CONNECTIONS: Your Next Great Gig as a Celebrant

My first experience with interfaith ministry was at my brother’s wedding. My family spoke special vows to the bride and groom, chosen weeks earlier with their minister. The minister created a ceremony that was exactly as the couple wished: personal, beautiful — and nondenominational.
With interfaith unions estimated at as high as one-third of all marriages, it is no surprise that Americans are requiring ministers or celebrants capable of understanding and melding widely disparate traditions and needs. Fortunately, says Cynthia Reed, director of academics at the Celebrant Foundation, organizations such as hers teach individuals to create “a personalized ceremony, no matter what the client’s beliefs or values.”
And the list of possible rituals to perform keeps growing. Rev. Diane Berke, cofounder of the One Spirit Learning Alliance, prepares celebrants for services that include “baby blessings, funerals and memorial services, gatherings for worship, divorce rituals, rituals for a child going off to college, rituals to bless a new home or business space,” and more.
Although graduates of institutes such as One Spirit Seminary find that becoming a minister is an enriching and life-changing experience, they agree that it is incredibly challenging. Programs last up to two years and typically involve a rigorous study of world religions and cultural rituals, as well as the practical aspects of performing ceremonies. But with the Internet offering quickie minister licenses for a fee, why bother with a course?
Says Rabbi Roger Ross of The New Seminary, “It’s been my experience that those who simply purchase a piece of paper that says ‘minister’ have neither the inner resources, nor understanding, nor enough knowledge to truly minister to those who need their services.”
For more information, see:
CelebrantUSA.org
NewSeminary.org
OneSpiritInterfaith.org

Allison Balas