Introduction: Legal Precedent Important for Universal Life Church Ministers Laws that govern who are able to perform legally-recognized marriages are highly subjective and difficult to interpret; even government officials within the same county clerk’s office can have many interpretations of the implications of a single law. In situations where laws are hard to interpret, like Read More

Case Background In 2001, the State of Utah passed legislation known as the Internet Statute that voided any ministerial certification or ordination that was obtained by an individual through the mail or internet. The legislation supported the Marriage Solemnization Statute which stated that the only individuals legally allowed to solemnize marriages were rabbis, priests or Read More

Remember that the attorney general opinion listed below refers to the ULC of Modesto, CA and NOT the ULC Monastery, but that the opinion is equally applicable to both organizations as well as all other branches of the ULC. Emphasis in the below text is added. Attorney General Opinion Background [Unknown, though Mr. Johnson presumably Read More

New York federal court of appeals rules DOMA unconstitutional The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the proposed federal legislation that would make it illegal for same-sex couples across the country to marry, was ruled unconstitutional by a U.S. federal appeals court in the State of New York on Oct. 18. This ruling comes a couple Read More

Remember that the attorney general opinion listed below refers to the ULC of Modesto, CA and NOT the ULC Monastery, but that the opinion is equally applicable to both organizations as well as all other branches of the ULC. Emphasis in the below text is added. Attorney General Opinion Background [Unknown, though Mrs. Lee presumably Read More

Introduction to the ULC Name Change Guide The Universal Life Church Monastery ordains more ministers than any other online church. This is mostly due to the fact that the ULC encourages people of all religious beliefs (and even some people that are not religious) to become ordained ministers online through them. Due to their mission Read More

Non Denominational Ordinations are Different but the Same The Universal Life Church’s non denominational ordination is fundamentally different from the ordinations issued by the Catholic, Lutheran and Baptist churches in that they allow those who hold them to adhere to the practices and beliefs of many different religions. A ULC minister is thus able to Read More

Case Background Rocco J. Ranieri appealed the decision of a Suffolk County, New York court to award Rae B. Ranieri with $500 in pendente lite relief, which is an alimony amount awarded before divorce proceedings have ended to a party in need of financial support, on December 18 1987. Rocco Ranieri was also ordered to Read More

Please note: this court case pertains to the ULC of Modesto, CA and not the Universal Life Church Monastery of Seattle, WA. The latter’s has never had issues with the IRS or any government agency over taxes. Case Background In the case of the Universal Life Church v. The United States of America, the Universal Read More

Case Background On August 17, 1988, Nadine Fortenberry challenged the will of her late husband, Cobert C. Blackwell. The will left property and a portion of his estate to Blackwell’s first wife, who was deceased by that time. The siblings of Cobert Blackwell, led by Mary Ella B. Magee, claimed that Fortenberry and the deceased Read More