The Universal Life Church of Modesto, CA is alive and well and going strong. The Universal Life Church, which originated in Modesto, CA, has been in existence since 1959. It was started by Kirby Hensley and now is still going strong, led by his son Andre Hensley. The real International Headquarters for the Universal Life Church is now, and always has been located in Modesto, CA.

In 2006, the site known as the monastery broke away and was taken over by the former vice president of their board, through means which have been argued in the courts. Their ordinations are only valid through their own organization, as the Universal Life Church Headquarters does not recognize them. This is legal, as many churches have done the same thing. In 2009, one of their hirelings decided to avail himself of the contacts from the monastery and the faith and trust of the ministers of the ULC, and started his own distorted version of the ULC and what it stands for. He discriminates against those who many join, charges for ordinations, and keeps self-increasing his own self-importance, by using words like 'International Worldwide Headquarters' and self-aggrandizing words of that nature. He makes outrageous claims of grants, blood drives, and being the 'only faith-based ordinations', which is entirely false.

Most people have caught on to his antics and are steering clear. However, once an idea gets out, copycats will come flying out of the woodworks. The most recent attack on the freedom of religion comes in the form of a new 'international headquarters of ULC'. They have ulcihq.whatever. If they are international headquarters of anything, it has nothing to do with the Universal Life Church, as founded by Kirby Hensley and continued by his son Andre. The only International Worldwide Headquarters of the Universal Life Church is located in Modesto, CA. There are two sites that support the original ULC, one of which is the Universal Life Church Seminary, (which provides a wide variety of ministerial support and training) run by Rev. Amy Long, and the other is ULC Online, run by Kevin Andrews.

Any other site claiming to be the international headquarters of ULC are questionable, at best, and are merely self-aggrandizing. If anyone asks you to renounce your ordinations with someone else to be a part of their group, run away very fast. If they are charging you for ordination, they are most certainly NOT part of the Universal Life Church, where ordination is always free and lasts for life. And if they claim to be the one and only ULC of anything, international or otherwise, then take two steps back and read the fine print. Chances are good that their domains are brand-spanking new and the only authority they are running off of is their own.