Is ordination required to become a FuturFaith Minister?

No. Ordination is not required to become a FuturFaith Minister or to begin offering ceremony services after graduation.

Once you have successfully completed the Path to Ministry course and final assessment, you graduate as a FuturFaith Minister. Ordination is an additional, optional step that some graduates choose to take afterwards.

What is ordination?

For some people, ordination is a meaningful way to mark the transition from student to Minister.

It can be a personal celebration of the work you have put into your training and the role you are stepping into. Some graduates feel that it fits their identity and the type of ministry they want to offer. Others do not, and that is completely fine.

You do not need to be ordained to create and lead weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies or other personal life-event ceremonies.

Do I have to attend an ordination ceremony?

No.

Attending our yearly ordination ceremony/night is entirely your choice. You can graduate, begin building your celebrant services and decide later whether ordination is something you would like to do.

There is no pressure to use a particular title, take part in a ceremony or present yourself in a way that does not feel natural to you.

You can also attend the ordination ceremony without being ordained, if you wish.

Does ordination make you a legal wedding solemniser?

No.

Ordination does not automatically place you on the Register of Solemnisers or give you the legal authority to marry couples.

In the Republic of Ireland, someone must be formally nominated by an appropriate religious or secular body and added to the Register of Solemnisers before they can legally solemnise marriages.

Graduation, ordination and legal registration are three separate things:

• Graduation means you have completed the Path to Ministry course and final assessment.
• Ordination is an optional personal or professional milestone.
• Legal registration is the separate process required to legally marry couples.

Can I use the title Reverend if I am ordained?

Some ordained FuturFaith Ministers choose to use Reverend or Rev. as part of their professional identity. Others prefer celebrant, officiant, minister or simply their name.

There is no right answer. The title you use should feel authentic to you and suit the kind of clients and ceremonies you want to work with.

The choice is yours

Ordination can be a meaningful next step for some graduates, but it is not a requirement and it does not define the quality of your work.

What matters most is that you are trained, prepared and able to guide people through important moments with care, confidence and professionalism.