- Two traditions can share one ceremony. A blessing from one, a ritual from the other, woven together so that both families recognize something of themselves.
- One tradition can lead. If a single faith is home for you, your ceremony can follow its familiar shape.
- Or no tradition at all. A ceremony can be profoundly moving without a word of scripture.
- Nobody is left on the outside. Guests of any faith, and of none, will be able to follow along and take part.
- Your beliefs stay yours. I'm not there to teach, convert or correct. I'm there to give words to what's already true between you.
The question everyone asks
What is an interfaith minister?
It's the first thing most couples want to know, and it's a fair question. Here's the plain answer, what it means for your ceremony, and how I trained for this work.
The short answer
An interfaith minister is an ordained minister trained in the world's great wisdom traditions, rather than in only one of them.
In practice, that means your ceremony belongs to you, and not to a denomination. Some couples want scripture and blessing throughout. Some want a single line that honors a grandmother's faith. Some want nothing religious at all. All three are an ordinary day's work for me.
You'll never be asked to believe anything, or to join anything, in order to be married by me. And because I'm ordained, I can legally marry you here in North Carolina and take care of your license afterwards.
“Nothing in the world is single;
all things by a law divine
in one spirit meet and mingle.”
What it means for you
What this looks like on your wedding day
How I trained
Two years of study, not an afternoon online
I graduated from One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York after a two-year program, and I was ordained in 2015. We studied the mystical heart of the world's traditions — Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and indigenous and emerging paths — along with the craft of ceremony itself, and the care it takes to hold sacred space for a family.
Many wedding officiants are ordained online in an afternoon. There's nothing unkind to say about that, but it is a different thing. Couples navigating two faiths, or one family that feels strongly, often tell me afterwards that the difference mattered.
More about my pathWhat I believe about this work
Many paths, one love
Beneath the diversity of theological beliefs, rites and observances lies a deeper unity of experience that is our shared spiritual heritage.
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A bridge between the sacred and the everyday
An interfaith minister serves anyone in need, whatever their worldview or tradition of origin, and celebrates both our differences and what we share.
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A help in making meaning
We're here to help people find meaning in life's great moments, and to treat every circumstance as an opportunity to grow.
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Still walking the path
We're committed to deepening our own relationship with the Divine, however each of us understands it, and to supporting others in discovering theirs.
Kind words
From a religiously diverse couple
Christie brought the perfect combination of love, spirituality and gentle warmth to our wedding. As a religiously diverse couple, we were unsure how we could craft a ceremony that spoke to both of us, but Christie was able to craft a ceremony that incorporated all of the diverse elements that touched our hearts. Simply put, Christie was the glue that pulled the ceremony together.
Selecting Christie to officiate at our wedding was the best decision we could have made. Her calm and gracious manner, coupled with her unique ability to help us create a custom tailored ceremony truly reflecting who we are as a couple, made our special day absolutely perfect.
Still wondering?
Ask me anything at all
No question about faith, family or tradition is too small or too awkward. I've almost certainly been asked it before, and I'd love to hear what you're planning.
Based in Raleigh · Serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and anywhere within about an hour