Terms, Conditions & Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing, browsing, or using the Church of Pride website (“Site”) or by purchasing ordination services (“Services”), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”), our Privacy Policy, and all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must not use the Site or Services.

2. Description of Services

Church of Pride is a for-profit religious organization that provides online ordination of ministers. Upon completing the ordination form and payment, you will receive a digital certificate of ordination as a minister of the Church of Pride. This ordination is intended to authorize the bearer to perform wedding ceremonies in accordance with applicable laws.

3. Eligibility

To be ordained through Church of Pride, you must be at least 18 years of age and must certify your agreement with our values statement. By completing the ordination form, you represent and warrant that all information provided is accurate and truthful.

4. Legal Compliance — Your Responsibility

IMPORTANT: Marriage laws, officiant requirements, registration obligations, and ceremony regulations vary significantly by state, county, municipality, and country. It is solely your responsibility to research, understand, and comply with all applicable local, state, federal, and international laws before officiating any ceremony.

Church of Pride makes no guarantee that ordination through our organization will be recognized by any specific jurisdiction. We do not provide legal advice. We strongly recommend that you consult with your local county clerk's office and, if necessary, a licensed attorney, before performing any marriage ceremony.

By accepting these Terms, you agree that Church of Pride shall not be held liable for any consequences arising from your failure to comply with applicable laws.

5. Payment and Refund Policy

The ordination fee is $20 USD, charged as a one-time payment. Payment is processed securely through Stripe. Your ordination is valid for life with no recurring fees.

Because the ordination certificate is delivered digitally and instantaneously, all sales are final once the certificate has been issued. Church of Pride will issue a full refund in the following circumstances: (a) non-delivery — you did not receive your certificate due to a technical error on our part; (b) duplicate charge — you were billed more than once for the same ordination; or (c) uncorrectable error — your certificate contains a misspelling of your legal name and we are unable to reissue a corrected version. To request a refund, email hello@churchofpride.com within 30 days of purchase with your name, email address, and a description of the issue. Refund requests outside of these circumstances, including requests based on a jurisdiction's refusal to recognize online ordination, are not eligible for a refund. If a payment dispute (chargeback) is filed with your bank, we will respond with documentation of the completed transaction and certificate delivery.

6. Certificate and Ordination

Your ordination certificate is provided as a digital PDF document sent to the email address you provide at the time of purchase. It is your responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the information you submit, including the spelling of your legal name. Replacement certificates may be requested by email at no additional charge.

7. Document Availability and Limitations

Church of Pride provides a digital PDF ordination certificate and maintains an internal ordination record that can be used for verification purposes. At this time, we do not provide notarized letters of good standing, printed credentials, wallet ID cards, or other physical documents. Some county clerks and government offices may require a notarized letter of good standing or other documentation beyond a PDF certificate before authorizing you to officiate. It is your responsibility to confirm what documents your jurisdiction requires by contacting the relevant clerk's office before the ceremony.

8. Known Jurisdiction Restrictions

The following jurisdictions are known to impose restrictions or additional requirements on online-ordained ministers. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive, and may not reflect the most current legal developments:

Tennessee: Current state law prohibits persons receiving online ordinations from solemnizing marriages. If the ceremony is in Tennessee, use a legally authorized officiant under Tennessee rules.

Hawaii: Requires all marriage performers to be licensed through the state's registration system. District of Columbia: Requires court authorization and notarized officiant applications. West Virginia: Maintains a state registry administered by the Secretary of State. New York City: Requires officiants to register with the City Clerk. Virginia: Requires ministers to obtain a circuit court order. Massachusetts: Requires clergy filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

This information is provided for general awareness only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change, and local practices may differ from state law. Always contact the county clerk where the ceremony will take place.

9. Intellectual Property

All content on this Site, including text, graphics, logos, images, and software, is the property of Church of Pride or its content suppliers and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content on this Site without our express written permission.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CHURCH OF PRIDE, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SITE OR SERVICES.

Church of Pride's total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or your use of the Services shall not exceed the amount you paid to Church of Pride in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Church of Pride and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to your use of the Services, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any applicable law in connection with officiating ceremonies.

12. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration shall take place in the state in which Church of Pride maintains its principal place of business. You agree to waive any right to a jury trial or to participate in a class action.

13. Modification of Terms

Church of Pride reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be effective upon posting to the Site. Your continued use of the Site or Services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

14. Termination

Church of Pride reserves the right to terminate or suspend your ordination and access to the Site at its sole discretion, without notice, for conduct that we determine violates these Terms, is harmful to other users, or is otherwise objectionable.

Privacy Policy

Information We Collect

Information you provide: When you complete the ordination form, we collect your full legal name, email address, state/province, and country. When you contact us, we collect the information included in your message.

Information collected automatically: When you visit our Site, we automatically collect certain technical information including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, time and date of your visit, and device information. This data is collected through cookies and similar technologies.

Purpose of Processing

We use your personal information for the following purposes: processing your ordination and delivering your certificate; maintaining ordination records for verification and replacement requests; responding to customer inquiries and support requests; sending newsletter communications (only if you opt in); improving our Site and services through analytics; complying with legal obligations; and preventing fraud or misuse of our services.

Payment Information

Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe, Inc. Church of Pride does not store, access, or process your credit card number, bank account information, or other financial account details. Stripe is PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant. For details on how Stripe handles your payment data, please refer to Stripe's privacy policy at stripe.com/privacy.

Sharing with Third Parties

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We share your information only with the following categories of service providers, solely for the purposes described above: Stripe (payment processing); our email delivery provider (transactional emails and optional newsletters); our web hosting and analytics providers (site performance and usage data). Each of these providers processes data in accordance with their own privacy policies and is contractually obligated to protect your information.

Cookies and Tracking

Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies to maintain session state, remember preferences, and collect analytics data. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies, though some features of the Site may not function properly without them. We do not use cookies for advertising or retargeting purposes.

Data Retention

We retain your ordination records (name, email, ordination date, ordination number) indefinitely for the purpose of verifying ordination status and issuing replacement certificates. Technical logs and analytics data are retained for up to 24 months. You may request deletion of your data by contacting us at hello@churchofpride.com. We will comply with deletion requests subject to any legal obligations we may have to retain certain records (for example, transaction records required for tax or accounting purposes).

Cross-Border Data Transfers

Our Site is hosted in the United States. If you are accessing our Site from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. By using our Site and providing your information, you consent to this transfer.

Your Rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by emailing hello@churchofpride.com. If you are a resident of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or a U.S. state with applicable consumer privacy legislation (such as the California Consumer Privacy Act), you may have additional rights including the right to data portability and the right to object to certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@churchofpride.com. If you opted into our newsletter, you may unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in each email.

Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

For questions about these Terms or our Privacy Policy, please contact us at hello@churchofpride.com.