A federal lawsuit filed this week by a minister and a non-denominational religious organization known for ordaining people “instantly” online claims a county official said they were unable to perform a wedding ceremony.
Universal Life Church Ministries, along with Rev. Stephen H. Moser, one of its ministers who lives in Bucks County, filed a federal lawsuit against Bucks County Register of Wills Linda Bobrin.
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The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the county row office from stopping Universal Life Church Ministries’ officiants from being discriminated against.
The court filing by the church and Moser relayed the following incident:
In June 2020, Rev. Moser called the office of the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphan Courts for Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He told the representative who answered that he was “newly ordained,” and he asked the representative about the process for obtaining a marriage license and solemnizing a wedding. The representative told Rev. Moser that, if he had been ordained through the internet, he could not perform legal marriages in Pennsylvania. The representative stated that Rev. Moser must have a church and a “following” to perform marriages. Rev. Moser asked what kind of proof Bucks County requires to show a minister has a “following,” and the representative provided no explanation.
Moser, according to the lawsuit, planned to officiate his son’s wedding in August 2020 and his cousin’s wedding in October 2022, but he did not because of the county worker’s alleged statement.
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On April 19, Moser’s daughter plans to marry and he wishes to perform the ceremony. He also would like to perform additional marriages in the future.
“Rev. Moser fears the marriage will be invalid if he performs the ceremony and signs the marriage certificate,” the lawsuit states.
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The county has declined comment on the lawsuit, but noted Bobrin’s office has issued 303 marriage licenses to couples married by a Universal Life Church Ministries-affiliated officiant since the start of last year.
A 2007 York County court decision found a marriage was invalid because a Universal Life Church Ministries reverend was not authorized to do so under law.
A 2008 Bucks County court decision found a marriage solemnized by a Universal Life Church Ministries reverend was valid.
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The Washington-based Universal Life Church Ministries claims it is one of world’s largest religious organizations, having ordained 20 million individuals and a number of celebrities.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Register of Wills office issued a press release Thursday taking issue with a Bucks County Courier Times article on the lawsuit. It claims the article indicated the office “would not recognize marriages solemnized by persons ordained through the internet.” The office noted that Bobrin “and her predecessors have long accepted and will continue to accept marriages performed by persons ordained via the internet.”
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“If the officiant is acceptable to the couple, then Bucks County will accept the marriage as valid. Pennsylvania and Bucks County even recognize certain self-uniting marriages that do not involve an officiant,” the statement said.
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