapel, then there is usually an assistant pastor or minister on hand to step…
