The Universal Life Church –

The Universal Life Church (ULC) is a non-denominational religious organization founded in 1962 by Kirby J. Hensley,^[3]^[4] under the doctrine: “Do that which is right”. The Universal Life Church advocates for religious freedom, offering legal ordination to become a minister for a small fee, and in many cases free of charge, to anyone who wishes to join. The ULC has ordained ministers from a wide range of backgrounds and beliefs, including Christians, atheists, Wiccans and pagans, and people of many other faiths.^[5] The ULC’s popularity stems in part from a rising interest in having friends or loved ones host weddings, a trend which has attracted a range of celebrities to become ordained including Adele, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ian McKellen,^[6] Conan O’Brien and Steven Tyler, among others.^[7] Most jurisdictions recognize marriages solemnized by ULC ministers.^[8]