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In 1959, Kirby Hensley started the Universal Life Church, in the city of Modesto, CA.   Kirby believed strongly in the freedom of religion and that to continue to be protected, that freedom must be fought for.   From the beginning, there were those who bristled at Kirby's intention to ordain anyone who asked, with out charge, regardless of training, and without any questions asked or money exchanging hands.

Insecure ministers and priests of a lot more established and traditional religions (which Kirby referred to as the "Big Dog" churches) made the ridiculous claim that a clergy-member must go through years of seminary training and be approved by a committee, adhere to doctrinal standards, and other such requirements. When confronted with the argument that Peter, Paul and the rest of the disciples had no training, they had no response.   Approval and traditional training take on less importance when you acquaint yourself with the long litany of abuse committed by so many ‘approved’ and ‘trained’ priests.

According to Kirby, anyone should be allowed to get ordained without having to dance to anyone's tune, and so he set out to establish a church which would enable this. His church became known worldwide as the Universal Life Church (ULC) and quickly grew in popularity and membership. Modesto, the headquarters of the International Universal Life Church, where it all began, is the place people are thinking of whenever ULC comes to mind.

Unsurprisingly, something as remarkable as the ULC continues to attract scammers and con-men who have been using. To misdirect the masses, these charletans have been making use of the title of ULC – attaching endings like ‘network’ or ‘monastery’ then claiming to be the ‘authentic’ or ‘original’ ULC. That is no different than the same type of people who sell ‘Romex’ watches or ‘Guccci’ handbags. It never occurred to Kirby that individuals would do such dishonest things or how easily it could be done over the internet, so he never sought to trademark the name ‘Universal Life Church’. Today, these sort of deceptions continue to happen more often than ever before, causing much confusion and concern by honest folks wanting to create their own ministries.

Recently, a few of these spin-offs have had the audacity to proclaim that not only are they connected to the ULC, but that they ARE the original ULC.

One such lie told is that ministers must buy credentials to be considered legal. The truth is that credentials are only required in a small number of states and only in the event you want to conduct a wedding. It's certainly not required for anything other than officiating a wedding. True ULC sites know this and wouldn’t dream of pressuring you to order anything. More than that, true ULC sites share a great deal of stuff away at no cost.

That same offensive and pushy scammer requires those who have the bad luck to sign up with him, that to be ordained in his ‘magical’ and falsely-claimed only 'faith-based' church, they HAVE TO buy his letter of good standing and credential by lying and claiming the letters are required to officiate all marriages.   The number of states that require the letter is very small and Modesto will send the letters free of cost. The only exceptions are for the few states that require a notarized letter – there is then a fee for the notary.

The ULC has two ‘official’ web sites. Established during 1997, ulc.net is the oldest active authorized website for the church. It offers an online application for ordination, an active forum, a directory of ministers and congregations (listing with the directory is optional), prayer request page and an online bookstore in which ministers are able to find ceremony books and other items to assist them in their ministry. The head office of ULC Headquarters is still found in Modesto CA, as well as online at ulchq.com. The ULC Seminary is another respected site and also provides many items of interest and free training to ULC ministers, and is affiliated with the real church residing in Modesto It’s a well-established and respected site. Both the Seminary and the Bookstore provide outstanding minister support and guidance for both new and experienced ministers.

Be wary of any othe sites. You will find some additional honest sites, created by ULC ministers, but any other site which claims to really BE the Universal Life Church is attempting to lead you astray.  You don’t need to take my word for it, the records speak for themselves. Corporate records are available for the public so you can verify any which claim to BE the Universal Life Church. Find the state out of which the site in question operates then examine the Secretary of State’s records.   You’ll easily find that the real Universal Life Church became incorporated during 1962, as a non-profit in Modesto, CA. You’ll find that the spin-offs only started up a few years ago, if they can be found at all. If anyone tells you that you have to buy something in order to be considered legally ordained, run away fast with both hands holding tight to your pocketbook!

Religion must remain free, and the Universal Life Church is proud of the work it has done to forge a clear path for others to walk on their own terms. The honest churches establish a unique name for themselves and take care to distinguish their ministry or mission in other ways as well. But there will remain people who find it easier to simply lift a well-known name, knowing that many individuals will never bother to check into it -- At least not until it's too late, and they've been separated from their money!

Please do your homework. Seek ordination with a reputable source and find a site that gives you a good feeling to visit it.