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Omni-Current is a blog that seeks to explore the life and philosophy of the late Rev. Kirby J. Hensley, founder of the Universal Life Church. He preached radical universality (omni) blended with modern ideas (current) into a movement that would spread worldwide. Few have explored what drove him. Although functionally illiterate, he published a few books and course materials. (see his publications: here)

This blog explores the philosophy of the man who single-handedly democratized the clergy in the United States. What surprises me is that someone who had such a profound influence on the shift toward individual spirituality has received so little sustained attention.

Rev. Kirby J. Hensley pioneered the concept of instant, open ordination. After founding a legally recognized church, he made the radical decision not to impose traditional requirements on clergy. Instead, he ordained virtually anyone who wanted to become a minister. On multiple occasions, he ordained large crowds at once, handing out certificates as people left. Over time, this practice evolved into mail-order ordination, and with the arrival of the internet, online ordination followed. The idea spread rapidly, inspiring dozens, if not hundreds, of imitators. Today, the number of websites offering instant ordination is impossible to know.

Ironically, Hensley's most famous innovation has overshadowed his broader legacy. Many people have never heard of the Universal Life Church, yet they are familiar with the idea of becoming ordained online in minutes. The Universal Life Church has ordained more than 40 million people, but many of those individuals may not remember the name of the organization that granted their ordination. Even fewer are familiar with its founder, Rev. Hensley.

What Hensley accomplished was historically unprecedented. While others before him had sought to democratize spiritual authority, Hensley went a step further by extending legal authority, traditionally reserved for professional clergy, to every member of his church. His ability to do so depended on the unique legal and cultural environment in which he lived.

Nor was this simply a matter of distributing certificates. Hensley repeatedly went to court to defend the legal validity of his ordinations, investing significant time, money, and energy in the fight. He was determined to ensure that the authority he granted carried genuine legal weight.

This raises an important question: why did Hensley believe in this principle so fiercely? What ideas, experiences, and convictions motivated him to pursue it with such persistence?

That is the question this blog seeks to answer. You get an idea of what he believed through several insightful quotes here)


David F. Garner
Chaplain and Minister of Universal Life Church of Hamilton Co. TN

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Rev. Kirby Hensley's Best Quotes

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“The Universal Life Church believes that when a man requests to be ordained, that he is already ordained of God, according to the Bible." -unknown ___ “The Universal Life Church has no traditional doctrine, nor does it require people to believe in that which is untrue to them. Each individual has the privilege and responsibility to determine for themselves, as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others.” -The Modesto Bee, various articles, 1964-2009 ___ "When you look into the mirror, realize that it is that person who will give you what your heart desires." - A New Life, Do You Want It? pg. 23 ___ “Pray that Man may not become extinct on this planet but that he will awaken to Universal Brotherhood and peace so that peace and prosperity may be experienced by all mankind.” - The Modesto Messiah pg. 90 ___ “I believe a marriage is the ultimate fulfillment for two people in love who wish to share that love. As long as that love remains, there is a good relations...
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Kirby J. Hensley is not usually remembered as a major theologian, philosopher, or architect of twentieth-century American religion. His name appears more often in discussions of mail-order ordination, unconventional churches, and the legal ambiguities surrounding the Universal Life Church than in accounts of religious thought. Yet this may be precisely why his legacy deserves a more careful reading. Hensley’s significance may lie less in the originality of his ideas than in the institutional form he gave them: a church that made religious authority unusually easy for ordinary people to claim. Founded in Modesto, California, the Universal Life Church presented itself as a radically inclusive religious organization, oriented around religious freedom and the simple ethical principle often summarized as “Do that which is right.” Hensley appears to have imagined a church capacious enough to include people across doctrinal boundaries. In practice, however, the church became most famous for ...
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Insightful Quotes From Kirby Hensley

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