If you choose to be ordained at American Marriage Ministries, you must order one of the following packages. In addition to your official certificate of ordination, you will also receive your “Manual of the Minister of the AMM” and your “Guest to Officer”. Both books contain all the important information you need to know regarding your legal obligations as a wedding manager and your ceremonial responsibilities, including the best preparation for the ceremony. In Pennsylvania, all marriage leaders must be at least 18 years of age to legally solemnize the marriage. Basically, you must not only be an ordained minister, but also a legal adult. An important point is that Pennsylvania state ministers may be invited to register with the Office of the Clerk. To find out more about the documents required for this process, contact the office that issues the marriage certificate to find out what they need from a minister who is organizing a marriage in their district. To make sure you have all the necessary paperwork, Universal Life Church has come up with a helpful classic wedding package to help Pennsylvania officials prove their status. Religious leaders – According to the PA state, any “priest, minister or rabbi of a regularly established church or community” can perform a marriage ceremony. This means that anyone who is in charge of an established and legal religious organization can refer you to someone within their church who can perform the ceremony and complete the necessary paperwork. If you and your fiancé are of different faiths, you should discuss this with your church.
Most churches or religious clerics allow interfaith marriages, but may require classes or a meeting of some kind and will help you move forward. Most clerics or religious organizations will require (or at least urgently require) some sort of instruction, workshops, or advice before agreeing to perform the ceremony. (a) General: The following persons are entitled to enter into marriage between persons who produce a marriage certificate issued in accordance with this Part: (1) A judge, judge or district magister judge of this Commonwealth. (3) An active or senior judge or a full-time judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern, Central or Western District of Pennsylvania. (3.1) An active, retired or executive bankruptcy judge of the bankruptcy courts of the United States for the eastern, central or western district of Pennsylvania residing in that Commonwealth. (4) An active, retired or principal judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit residing in that Commonwealth. (5) A mayor of a city or district of this Commonwealth. (5.1) A former mayor of a Commonwealth city or borough who, (i) was not defeated for re-election; (ii) has not been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony under the laws of this Commonwealth or an equivalent offense under the laws of the United States or any of its possessions, any other state, the District of Columbia, or has consented to an expedited pardon order or other conditional sentence without a trial schedule, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or any foreign nation; (iii) has not resigned as mayor to avoid prosecution or prosecution by federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies; (iv) has held office continuously or continuously by election for an entire term as mayor; and (v) resides in that Commonwealth. (6) A pastor, priest or rabbi of a regularly established church or congregation.
(b) Religious organizations: Any religious society, religious institution or religious organization of this Commonwealth may marry persons if at least one of them is a member of the society, institution or organization, in accordance with the rules and customs of the society, institution or organization. c) Marriage license required to celebrate. – No person or religious organization authorized to solemnize a marriage may solemnize a marriage unless the parties have received a marriage certificate issued in accordance with this Part. To better understand the legal basis for how online ordinations work as it relates to obtaining permission to perform marriages in Pennsylvania, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with an esoteric legal term, “marriage solemnity.” The solemnity of marriage is simply an elegant way of saying: “Celebrate a wedding”, “Celebrate a wedding” or “Combine a wedding”. Solemn is the official act of performing a wedding ceremony. This is how the act of performing a marriage ceremony is described in the Consolidated Statutes of Pennsylvania. Here is the law that specifies exactly who can solemnly solemnize marriage in Pennsylvania: For religious denomination, enter “non-denominational” unless you are celebrating the marriage according to a specific religious tradition. If so, enter it. From the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia to the tranquility of Lancaster County, there are plenty of exciting places for couples looking to get married in Pennsylvania. Of course, there are a number of important points that need to be considered in order to follow the proper protocol of marriage requirements in Keystone State. Universal Life Church Ministries compiled this overview of Pennsylvania`s marriage laws to give leaders and couples a clear understanding of the process. The requirements for Pennsylvania state officials are very similar to those in other states.
The PA recognizes religious, spiritual, secular and civil leaders as long as the person has been granted the status of an official of a larger institution. Ministers ordained by the Church of Universal Life fall into the category of religious actors. This means that they are legally allowed to perform the ceremony regardless of their personal belief system, gender, and other factors. After receiving your paperwork and registering with the District Clerk, you can celebrate the wedding! We have created several online tools to help our ministers prepare for the big day. These carefully designed guides are useful for almost any type of wedding ceremony. Specially designed for our wedding officials, you will find all the information you need to perform a ceremony. In general, Pennsylvania requires the registration of ministers.
