For a list of active ministers please see the Active Clergy (Who to go to for Help) article.
Email the Clergy at:
Contents
- What is Clergy?
- Here is a List of the Active Clergy
- What is Synod?
- What is the Seminary?
- What is Confiding/Confession?
- What are the Clerical Ranks? What are their roles?
- What are Temporary Licences?
What is the Clergy?
What clergy are not: Our clergy are not mental healthcare professionals, they are guides, and if a member is feeling particularly emotionally distressed they should seek the appropriate clinical help.
The clergy is the area of the Temple that deals specifically with the spiritual well-being of the community as a whole. The clergy are not spiritual authorities, but they are entrusted with helping guide people along their Jedi journeys.
As a non-profit religious organisation TotJO has the ability to licence and ordain ministers to serve in a clerical capacity. All ministers can officiate weddings and conduct other religious ceremonies. Both licenses and ordinations are legal in every state in the USA and may be in foreign countries (check with your local civil authorities for guidelines).
To become a Minister of the Force you must be licensed or ordained by TotJO; it is not a certificate that makes you a minister but our records on file.
What is the Synod?
The Synod is a clerical body that oversees the broad functions of the Clergy. The Synod like the Council - but subject to the decisions of the Council - facilitates, administrates and organises the Clergy by providing direction and implementing changes and updates.
The members of the Synod consist of The Pastor of the Order (Carlos, Martinez), the VP of Clerical Affairs (Zanthan Storm), The Assistant Pastor for Seminary (Vacant) and the Assistant Pastor for Outreach (Vacant)
To view the Synod Charter please click here.
What is the Seminary?
The Seminary is the section of TotJO that deals with the Clerical Training Programme. To join the Clergy you should first contact a pastor. You will then be interviewed by one or more members of the Synod and, if successful, be invited to join the Seminary.
There is a difference in the kind of training done for the Clerical Training Programme in the Seminary compared to the training done for the Degree Scheme. The degree training is there to help individuals and members with their own understanding of the Jedi path as it applies to them. The seminary training is there to provide assistance and to further expand another individual's understanding of their Jedi path.
Training consists of a series of exercises that require your understanding of various topics including: relevant terms such as “liturgy”, the duties of a member of the Clergy, legality, empathy, and role-play situations.
Upon completion of the Clerical Training Programme your work will be reviewed by the Synod and, if your work meets the expectations required of a member of our Clergy, you will be interviewed by the Synod. If the interview is successful, the Synod will promote you.
There is a requirement of having reached the rank of Initiate and being at least sixteen (16) years of age prior to being admitted into the Seminary (our clergy training area).
If you would like a certificate detailing your Minister's Licence, these may be sent, for a small fee, by post.
What is Confidence/Confession?
Confidence is the word we at the Temple use for "confession". Jedi do not have sin, confidence is a private and confidential conversation between the Confider (the person speaking to the Minister) and the Confidant (the Minister providing the service).
If a member is struggling spiritually, or they need someone to talk to, or they need some guidance, then that is what the Clergy are there for.
Please be aware that while all Clergy Persons at the Temple are trustworthy people and can be approached for help, only those who have been ordained are bound by the Oath of the Confidant; Licensed Ministers, temporary or not, are not bound by this oath.
Past acts are confidential, however Ministers have a duty to report future acts to relevant authorities if they believe you are a danger to yourself or another.
Not all countries recognise Confidence's confidentiality. If a crime is admitted during Confidence it is possible that, if required to in a court of law, the minister will have to give details of what was said. Please check local civil laws on the issue, or ask the minister prior to Confidence whether this applies.
The Oath of Confidence:
"I profess before all that I, [legal name], born the dd/mm/yyyy, shall honour the Seal of Confidence as prescribed by the Temple of the Jedi Order and its Clergy. That which I come to know, through my service to any other fellow human being, through interaction, observation or from other's account, I will not divulge to any other, in recognition that these matters are by nature Secret. I understand that should I compromise or violate this Oath, my statute as a Clergy member, regardless of grade or position, shall be forfeit."
What are the Clerical Ranks? What are their roles?
Licensed Clergy Person (LCP)
A Licensed Clergy Person is authorized to conduct liturgical ceremonies and services and to create a personal ministry consistent with the Doctrine of the Order, online and off-line. A Licensed Clergy Person is expected to regularly contribute to the Temple's sermon calendar and to engage in clerical outreach in accordance with policies set by the Synod and the Clergy. A Licensed Clergy Person is encouraged to create a clerical handbook. A Licensed Clergy Person shall not act as a Confidant. A Licensed Clergy Person is authorized to use the honorific "Reverend," but may not append a clerical suffix to his/her name.
Ordained Clergy Person (OCP)
In addition to the powers and duties of a Licensed Clergy Person, an Ordained Clergy Person may act as a Confidant under clerical seal and may conduct an ordination ceremony for another Ordained Clergy Person with the authorization of the Council (or the Council's designee). An Ordained Clergy Person is expected to regularly contribute to the Temple's sermon calendar and to engage in clerical outreach in accordance with policies set by the Synod and the Clergy. An Ordained Clergy Person is specifically expected to reach out to and build rapport with those in the Temple who do not have Teaching Masters, and to lend support and counsel to other members of the Clergy. An Ordained Clergy Person is authorized to use the honorific "Reverend" and to append the clerical suffix "OCP" to his/her name.
Senior Ordained Clergy Person (Sr. OCP)
In addition to the powers and duties of an Ordained Clergy Person, a Senior Ordained Clergy Person may ordain members of the Clergy with the authorization of the Council (or the Council's designee). A Senior Ordained Clergy Person is expected to regularly contribute to the Temple's sermon calendar and to engage in clerical outreach in accordance with policies set by the Synod and the Clergy. A Senior Ordained Clergy Person is specifically expected to reach out to and build rapport with those in the Temple who do not have Teaching Masters, and to lend support and counsel to other members of the Clergy. A Senior Ordained Clergy Person is also expected to see the "big picture" of the Temple's spiritual welfare, looking for themes that need to be addressed and areas of potential growth, and to convey these observations to the Clergy in order to address the Temple's spiritual needs.
Seminarian
A Seminarian is a Temple member who has been admitted to and begun studies in the Seminary. While Seminarians are not authorized to conduct liturgical services outside the Temple, they may compose and publish sermons as any member of the Clergy, and they may preside over live services within the Temple with the consent of the Assistant Pastor for the Seminary.
What are Temporary Licences?
If you wish to officiate a single ceremony as a Temporary Minister of the Temple of the Jedi Order without going through the seminary training, we may grant a Temporary Minister Licence. These licences are recognized in every state in the U.S. and may be in foreign countries (check with your local civil authorities for guidelines). Please note the following requirements:
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You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age in most jurisdictions.
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You must have an account on the Temple’s forum with a minimum of seven days’ activity at the time of your application. Your account may not have been created solely for the purpose of obtaining a Temporary Minister's Licence.
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You must not be under any judicial ban that would prohibit the granting of such a licence.
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You may be required to provide a completed background check from a competent authority.
Contact the Secretary for the Clergy by email at
Please note that this is a carefully considered and structured process, and may therefore take time to complete. You should plan to allow at least fourteen (14) days for processing of your application. You may wish to allow more advance time if your local jurisdiction requires physical documentation* of your Temporary Licence or if you are outside of the U.S. or the EU.
*Although it is the records on file in our Temple that provide legal authority to officiate as a Licenced Minister, some jurisdictions may require certification or other documentation, such as a letter of good standing or a letter of commendation. If this is the case, you may also wish to find out from your local authority whether electronic submissions are acceptable, as this can save mailing time.
