Universal Life Church
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The Universal Life Church (or ULC) is a religious organization that offers anyone immediate ordination as a ULC minister for free. The organization states that anyone can become a minister immediately, without having to go through the ordination process required by other religious faiths.
The ULC was founded in 1959 by Reverend Kirby J. Hensley. Disappointed with the Pentecostal church, Hensley divorced his wife in 1955 and decided to venture on his own to find his religion. After five years of studying various religions, according to his own statements, Hensley concluded that the proper religion may differ for each man, and everyone is entitled to choose his or her own religion. No one should be criticized or condemned for wanting to practice the belief of his or her choice.
In 1959, Hensley, with the help of his new wife, Lida, moved to Modesto, California and founded the first Universal Life Church. Hensley served as the minister of the congregation while Lida filled the role of Secretary. According to Hensley, the Modesto congregation grew rapidly over the years. The Church spread throughout the West Coast, and today claims to have congregations located all over the United States and parts of Canada. The organization also claims to have a membership of 20 million ULC ministers worldwide. Their website declares that anyone who wants can become 100% legally ordained in three minutes.
Actual ordination in the Universal Life Church is free, and what makes the ordination complete is its registry with the home church. Imitators have sprung up that charge a fee for ordination.
Dedicated ULC members state that they truly believe in freedom of religion. In other words, they want every member to be able to pursue their own spiritual beliefs without interference from the government, church agencies, or any other outside agency. Their one creed (or doctrine) is "Do only that which is right." Of course, every person has the responsibility (some might say the natural right) to peacefully determine what is right.
Indeed, a major criticism of the ULC is that it accepts all religions, holds no views of its own, and is not a true church. Various religious groups have spoken out against its practice of immediate ordination without any requirements, suggesting that such an ordination is only worth the paper it is printed on.
In 2002 the Church sued the state of Utah regarding the legality of its Internet-based ordination process. The court ruled in favor of the Church, noting that there is essentially no difference between an Internet-based application and a mail-order or phone-based application.
Of more interest to the United States has been the issue of whether the Church had actually been founded as a way for Hensley to avoid paying taxes. In 1985, the ULC began a series of court battles against the IRS to prove its legitimacy as a church (thus qualifying for tax-exempt status). The courts ruled that the ULC does indeed qualify for tax-exempt status.
External links
- Universal Life Church (official site) (http://www.ulchq.com)
- Universal Life Church Seminary (associated site) (http://www.ulcseminary.org)
- Universal Life Church Online (associated site) (http://www.ulc.net)
- Universal Life Church Monastery (associated site) (http://www.ulc.org)
- Universal Life Church Online Forum (associated site) (http://forum.ulc.net)
- The ULC ChurchWatch site (http://www.themonastery.org) (down)
Court cases involving the ULC's legal status
- Universal Life Church vs. the State of Utah, 2002 (http://www.haledorr.com/files/upload/Utah.pdf) -- legality of Internet-based church ordainment
- IRS Declares Universal Life Church a Fraud and Removes Tax Status (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=9th&navby=case&no=9615122o)