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Carrabelle, FL -- (SBWire) -- 08/08/2012 --Brother Michael, President of the Universal Life Church was recently interviewed by Arnold Winkelreid of the Straight Dope Message Board regarding differences between the Universal Life Church World Headquarters and the Kirby Hensley version that began as Life Church in 1959. The Universal Life Church World Headquarters release transcripts thereof as follows:

Originally Posted by Arnold Winkelried

If I get this straight, you are a Christian denomination, founded separately from the original Universal Life Church (the original church being the one founded by Kirby Hensley), but you also offer ordinations online. Is that correct?

What is the procedure for ordination, what are the fees involved, do you have to be a Christian to be ordained in what I'll called the "Florida-based Christian ULC"?

Does Andre Hensley of the ULC Modesto say that your site (ulcnetwork.com) is an authorized site?

Arnold - You must understand there is many Churches, Hospitals, etc., etc. with the same name or similar name. Individuals can claim to be the founder all they want, but with some their claims do not hold water. The Universal Life Church name can be traced back to 107AD, the word Universal comes from the Greek Language word katholikos. I'm sure you have heard references to the Catholic Church as the Universal Church, this is because the Catholic Church actually derived its name from the Universal (Life) Church. St Ignatius of Antioch is the first individual to refer to the Roman Church as the Universal (Life) Church. There has been many others, including a Universal Life Church in Germany.

Kirby Hensley's version has no traditional doctrine of faith, it is a non-Christian Church that ordains anyone of any faith. Those ordained are not ordained within any faith, ordinations through this Church afford one thing over and above what the First Amendment allows, that is to serve as a wedding officiant.

With the Universal Life Church of Florida, we adhere to only the Christian Doctrine. Why? Because no other faith other than Christians ordain Ministers, all others appoint and/or initiate. The difference between us and Modesto is the fact we offer faith based ordination, all ordinations we provide are are accepted within the Christian Faith, and our Ministers can perform sacraments within the Christian Faith.

Andre Hensley has no say over our Church, this ULC in Modesto ordains followers of satan, atheists, pagans and others that we as Christians do not retain fellowship with. Our ten commandments and our Bible strictly prohibit such and we face severe consequences for doing such.

As with all Churches throughout the world, ordination is free, but we do charge for ministry credentials.

1.) Ministry Credential Packets.....These include an unlimited number of the ordination certificate and letters in good standing, which is combined within the certificate. Others charge individually for both and do not supply an unlimited quantity available upon request. In addition we include a Doctorate of Divinity. Yes it is Honorary. However NO Church in the USA provides anything but Honorary Degrees, it is the same degree had by Dr Billy Graham, Dr Oral Roberts and others. We charge $39.95, and again I point out we do not charge $25 for every letter in good standing.

2.) We Require a Minister Picture ID Card.....Wedding Ministers do not need such, however real faith based ministers are required by law enforcement, DOC, hospitals, nursing homes and many others to have an endorsed Minister Picture ID Card. Our ID Cards are provided by the same source where law enforcement, hospitals, and US Government offices ascertain there's. We want our Ministers to be professional and to look professional. Ministers can choose from a Basic Card at $24.95 verses a card that provides a background check endorsement for $39.95.

I will point out we do charge an annual renewal and every Church does, they may use other terminology. For example Letters in Good Standing are only good one year from the date of issuance. So instead of using the word renewal, they use the word repurchase. Legal Picture ID Cards must also be renewed, each state has their own renewal requirements, it could be a year, every four perhaps every six or eight years. We include our ID Card renewals annually.

Why do we renew and weed out the in-actives? Easy Answer, we all know what a ream of 500 sheets of paper looks like. By law every ordination must be saved in hard copy. How many football fields, do you think it would take to hold 20 million ordained ministers hard copy ordination records?

I hope this helps! http://www.ulcnetwork.com

Andre Hensley will claim we are doing a Hostile Takeover. But as Alan Smithee points out, the Hensley's nor anyone can prevent anyone from starting their own ULC. This is a very good observation and accurate.

About The Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church World Headquarters ordains Men and/or Women throughout the world as REAL faith based, Christian Ministers. Clergy members ordained through the Universal Life Church World Headquarters serve in all facets of the ministry and they are the only Universal Life Church where ordinations are recognized and accepted in the United States of America and throughout the world. The Universal Life Church World Headquarters ordains men or women as Non-Denominational Ministers and/or as Independent Catholic Priests. For more information about the Universal Life Church World Headquarters or if you have ever thought of a vocation as a Minister, please check out their website at: http://www.ulcnetwork.com