A confluence is the place where two or more rivers meet and flow on together as one. We chose the name because the Seminary is a meeting place for the world's spiritual traditions, and for people of no religious tradition at all. Each stream keeps its own source and character, and each is enriched by the others. The gold lines that flow together on our home page, and the tree rising from an open book on our seal, carry the same idea.

Yes. In the United States, religious organizations may ordain their own ministers, and the government does not regulate who a religious body chooses to ordain. Ordination by Confluence Seminary of Sacred Studies is a valid religious ordination.

$100, one time. Ordination comes with completing the Ordination Orientation, which costs $100 and earns 1 credit hour. When you finish, your Certificate of Ordination and Minister ID Card are free to download and print. There are no annual fees and no renewals.

Optional extras: a printed Certificate of Ordination with an embossed gold seal is $30, and a Letter of Good Standing, which some states ask for when ministers register, is $30. Request either through the contact form.

Sign in to the Student Classroom and click Enroll on any course. Payment is handled securely by Stripe, and your course opens right away.

The online application takes about ten minutes. The Ordination Orientation takes about two hours, at your own pace. You are ordained as soon as you complete it and your Statement of Calling is approved.

No. Confluence is interfaith and non-denominational. Our ministers come from many traditions, and some from none. You keep your own beliefs.

You must be at least 16. Applicants under 18 must include the name and email address of a parent or guardian on the application.

No. Your ordination is for life.

A replacement certificate costs $50 and comes with a new wallet-sized Minister ID Card. Request one through the contact form.

Ordained ministers are recognized as wedding officiants in most U.S. states. See our State Guides for the rules in your state. Each state and county sets its own rules, and a few ask ministers to register or show credentials before the ceremony.

Before any wedding, contact the county clerk's office that issues the marriage license and ask what it requires of officiants. Some jurisdictions also set a minimum age for officiants, so applicants under 18 should confirm local rules.

Ministers lead weddings, vow renewals, commitment ceremonies, memorials and celebrations of life, baby blessings and namings, house blessings, and other rites of passage.

Your Confluence credentials identify you as an ordained minister when you request a clergy visit. Each hospital, care facility, and jail sets its own rules, and many ask clergy to register in advance or pass a background check. Contact the facility before you visit.

Yes. Send your question through the contact form and we will help you complete the marriage license or any other clergy paperwork. We can also send a letter verifying your ordination. This help is available for life.

Many ministers keep a copy of their Ordination Certificate and their Minister ID Card. If the county asks for proof of ordination, these documents show that you are an ordained minister of Confluence Seminary of Sacred Studies.

Earned titles, such as Associate Minister, Chaplain, Pastor, or Fellow of Confluence Seminary, are granted when you complete the required courses. Honorary titles, such as Bishop or Archbishop, are conferred on ordained ministers by request and require no coursework. Honorary titles are identified as honorary on the certificate.

Choose the title that matches your own sense of your calling and the way you serve. After the Ordination Orientation you may use Reverend or Minister. Apostle requires a second course, The Divine Feminine. Any five 100-level courses earn the Certificate in Interfaith Studies. Completing the 100 and 200 levels earns Associate titles, the 300 level earns Senior titles, and the 400 level earns Fellow of Confluence Seminary. You may use any title from your level or the levels below it. See the Designations page for the full guidelines.

The Associate of Ministry and religious bachelor's degrees in theology, ministry, divinity, religious studies, and related fields. See the Degrees page for titles and requirements.

Upload your transcripts with your degree application. The faculty reviews them when planning your course of study.

No. All Confluence degrees are non-accredited. Confluence Seminary of Sacred Studies is a religious educational organization. Our certificates, titles, and degrees, including the Honorary Doctor of Divinity, are religious credentials. They are not academic degrees and are not accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Only the short Ordination Orientation. Completing it earns your ordination and the titles Minister and Reverend. Further courses are optional and lead to additional titles and degrees. We suggest four foundation courses to begin: Interfaith Dialogue, History of World Religions, Introduction to Comparative Religion, and The Divine Feminine.

Tuition is $100 per course at the 100 level, $150 at the 200 level, $175 at the 300 level, and $200 at the 400 level. Each course earns 3 credit hours when completed with a grade of 70% or higher. The Ordination Orientation is $100. Higher-level courses cost more because their papers are graded by faculty.

All courses are online and self-paced. There are no class times or deadlines. You read the assigned texts, work through the lessons, and take your quizzes and final exam, including one final essay, when you are ready.

Quizzes are graded automatically. You need a score of 70% or higher on each module quiz and on the multiple-choice part of the final exam, and you may retake them as often as you like. Each course has one written piece, a final essay of 1,500 to 2,000 words, which the Seminary reviews; if it needs more work, it is returned with a note so you can revise it. When every step is complete, you earn 3 credit hours and your Certificate of Completion.

Each course lists required texts on its syllabus. Many are widely available in libraries, used bookstores, and ebook editions.

Use the online contact form. We answer every message by email. The Seminary does not take phone calls.

No. The information you provide on your application is used only to process your ordination, enrollment, and credentials.