Why Instant-Only Ordination Is Often Frowned Upon

By Rev. Henry Reyenga, MDiv, Calvin Seminary
Ordained by the Christian Reformed Church and the Christian Leaders Alliance

Calling, Training, Endorsement, and Credible Wedding Officiant Ministry

Many people first begin thinking about ordination because someone they love has asked them to perform a wedding ceremony.

A daughter may ask her father. A close friend may ask someone who has walked beside them through important seasons of life. A niece may ask an uncle, or a couple may choose a trusted mentor who has influenced their faith.

That request is meaningful.

In Christian ministry, being asked to serve can be part of a person’s calling. It may be the moment when an ordinary believer begins to wonder whether God is inviting them into a ministry role. For some wedding officiants, that calling begins with one couple, one ceremony, and one important responsibility.

At the same time, Christian ministry has never been understood as something a person simply claims without preparation, recognition, or accountability. A sincere desire to help is a wonderful starting point, but sincerity alone does not prepare someone to stand before a couple, their families, their witnesses, and God to solemnize a marriage.

That is why many Christians have concerns about instant-only ordination.

This does not mean that everyone who receives an instant online ordination is careless or insincere. Many are loving friends or family members who want to serve a couple well. Instant ordination is appealing because it is quick, inexpensive, and easy to access. For someone who has been asked to officiate a wedding, it can seem like a simple solution.

But Christians should consider a deeper question: Does receiving a quick document fully reflect what Christian ministry and ordination are meant to represent?

The Legal Question and the Ministry Question

Wedding officiating has both a legal side and a ministry side.

Legally, an officiant must understand and follow the marriage laws of the place where the wedding will occur. These requirements can vary by state, county, province, or country. An online ordination may be accepted in one location and questioned in another.

An officiant should never assume that a credential is automatically accepted everywhere. Local requirements should always be researched before the ceremony.

But Christians should ask more than, “What is the minimum legal requirement?”

We should also ask whether our preparation is faithful, responsible, credible, and wise.

Marriage laws have traditionally assumed that a minister, priest, rabbi, pastor, or other religious leader is more than someone who possesses a document. There is usually an expectation that this person has some connection to a religious community, a recognized ministry role, moral credibility, and accountability.

That is where instant-only ordination can raise concerns.

It may satisfy a technical requirement in some places, but it does not always reflect the deeper purpose behind allowing ministers to solemnize marriages. Marriage is not only a private romantic moment. It creates a legal union, forms a family, and, from a Christian perspective, represents a sacred covenant before God.

The concern is not that online ministry training is somehow invalid. Christian Leaders Institute uses online education to make ministry training available around the world.

The real question is whether ordination is thoughtful and meaningful or whether it is simply instant, self-claimed, and disconnected from training, calling, and the Christian community.

Online training can be biblical, serious, and accountable.

Ordination that involves nothing more than filling out a form often is not.

Ministers Are Called

In Scripture, ministry begins with calling.

Jesus called His disciples, formed them, and sent them into ministry. In Mark 3:13–14, Jesus called those He wanted to Himself and appointed them to be with Him before sending them out to preach.

They did not simply announce their own authority. They were called, taught, and sent.

We see the same pattern in Acts 13:2, when the Holy Spirit directed the church to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which He had called them. Their ministry calling was personal, but it was also recognized within a worshiping community.

For a wedding officiant, that calling may begin in a very personal way. A couple asks, “Would you officiate our wedding?”

That invitation may be more than a social request. It may be an opportunity to serve, and it may even open the door to a larger ministry calling.

Still, calling should be prayerfully discerned. Being asked is meaningful, but being prepared and recognized also matters.

Ministers Are Trained

Those who serve in ministry should also be taught and prepared.

Jesus did not call the disciples and then immediately send them out without guidance. He taught them, corrected them, modeled ministry for them, and allowed them to grow through experience.

Paul gave Timothy a similar pattern in 2 Timothy 2:2. Timothy was instructed to pass on what he had learned to faithful people who would be able to teach others.

Ezra 7:10 gives us another helpful example. Ezra committed himself to studying God’s law, living it out, and then teaching it to others. That order matters: learn, live, and then lead.

Wedding officiant ministry deserves preparation because a wedding is sacred, emotional, public, relational, and legal. An officiant may need to meet with the couple, understand their story, prepare the ceremony, conduct a rehearsal, speak clearly in front of others, navigate family dynamics, and correctly complete the marriage license.

A wedding ceremony is not the best place to discover that you were unprepared.

Training does not make a ceremony less personal. It helps a trusted friend or family member serve the couple with greater confidence. It allows the warmth of the relationship to remain while reducing unnecessary stress and confusion.

This is why Christian Leaders Institute offers training for wedding officiants. Some students will officiate one wedding for someone they love. Others will discover that wedding officiating is the beginning of a broader ministry calling.

In either case, preparation matters.

Ministers Are Recognized by Others

In the Bible, ministry is not simply self-declared. It is also recognized by others.

In Acts 6, the early church was instructed to choose people who were known for their character, wisdom, and spiritual maturity. Their reputation within the community mattered.

In Acts 13, the church prayed, fasted, laid hands on Barnabas and Saul, and sent them out. The Holy Spirit called them, but the Christian community also publicly recognized that calling.

Paul later reminded Timothy of the ministry gift connected with the laying on of hands by the elders. These passages show a pattern of calling, discernment, recognition, and public confirmation.

This is why endorsement is an important part of ordination through the Christian Leaders Alliance.

The candidate is not simply saying, “I am ordained because I have decided that I am.” Someone who knows the candidate’s faith, character, and calling is asked to confirm that this person is ready to be recognized for ministry service.

That process reflects an important biblical principle: ministry calling is personal, but it is not entirely private.

Ordination should mean something. It should represent more than a person’s desire to hold a title or possess a document.

Moving From Legal Permission to Credible Ministry

Instant ordination often focuses on one question:

“Can I legally perform this wedding?”

That is an important question, but it should not be the only one.

A Christian wedding officiant should also consider:

Am I prepared for this responsibility?

Do I understand the role?

Have I received appropriate training?

Does someone who knows me recognize my faith and character?

Am I prepared to care for the couple and lead the ceremony well?

Have I researched the laws where the wedding will take place?

Am I connected to a credible ministry organization?

Legal permission matters, but credibility matters too.

Training and endorsement connect an ordination credential to something real. The credential represents preparation, accountability, ministry connection, and the witness of another Christian.

That gives the credential greater meaning. It communicates that the officiant has not simply printed a document but has completed training and pursued a recognized pathway.

This can matter to couples, families, wedding venues, government officials, and the officiant.

Most importantly, it reflects a desire to serve faithfully before God.

A Word to Those Who Already Have Instant Ordination

Those who have already received an instant online ordination should not feel that this discussion is intended to shame them.

You may have received that ordination because someone you love asked you to officiate their wedding. You wanted to help, and you were trying to meet the legal requirements as quickly as possible.

That desire to serve may be sincere and honorable.

You now have an opportunity to build on that beginning.

You can receive training, learn the responsibilities of a wedding officiant, understand local marriage laws, prepare a meaningful Christian ceremony, and become more confident in leading a rehearsal and wedding service.

You can also seek endorsement and pursue ordination credentials connected to a recognized ministry pathway.

In other words, you can move beyond receiving quick paperwork and become better prepared for the ministry responsibility you have accepted.

Christian Leaders Institute and Christian Leaders Alliance

Christian Leaders Institute provides accessible ministry training for people who sense a calling to serve others. Christian Leaders Alliance provides a study-based and endorsement-based pathway toward recognized ministry credentials.

Some students begin because they have been asked to officiate one wedding. Others continue into chaplaincy, life coaching ministry, pastoral ministry, or other forms of Christian service.

The goal is to create a place where calling can meet training, encouragement, practical tools, and recognized ministry standing.

This is especially valuable for wedding officiants.

A couple may choose someone they know because that person already has relational credibility. Christian Leaders Institute adds practical training. Christian Leaders Alliance adds a meaningful ordination pathway that includes endorsement and ministry recognition.

Together, these provide a stronger foundation.

The couple receives a personal ceremony led by someone they know and trust. The officiant receives preparation and confidence. The credential carries greater credibility, and the importance of the ministry moment is honored.

Conclusion

Instant-only ordination is often frowned upon because it can reduce ministry to a quick document without meaningful preparation, endorsement, or accountability.

Christian ministry is more than paperwork, and a wedding is more than a performance.

The biblical pattern is richer. Ministers are called, trained, and recognized by others. Their ministry is not simply self-declared. It is formed through preparation and confirmed within the Christian community.

When a couple asks you to officiate their wedding, that invitation may be a beautiful beginning. It may even be the start of a ministry calling.

The best response is to prepare well.

Take the training seriously. Learn the role. Honor the couple. Research the law. Seek endorsement. Pursue credible ordination if God is leading you in that direction.

Then your credentials will represent more than permission to perform a ceremony. They will reflect preparation, recognition, responsibility, and trust.

That is the difference between receiving instant paperwork and becoming prepared for credible ministry.

Academic References

Biblical Text

World English Bible. (2000). World English Bible. Public domain translation.
Scriptures referenced in this reading include Mark 3:13–14; Acts 6:1–6; Acts 13:1–3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:5; and Ezra 7:10.

Legal and Public-Policy Sources

Rains, R. E. (2010). Marriage in the time of internet ministers: I now pronounce you married, but who am I to do so? University of Miami Law Review, 64(3), 809–877.

Stevens, A. C. (2014). By the power vested in me? Licensing religious officials to solemnize marriage in the age of online ordination. Emory Law Journal, 63, 979–1020.

Marin, A. (2009). Internet-ordained ministers and marriage in Pennsylvania: Bucks County and York County disagree on legality of marriage according to the Pennsylvania Marriage Act. Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion, 10, 18.

Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-3-301. Persons who may solemnize marriages.

Tennessee Attorney General. (2015). Opinion No. 15-14: Qualifications of ministers who may solemnize weddings. State of Tennessee Office of the Attorney General.

Universal Life Church Monastery Storehouse v. Nabors, 35 F.4th 1021 (6th Cir. 2022).

University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service. (n.d.). Solemnizing a marriage. Electronic Library, County Clerk, Marriage.

Biblical and Theological Sources on Calling, Training, and Ordination

Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts. Revised edition. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Keener, C. S. (2012–2015). Acts: An Exegetical Commentary Vols. 1–4. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Marshall, I. H. (1980). The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Stott, J. R. W. (1990). The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church, and the World. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Towner, P. H. (2006). The Letters to Timothy and Titus. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Mounce, W. D. (2000). Pastoral Epistles. Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 46. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Knight, G. W., III. (1992). The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Pastoral Ministry, Ecclesiology, and Credible Ministry Practice

Oden, T. C. (1983). Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row.

Purves, A. (2004). Reconstructing Pastoral Theology: A Christological Foundation. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Osmer, R. R. (2008). Practical Theology: An Introduction. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Willimon, W. H. (2002). Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

Tidball, D. (2008). Ministry by the Book: New Testament Patterns for Pastoral Leadership. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Bridges, C. (1830). The Christian Ministry: With an Inquiry into the Causes of Its Inefficiency. London: R. B. Seeley and W. Burnside.

Hammett, J. S. (2019). Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic.

Clowney, E. P. (1995). The Church. Contours of Christian Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Lathrop, G. W. (2006). The Pastor: A Spirituality. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Suggested In-Text Support for the Reading

For the legal discussion of internet ordination and wedding solemnization, cite Rains, Stevens, Marin, Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-3-301, Tennessee Attorney General Opinion No. 15-14, and Universal Life Church Monastery Storehouse v. Nabors.

For the biblical claim that ministers are called, trained, and commended by others, cite Mark 3:13–14; Acts 6:1–6; Acts 13:1–3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:5; Bruce; Keener; Marshall; Towner; Mounce; and Knight.

For the theological and pastoral claim that ministry requires formation, credibility, care of souls, and public accountability, cite Oden, Purves, Osmer, Willimon, Tidball, Bridges, Hammett, Clowney, and Lathrop.