Ordination

Last updated on: September 16, 2012 at 10:15 pm by John Beckett

Ordination 2012-09-16T22:15:00-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’m back from the 2012 OBOD East Coast Gathering in Medford, Pennsylvania. Denton CUUPS is my spiritual home, but Druidry is my tribe, and there is nothing like spending a long weekend in a wooded campground with 103 fellow Bards, Ovates, Druids, members of AODA and members of ADF. I’ll have much more to say about the ECG in the coming days, but tonight I want to write about a very personal event.

On Friday night I was ordained as a priest in the Universal Gnostic Church.

During the years I’ve been a leader in Denton CUUPS I’ve been asked to officiate numerous rites of passage: non-legal handfastings, child namings, initiations, funerals. I have occasionally been asked about doing weddings and I’ve had to decline – in order to legally perform weddings most states require ordination: a formal consecration and authorization by a religious governing body.

After saying “sorry, I can’t” one time too many last year, I knew it was time to be ordained. But how?

I could have gotten an online ordination from the Universal Life Church. Texas will recognize it and I know several people who’ve done that so they could officiate a friend’s wedding. I have no problem with anyone who’s ordained through the ULC, but it didn’t seem right for me. If I was going to be ordained I wanted an earned ordination… plus I knew I was no expert on weddings and I could use some experienced instruction.

My UU congregation could ordain me. Unitarian Universalism is a congregationalist religion and all ministers are ordained by congregations, not by denominational leaders. A couple people suggested this, but I felt like that would put Denton UU in a difficult position. While the congregation has the right to ordain whoever they want, the denomination would not look favorably on going outside their strict requirements. I think the UUA needs pathways to ordination that don’t include the traditional (and very expensive) three years of seminary, but that’s another topic and a campaign I have no interest in undertaking. My calling does not include being pastor of a church.

My Druid order, OBOD, does not ordain. But the Ancient Order of Druids in America does, so last Summer I contacted Grand Archdruid John Michael Greer and asked what their requirements were and how much “transfer credit” I’d have by virtue of having completed the OBOD Druid grade. He said AODA was in the process of revising its ordination requirements and the new program wouldn’t be ready for several more months.

But by virtue of his position as Grand Archdruid, John Michael Greer is ex officio an Archbishop in the Universal Gnostic Church with the authority to ordain priests.

I had never heard of the Universal Gnostic Church. It has roots in a Dutch church that split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 18th century and in the writings of the early Christian gnostics. It includes a few American Universalists who declined to join with the Unitarians in the 1960 merger. It is a sacramental order whose only doctrine states that all that exists is part of one divine source, and is an independent order with few congregations.

I was looking for a legal, earned ordination. This was an available path – the connections with Universalism and Gnosticism were a nice synchronicity. After some discussion I started studying under John in July.

The course of study was appropriate for what I wanted to do – learn how to better lead rites of passage for others. There were books to read, questions to answer, and ceremonies to write. Lots of ceremonies to write! There was also a fair amount of research into the laws surrounding marriage, which vary widely from state to state and location to location.

I completed the work in May. A gnostic ordination must by done by laying on of hands, and since John (who lives in Maryland) and I were both going to be at the East Coast Gathering, it made sense to do it there. I’m grateful to Lorraine for making time in the schedule for me, to those who helped with the ceremony, and to everyone who came out to affirm my calling and witness my ordination.

What changed on Friday night? On the surface, I can now legally officiate weddings in Texas and in most other states. That’s all. I’m not changing churches, I’m not changing careers, and I’m certainly not changing my beliefs and practices.

But on a deeper level, much has changed. An ordination is an initiation: the work of preparation, which had been simmering for months, was brought to a boil. A transmission occurred: part metaphorical, part metaphysical, and part literal. This represents a major milestone on the spiritual path that began when I was born, went through several false starts, took off with an epiphany on Thanksgiving night 2001, and led to me kneeling in a field in Pennsylvania while a Gnostic Archbishop performed the rites of ordination.

So now I’m ordained and can legally officiate weddings. I’m not looking for a side job – I already have a full time job and DUUF and CUUPS keep me busy most weekends. I’m not looking to take work from Rev. Pam or other professional ministers who do this as their primary occupation.

But if a couple wants a Druid, Pagan, or other nonordinary ceremony, I’m available. And though I can perform state-sanctioned marriages, I’ll also be happy to officiate for marriages the state doesn’t have the good sense and compassion to recognize.

As for me, this represents an accomplishment and a milestone, but it is not the end. As I discussed last week, I’m being called to some deeper work: deeper study, deeper practice, deeper service. I’m not sure exactly where that deeper work is going to lead, but I know what I need to do to get started.

Further down the path we go…

Gnostic Archbishop and Grand Archdruid John Michael Greer, Gnostic Priest and Druid John Beckett

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 10, 2012

What Scares Me

Next Post

September 17, 2012 East Coast Gathering 2012

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to Hebrews, who serves as a copy and shadow of what is in heaven?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The priests in the earthly sanctuary The angels The apostles The prophets