01
Get ordained free ($0)
Select the state you want to be ordained for, choose your calling, affirm the Agape Creed, and receive your instant Credential ID and printable certificate.
FREE ECCLESIASTICAL ORDINATION • WEDDINGS, MINISTRY & CALLING
They chose you.
Make it
unforgettable.
Free online ordination ($0) for friend & family weddings, baptisms, funerals, pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, and personal spiritual calling.
Ordination for Every Calling
Most come to officiate a wedding. Everyone called to serve is welcome.
Whether you were asked to marry two people you love or feel called to lifelong pastoral service, chaplaincy, baptisms, or memorial ministry, our guided 4-step wizard tailors your ordination path to your purpose.
Most Common
Start wedding ordination → Wedding Officiants
Asked by friends or family to officiate their wedding? Get ordained free, check state & county marriage rules, and build a custom script.
Life Rites
Start life-ceremony ordination → Baptisms, Funerals & Memorials
Preside with warmth and dignity over celebrations of life, funeral services, baptisms, baby blessings, house blessings, and vow renewals.
Lifelong Ministry
Start pastoral ordination → Pastoral Ministry & Fellowship
Establish permanent ministerial credentials for preaching, teaching, prayer ministry, house churches, and independent fellowships.
Service & Calling
Start ministry ordination → Chaplaincy & Personal Calling
Answer a personal spiritual call to ministry or serve in community outreach, visitation, and spiritual care—with zero renewal fees.
From answering the call to leading with grace.
Complete your church ordination in minutes, check any local state rules if officiating a marriage, and prepare with confidence.
02
Know your state’s rules
Baptisms, memorials, and pastoral ministry require no county filing. For weddings, check early whether the county requires separate pre-registration (like Clark County NV’s 30-day rule).
03
Prepare & serve well
Use our free 6-lesson officiant course, build a custom ceremony script in large altar print, and manage your active credential anytime in your workspace.
GUIDED 4-STEP FREE ORDINATION ($0)
Which state would you like to be ordained for?
Choose your home state for ministry, chaplaincy, baptisms, or funerals—or the wedding state if officiating a marriage.
First-Time & Experienced Ministers
Read all minister stories →
Stories from Agape credential holders
Each badge links to the reviewer’s active ordination record in the Agape Registry (confirming church credential issuance, not government endorsement).
★★★★★
Registry #AG-2026-412090
“Clark County requires Single-Ceremony applications and online training at least 30 days ahead under NRS 122.062. Having our notarized Agape packet ready early made the filing straightforward.”
Elena Sofia Morales
Las Vegas, NV • Clark County Single-Ceremony Filing
★★★★★
Registry #AG-2026-519824
“Officiated my sister’s wedding in Tribeca. NYC requires registering ahead of time with an embossed certificate and wet-ink notarized Letter of Good Standing—every step was clearly explained.”
David Jonathan Chen
Manhattan, NY • NYC City Clerk Pre-Registration
★★★★★
Registry #AG-2026-731905
“Minnesota requires pre-filing ministerial credentials before the wedding. The 6-lesson course and step-by-step state checklist took all the guesswork out of my first ceremony.”
Rachel Elizabeth Vance
Minneapolis, MN • Hennepin County Credential Filing
Everything Included Free ($0)
Practical tools for ceremonies & ministry
6 Practical Lessons
Start free course → First-time officiant course
Couple interview questions, microphone & binder stagecraft, stepping aside for photos, and document signing rules.
Templates & Custom Builder
Build ceremony script → Ceremony script library
Clean formatted scripts in large altar print—with personal vows separated cleanly from your state’s witness and filing checklist.
Returning Ministers
Open workspace → My minister workspace
Retrieve your printable certificate and Letter of Good Standing anytime by Credential ID and track ceremony milestones.
Governance & Sources
Read standards → Trust & coverage center
Review our creed, religious/secular fit, 51-jurisdiction primary-source inventory, registry privacy rules, and correction desk.
All 50 States + D.C.
Inspect license specimen → License signing simulator
Visual box-by-box marriage license diagram showing exact title, church name, black-ink rules, witness lines & return deadlines.
1-Click Script Import
Open couple worksheet → Couple interview worksheet
Privacy-first 10-prompt interview link for the couple that imports their story and tone directly into the script builder.
Free Print Studio
Open certificate studio → Keepsake rite certificates
Personalize and print archival presentation certificates for Marriage Keepsakes, Baptisms, Baby Dedications & Vow Renewals.
For Government Officials
Open clerk portal → County clerk verification desk
Instant Credential ID lookup, SHA-256 cryptographic digest verification, JSON API access, and direct Registrar Desk escalation.
Editorial Master Guides & Interactive Calculators
Explore all 6 master guides In-depth field manuals for officiants & ministers
Primary-source legal guides, ceremony stagecraft blueprints, embedded calculators, and instructional videos reviewed against all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
50-State Roadmap Calculator + Video
How to Become a Wedding Officiant Online ($0)
Complete 5-tier state legal breakdown, county clerk pre-registration deadlines, cost matrix, and eligibility checker.
Ceremony Stagecraft Pacing Timer + Video
How to Officiate a Wedding Ceremony Step by Step
The 7-movement ceremony architecture, 110-WPM pacing timer, photographer aisle-step cueing, and legal pronouncement script.
Marrying a Friend 90-Day Countdown
How to Get Ordained to Marry Someone (Friend & Family)
Reverse 90-day preparation timeline, destination wedding jurisdiction rules, black-ink license signing, and return deadlines.
Ecclesiastical Standing Pathway Finder
How to Become an Ordained Minister Online ($0)
First Amendment constitutional foundation, IRC § 508(c)(1)(A) church governance, credential anatomy, and lifelong vocation.
Pastoral Vocation Title Formatter
How to Become an Ordained Pastor or Reverend Online
Minister vs. Pastor vs. Reverend vs. Chaplain comparison, sacramental rites, ethics, and ACPE institutional CPE disclosures.
Case Law & Comparison 12-Point Matrix
Universal Life Church (ULC) Online Ordination Comparison
Primary-source analysis of U.S. online ordination case law (NY, NC, PA, TN, VA) and transparent comparison of ULC, AMM & Agape.
Common Questions
Honest answers before you get ordained
What costs $0 vs. extra?
Ordination, your printable digital certificate, Agape Registry record, 6-lesson course, and custom script builder cost $0 with no renewal fees. Only mailed physical notarized packets and padded binders ($39–$98) carry an optional fee.
Is ordination only for weddings?
Not at all. While most people apply to marry friends or family, Agape ordination grants full lifelong ministerial standing for baptisms, funerals, celebrations of life, pastoral ministry, fellowship leadership, community chaplaincy, and personal calling.
Does ordination equal clerk approval?
For weddings, church ordination is Step 1. Most states require no state officiant filing, while places like Clark County NV (30-day rule), NYC, Ohio, and Virginia require separate local authorization, Tennessee restricts online ordinations, and Alabama uses notarized Form ADPH-HS-47.