How do you become an ordained minister?

How do you become an ordained minister?
It depends what you mean by the term "ordained".


United States

The fastest and easiest way to become ordained is with the Universal Life Church. Online ULC's, such as the Universal Life Church Seminary, The ULC Bookstore or ULC Headquarters, issue legal ordinations with the click of the mouse and stroke of a few keys. You input your information, it is recorded into the church's records, and just like that you are an ordained minister.

Other churches have established seminaries that can take up to eight years, depending on the church, before becoming ordained. These are usually for more established, mainstream religions.

In the United States of America, the first amendment of the constitution guarantees that: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Thus the government can not tell a church who it may ordain or how it may conduct an ordination.

Canada

For a Christian or Jew, in Canada, if you want the authority to legally place 'Reverend' before your name you must belong to a recognized 'ordaining party'. The specific requirements will vary depending on the organization, however this is usually a time and labor intensive process.

To become legally registered with the government, you must be recommended for ordination by the legally ordained local leadership to the licensing denominational head. You would then be charged by the official leadership of the ordaining organization with fulfilling the great commission world-wide and be expected to know and conduct yourself within the context of the laws of the land and the Word of God. You must renew your credentials annually through the licensing denomination's system of accountability to legally remain ordained.There is another popular ordaining process in which many churches and religious organizations will 'ordain' members specific to the function of their local protocols. For example, once you have completed the specific training process for beginning a mission, you do not require licensing or legal ordination. The belief is that God ordains each of children as his ministering servants, to go out and make disciples of all nations, as commanded by Jesus in the gospels. Using this process you will not satisfy the legal definition of "ordained minister."