An interfaith seminary · Serving all 50 states · Online
ConfluenceSeminary of Sacred Studies
Exploring Wisdom ✦ Honoring Tradition ✦ Embracing Unity
Our conviction
Your spiritual life belongs to you
Confluence Seminary holds that every person is born with the right to guide their own spiritual life. We believe that anyone who feels called to ministry should be able to answer that call through ordination.
Ordination with Confluence is simple. Complete our $100 Interfaith Studies course online at your own pace, and you are ordained for life with the pastoral designation. There are no annual fees and no renewals. From there, you may continue your studies and earn further titles and degrees.
Exploring Wisdom
Study sacred texts, theology, mysticism, and ethics across the world's traditions, from the Abrahamic faiths to Zoroastrianism.
Honoring Tradition
Learn each faith on its own terms and from its own sources, with care for the communities that keep it alive.
Embracing Unity
Lead weddings, memorials, blessings, and other ceremonies that bring people of every background together.
The first step
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
The old Chinese proverb holds true for ministry. You have the capacity to make the world kinder and more whole, and ordination may be what helps you act on it. Your first step can happen today.
At a glance
About the Seminary
About Confluence
A modern interfaith seminary that prepares people to lead the ceremonies and moments that matter most.
Who we are
A seminary for every tradition and every calling
Confluence Seminary of Sacred Studies is a non-denominational, interfaith religious institution. We ordain ministers, confer religious titles, and offer a full course of study in the world's spiritual traditions.
We work almost entirely online, which lets us serve students and ministers in every state across the country. Our purpose is the same one that has guided houses of worship for thousands of years: to help people mark life's great passages with meaning, dignity, and care.
Our ministers officiate weddings and commitment ceremonies, lead memorials and celebrations of life, bless homes and newborns, and offer spiritual companionship in their communities. Each ceremony can be personal and authentic to the people it honors.
What we believe
Inclusion
Confluence welcomes people of every faith, of no particular faith, and of every background. You do not need to leave your own tradition to join us.
Meaningful ceremony
Words spoken with care can connect and uplift. We give our ministers the knowledge and confidence to lead ceremonies that people remember.
Bridges across traditions
Where the world's traditions meet, understanding grows. We work toward a more connected and compassionate society.
Our seal
The tree, the book, and the eye
The seal of Confluence shows a tree of life rising from an open book beneath a radiant eye. The book represents the sacred texts of the world. The tree represents the growth of wisdom, with roots in many traditions and one living trunk. The eye represents insight and the light of understanding.
Knowledge ✦ Compassion ✦ Understanding ✦ A More Peaceful World
Designations
Titles, Degrees, and Honors
Every designation at Confluence is earned with credits. Each course is $100 and carries 3 credit hours, and every credit you earn counts toward the next title or degree.
Requirements
Credits required for each designation
Your first course, Interfaith Studies, earns your ordination. From there, choose how far you want to go. At each level, you choose the title that best fits your tradition and your calling.
Ordination and Pastoral Designation
Lifetime ordination as a minister of Confluence Seminary, with authority to officiate weddings, handfastings, memorials, and other ceremonies.
Certificate of Sacred Studies
A foundation in the study of religion and the world's major traditions.
Chaplaincy
For those who offer spiritual care in hospitals, hospices, prisons, the military, and the community.
Bachelor's Degree
A religious bachelor's degree in theology, religious studies, ministry, or a related field.
Spiritual Leadership
For teachers, spiritual directors, and leaders of religious communities.
Master's Degree
A religious master's degree for ministers, teachers, and spiritual leaders who want deeper study.
Doctor of Divinity (D.Div.)
Our highest earned religious degree, for completion of the full Confluence curriculum.
Your ordination and every designation you earn are for life. There are no annual fees and no renewals.
Honorary titles
Special Title Certificates
Many ministers request a special religious title that reflects their role in their community. Any ordained minister of Confluence may request one. No coursework is required.
The Special Title Certificate reads in part: "Confluence Seminary of Sacred Studies has conferred upon [Your Name] the Honorary title of Bishop."
Honorary degrees
Honorary Doctor of Divinity
Confluence confers the Honorary Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) on ministers whose service, leadership, or lifetime of spiritual work deserves recognition.
Ordained ministers may request the honorary degree through the online application by describing their ministry and service. Honorary recipients may use the title Doctor in a religious setting, and the degree is noted as honorary on the diploma.
Your credentials
Documents for your ministry
Ordination Certificate
A handsome display certificate printed on heavyweight paper and bearing the embossed seal of the Seminary. It certifies that you are a legally ordained minister of Confluence Seminary of Sacred Studies and states in writing that the Seminary authorizes you to perform marriage ceremonies and all other rites and ceremonies of the ministry.
Minister ID Card
A wallet-sized card that identifies you as an ordained minister, for use at weddings, hospitals, and other places where you serve.
Special Title Certificate
Printed on heavyweight paper and bearing the Seminary seal, it records the honorary title conferred upon you.
Replacement Certificates
If a certificate is lost or damaged, a replacement costs $50 and comes with a new wallet-sized Minister ID Card. Request one through the contact form.
Course Certificates and Diplomas
A Certificate of Completion for each course, and a diploma for each designation you earn, each bearing the Seminary seal.
All Confluence degrees are non-accredited. Confluence Seminary of Sacred Studies is a religious educational organization. Its ordinations, titles, certificates, and degrees, including honorary degrees, are religious credentials. They are not academic degrees and are not accredited by any agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Ordination
Online Ordination: How It Works
One $100 course, taken online at your own pace, makes you an ordained minister for life.
The calling comes first
No website can ordain your spirit
Ordination begins in the spiritual life, at the moment a person answers a call to serve. Only you can know whether that call has come to you.
What Confluence offers is recognition of that call. We give you the study, the formal ordination, and the credentials you need to serve others. The process happens online, but the calling is yours.
The ordination process
Three steps to ordination
Apply online
Complete the online application. Payment instructions arrive by email once your application is approved.
Complete Interfaith Studies
Take our $100 Interfaith Studies course online at your own pace. It earns your first 3 credits.
Receive your credentials
You are ordained with the pastoral designation and receive your Certificate of Ordination and Minister ID Card.
Your pastoral designation
What you can do as a Confluence minister
- Officiate weddings, elopements, vow renewals, and commitment ceremonies
- Lead handfastings and other traditional and earth-centered rites
- Conduct funerals, memorial services, and celebrations of life
- Perform baby blessings, namings, house blessings, and other solemn celebrations
- Use the title Minister, Reverend, or Pastor
- Present your credentials when requesting clergy visits at hospitals, nursing homes, and jails
Hospitals, care facilities, and correctional facilities each set their own rules for clergy visits. Many ask clergy to register in advance, and some require a background check or chaplaincy training. Contact the facility before your visit.
For life
One course. One fee. No renewals.
Your $100 course fee is the only cost of ordination. Once you have earned your designation, there are no additional fees and no annual renewals. Your ordination lasts for your lifetime.
Confluence also stands behind you for life. Through the contact form, you can request a letter verifying your ordination, or ask for help completing a marriage license or other clergy paperwork, at any time.
Degrees
Religious Degrees
Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in theology, ministry, divinity, and religious studies, earned through self-paced online courses.
Degree titles
Choose the degree that fits your work
Confluence confers religious degrees in Theology, Religious Studies, Divinity, Ministry, Metaphysics, and related fields.
Traditional ecclesiastical degrees include the Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.), Master of Theology (M.Th.), Master of Divinity (M.Div.), and Doctor of Divinity (D.Div.).
We consider any religious degree title that fits your calling, such as Bachelor of Christian Education, Master of Christian Ministry, or a degree in Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies, Buddhist Studies, or Interfaith Ministry. Tell us the title you have in mind on your application.
Bachelor's Degree
B.Th., Bachelor of Ministry, Bachelor of Religious Studies, or another religious title.
Master's Degree
M.Th., M.Div., Master of Ministry, or another religious title.
Doctor of Divinity (D.Div.)
Completion of the entire Confluence curriculum.
Every credit counts toward the next degree. Courses completed for your bachelor's degree count toward your master's, and both count toward the Doctor of Divinity. Prices shown are the total tuition for each level.
Program requirements
How to earn your degree
Apply online
Complete the online application and choose the degree you are seeking.
Write your spiritual autobiography
Tell the story of religion and spirituality in your life, from childhood to today. One page or more. The two are not always the same, and we want to hear about both.
Describe your work
Summarize the work you do in religion, spirituality, or faith leadership, and explain how this degree will support your work and your goals.
Share prior college work
If you have taken college courses before, upload your transcripts with your application. The faculty reviews them when planning your course of study.
Complete your courses
Take the courses required for your degree, online and at your own pace. Tuition is $100 per course, and payment instructions are sent by email.
Submit your final work
Submit your research paper, master's thesis, or doctoral thesis through the contact form.
All Confluence degrees are non-accredited religious degrees. They are religious credentials for ministry, not academic degrees, and are not accredited by any agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Curriculum
Courses of Study
Twenty self-paced online courses, each worth 3 credit hours, at $100 per course. Select any course to see its description, objectives, and required texts.
How study works
Learn on your own schedule
Confluence uses competency-based education. There are no set class times and no semesters. You work through each course at your own pace and submit your coursework whenever it is ready. Your credits count toward the designations you want to earn.
Every course includes a syllabus, a reading list, lessons, quizzes, two written assignments, and a final exam. A final grade of 70% or higher earns 3 credit hours and a Certificate of Completion.
Tuition is $100 per course. Confluence courses and degrees are non-accredited religious education.
Admissions
Join Confluence
Confluence welcomes anyone age 16 or older, in any state, of any faith or of no particular faith, who feels called to serve.
How it works
Apply online
Complete the online application. It takes about ten minutes. Payment instructions arrive by email once you are approved.
Become ordained
Complete the $100 Interfaith Studies course at your own pace to receive lifetime ordination and the pastoral designation.
Keep studying
If you choose, enroll in more courses and submit your coursework whenever it suits your schedule.
Earn your titles
As your credits add up, earn new designations, certificates, and degrees.
Eligibility
Who may apply
- Applicants must be at least 16 years of age.
- Applicants under 18 must provide the name and email address of a parent or guardian.
- You may belong to any faith tradition, or none.
- You must complete the online application truthfully and in full.
- Each course, including the Interfaith Studies course that earns ordination, is $100.
Questions
Everything is online
Answers to the most common questions are on our FAQ page. If you do not find your answer there, send a message through the contact form and we will reply by email.
FAQ
Questions and Answers
Everything you need to know about ordination, titles, courses, and credentials.
Ordination
Is ordination through Confluence legal?
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.
How much does ordination cost?
$100, one time. Ordination comes with completing the Interfaith Studies course, which costs $100. There are no annual fees and no renewals.
How do I pay?
Once your application is approved, payment instructions are sent to you by email.
How long does it take?
The online application takes about ten minutes. The Interfaith Studies course is self-paced, so you decide how quickly you finish it. You are ordained as soon as you complete it.
Do I have to leave my current religion?
No. Confluence is interfaith and non-denominational. Our ministers come from many traditions, and some from none. You keep your own beliefs.
How old do I have to be?
You must be at least 16. Applicants under 18 must include the name and email address of a parent or guardian on the application.
Does my ordination expire?
No. Your ordination is for life.
What if I lose my certificate?
A replacement certificate costs $50 and comes with a new wallet-sized Minister ID Card. Request one through the contact form.
Weddings and Ceremonies
Can I officiate a wedding?
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.
What other ceremonies can I lead?
Ministers lead weddings, vow renewals, commitment ceremonies, memorials and celebrations of life, baby blessings and namings, house blessings, and other rites of passage.
Can I visit people in hospitals and jails?
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.
Will you help me with marriage license paperwork?
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.
What documents might I need for a wedding?
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.
Titles and Degrees
What is the difference between an earned title and an honorary title?
Earned titles, such as Deacon, Pastor, Priest, or Doctor of Divinity, are granted when you complete the required credit hours. 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.
Which title should I choose?
Choose the title that best fits your tradition and the way you serve. At each level of study you may pick any title listed for that level. See the Designations page for the full list.
What degrees do you offer?
Religious bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in theology, ministry, divinity, religious studies, and related fields. See the Degrees page for titles and requirements.
Can my previous college work count?
Upload your transcripts with your degree application. The faculty reviews them when planning your course of study.
Are your degrees accredited?
No. All Confluence degrees are non-accredited. Confluence Seminary of Sacred Studies is a religious educational organization. Our certificates, titles, and degrees, including the 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.
Courses
Do I have to take courses to be ordained?
One course. Completing Interfaith Studies earns your ordination and the pastoral designation. Further courses are optional and lead to additional titles and degrees.
How much do courses cost?
Each course is $100 and earns 3 credit hours when completed with a grade of 70% or higher. Completing all twenty courses for the Doctor of Divinity comes to $2,000 in tuition.
How do the courses work?
All courses are online and self-paced. There are no class times or deadlines. You read the assigned texts, work through the lessons, and submit your quizzes, written assignments, and final exam when you are ready.
How are courses graded?
Reading responses count for 20%, unit quizzes for 20%, two written assignments for 30%, and the final exam for 30%. A final grade of 70% or higher earns 3 credit hours and a Certificate of Completion.
Do I need to buy books?
Each course lists required texts on its syllabus. Many are widely available in libraries, used bookstores, and ebook editions.
Contact
How do I reach the Seminary?
Use the online contact form. We answer every message by email. The Seminary does not take phone calls.
Will you share my information?
No. The information you provide on your application is used only to process your ordination, enrollment, and credentials.
State Guides
Officiating in Your State
Every state sets its own rules for wedding officiants. Choose a state to see what Confluence ministers need to know before performing a ceremony there.
State guides give general information for Confluence ministers and are not legal advice. Laws and county procedures change, so always confirm the requirements with the county office that issues the marriage license.
Contact
Send Us a Message
Please check the FAQ first. Most questions are answered there. For anything else, use this form and we will reply by email.
5900 Balcones Drive #165
Austin, TX 78731
Application
Online Application
Apply for ordination, enroll in courses, seek a degree, or request a special title or honorary degree. Payment instructions are emailed once your application is approved. Fields marked * are required.