Classes of Service in The Order of Universal Interfaith There are five professional categories of canonical stature given to serve The Order based upon the level of training received towards capable religious service in a professional setting.  All who take the vows of service are "ordained" whether clergy or laity. The first and highest category of service based on training is “Interfaith-Interspiritual Cleric and Minister” given to pledged members with a bachelor’s degree or higher from a US Department of Education approved undergraduate program and graduation from an Interfaith Seminary or school as approved by the Board of Directors of The Order.  The Board of Directors has the ability to bestow this level of service for graduation from a single-faith seminary if other life experiences demonstrate capable interfaith and interspiritual education and training.  Sustained leadership of an interfaith congregation is also considered service that merits this designation.   All leadership positions of The Order are filled by pledgers with religious ordination as an “Interfaith-Interspiritual Cleric.” The second category of service is “Interfaith Celebrant.” This ordination is given to pledged members who do not have all the credentials for “Interfaith Cleric,” but who are in training towards that service as long as they have graduated from an approved interfaith seminary.  If in seminary student status, the pledger is ordained as an "Interfaith Aspirant." The third category of service is the lay pledger who receives ordination as a "Wayfarer."  This pledger usually enters The Order with no desire to gain clergy stature but wishes to be part of The Order, its spiritual communities and its work. The Order also wishes to recognize the "Wisdom Keepers" who are senior and well-respected leaders of specific religions and faiths who are considered the guardians of the beliefs and rituals and knowledge that are important to each of the world's spiritual paths. Finally, the Board of Directors of The Order has the right to award an "Honorary Inspiritual Sage" designation to individuals it deems worthy of recognition for very special contributions to The Order and to the principles of Universal Interfaith and to the history of interfaith and interspirituality. All ordinations are granted by the authority of the Board of Directors and its officers without regard to personal religious or spiritual beliefs so long as they are not in conflict with the “Declaration of Faith” of The Order.   Canonical stature in any class is never denied for race, age, physical limitation, gender, sexual orientation or religious preference, so long as the pledge to serve is freely given after adulthood (age of 18 years) and all training requirements for ordination are fulfilled and there is no conduct within the past five years that would reflect negatively upon The Order and its spiritual Statement of Faith.