If you are interested in becoming an ordained minister in an interfaith environment that honors your unique calling, Awakenings Institute may be for you. Since 2005, Awakenings has ordained ministers in a unique ministry training program.
Do you want to uplift yourself more while serving others on their spiritual journeys?
Would you like to be ordained as a minister as part of your spiritual calling?
We (Phillip and Jane Mountrose) are ministers ourselves. These questions have been important for us and they led us on a journey to find our spiritual home. Synchronicity stepped in and showed us the way. Now we’re the Founding Directors of Awakenings Institute, an IRS-approved 501(c)3 nonprofit religious organization. Awakenings is dedicated to providing a way for like-minded individuals to pursue their spiritual callings.
How Awakenings Started its Ministry Training Course
We have been holistic spiritual coaches and energy healers since 1992. We train people in EFT, holistic coaching and spiritual growth and have authored over a dozen books and manuals. In 1996, we reached a point where we felt that becoming ministers would reflect our commitment to our spiritual mission.
When we first explored becoming ministers, we found some quick fixes. We knew that we could just fill out a form and for a nominal fee become ordained ministers.
This didn’t feel right! We were highly skilled in a variety of holistic and spiritual practices. We didn’t feel right about filling out a brief form, paying a few dollars and saying we were now ministers. In fact, we may have felt a little embarrassed claiming to be ministers under those circumstances, like we were short-cutting the experience and dishonoring the title of being a minister.
So with some research, we found a suitable non-profit organization to ordain us. It was a like-minded, holistically oriented organization that conveyed spiritual and ethical standards — including evidence of preparation, background, and study for ordination. This was exactly what we were seeking; we knew we could be proud to be ministers with this organization.
Ordination was a transformational experience for us. We were surprised that we felt at home in our new roles. It was like an identity shift and new sense of belonging had occurred. We felt more than ever that we were on track to realize our full potential and make a difference in the world.
Over time, we decided we wanted to take our commitment a step further. Our solution? We formed a non-profit religious organization where we could offer minister training, ordain others ethically, and prepare them to become successful as ministers.
“It’s easy and profound…”
Our Credo
As a non-denominational church for the spiritually-minded, Awakenings is holistic. Awakenings’ ministers serve members in accordance with the following credo:
The process of spiritual awakening unfolds through the integrated development of the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual faculties. In this unfolding, every aspect of life becomes a religious experience as embraced in the temple of my being. I am performing a religious service when I consciously participate in this sacred process, with my congregation being myself and those who seek my assistance in their awakenings.
Serving others, for fee or gratuity, who seek my assistance in the pursuit of this religious experience, is both my commitment and my right, free from persecution. My services are supported by the Awakenings Institute in agreement with the Constitution of the United States. Membership in the Awakenings Institute will be denied or revoked if I interfere with or injure the rights of others, perform criminal acts, or practice medicine without a license. My service, whether for fee or gratuity, is limited to the areas for which I have been qualified.
Benefits of Awakenings Minister Training and Ordination include:
- Using spiritual/holistic practices that create wholeness and balance
- Serving others through spiritual gatherings and teachings
- Practicing your beliefs with the freedom of the separation of church and state in the US
- Tax benefits the IRS offers to ordained ministers
- Operating as a ministry in a legal non-profit organization
- Experiencing a deep, heartfelt sense of spiritual belonging
- And more…
As an ordained Awakenings Minister, you can realize your spiritual mission with all of the blessings provided to ordained persons in the United States.
Mary Witt, one of Awakenings’ first ordained ministers, describes it this way:
“The ministry has made a big difference in my spiritual teaching and my life. Playing the role of a holistic minister has given me a different look on what it means to be a minister. It’s not just something you do on Sunday. Awakenings offers an approach that integrates the body, mind, and spirit. It goes much deeper, reaching directly into the heart and providing tools for making transformational changes in one’s perspective on life.
Being an Awakenings minister has personal meaning for me, too. I feel proud of myself for completing the program and recognize that I can be effective in this role, as a holistic minister. I also see now that the title opens a lot of doors. I’m viewed as a spiritual leader. The ministry gives me the authority to teach spiritual matters and conduct ceremonies, including weddings, funerals, and celebrations. Being ordained was a new spiritual experience for me. I was in awe and continue to value it highly.”
Is Ordination with Awakenings right for You?
Consider these 10 questions:
1. Are you seeking to become an ordained minister to provide spiritual guidance and support?
2. Would you like to complete your studies at home and on your own schedule?
3. Do you want to be part of a worldwide spiritual community built on a foundation of unconditional love and honoring of the magnificence of each individual?
4. Are you at least 21 years old with a minimum of a High School Diploma or equivalent life experience, and do you have a minimum of 200 hours of religious/spiritual training and expertise that you believe qualifies you to serve your community as an ordained minister? (This can include volunteer work and personal growth training.)
5. Are you interested in a program that allows you to express your religious/spiritual beliefs as you understand them rather than having to follow a fixed doctrine?
6. Do you recognize your role as a minister includes addressing any internal blockages that could interfere with your ability to serve others as an ordained minister, and are you prepared to do this?
7. Do you also recognize and honor the higher truths that unite all of the world’s religious traditions?
8. Do you believe that people of all faiths and nationalities are in a process of awakening to their magnificence as spiritual beings?
9. Do you view your role as a minister as helping those you serve to reach for a higher way of being?
10. Do you hold a higher vision for humanity as a whole and support its transformation into a higher way of being?
If you said “yes” to these 10 questions, you can probably see what a unique opportunity ordination with Awakenings is. The elements covered in these questions unite Awakenings’ Ministers in a spirit of harmony, without adding any dogma that could interfere with your ability to share your message in your own way.
The content of these questions is the substance of Twelve Ordination Vows Awakenings Ministers take. These vows create a common bond while also allowing ministers to freely express their spiritual/religious beliefs.
How the Minister Training Program Works
To complete your Ordination Training Course and receive certification as an Awakenings Minister, you will…
1. Study the Awakenings Minister’s Handbook you will receive after enrolling (in pdf online format).
2. Read the Article: The Unifying Potential of the Golden Rule and write a short essay on it.
3. Obtain Worth’s Income Tax Guide for Ministers (you order separately)
4. Define your mission in a concise Mission Statement
5. Reflect on the 12 Essential Vows and write a short essay on each one.
6. Conduct a ceremony and write an essay describing the experience.
7. Complete an open-book Final Exam.
8. Conclude with a final personalized phone session reviewing the program.
(Not a writer? Don’t worry about the essays. Their purpose is for reflection not perfection.)
Upon completion, you will receive a Certificate of Ordination in the mail for display.
Additional Program Details and Structure
How long does it take to complete the Ministry Training Course and become ordained?
The beauty of home-study is that you can go at your own pace and on your own schedule. Generally, it takes 4-8 weeks to complete the course. Your Certificate of Ordination will follow shortly after.
Even though people typically finish their minister training within a couple months, you have up to two years to complete the training. Whatever your situation is now, there is no time like the present to make this commitment to your future and your purpose.
Here’s what Carolyn Garner, one of Awakenings’ recently ordained ministers, had to say:
“I feel that taking the Awakenings Minister Training Program made me a better person, even adding to the ethics I already had. It showed me how to impeccably keep my word as well as practical considerations for being a minister. Working with Phillip and Jane Mountrose at Awakenings was also a wonderful experience.”
You, too, can make this your time! If this program feels right for you, you will save time, money, and energy by taking Awakenings Home-Study Ordination Program now. Take your Minister Training Course from the convenience of home or anywhere.
What is the investment for the Awakenings Home Study Ordination Training?
$197 or $297 (Basic or Enhanced Program) — One-Time Tuition Payment
If desired, you can also add optional mentoring to your ministry training. With mentoring, you get one-on-one support as you go through the program.
Click here to enroll.
By following your spiritual calling you will help so many more people, including yourself.
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“There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It’s why you are born. And how you become most truly alive.”
– Oprah Winfrey