§517.04
Minnesota Statutes
87
Minnesota Counties
49 yrs
Continuous Standing
3-5 wks
Credentialing
Minnesota Ordination Through AEGA
Recognized credentials, filed in Minnesota.
Minnesota is one of the states that requires ordained ministers to file their credentials of ordination before officiating. Minn. Stat. §517.04 authorizes any licensed or ordained minister of a religious denomination to solemnize marriages, provided the minister files credentials with a Minnesota county clerk. AEGA issues the ordination certificate that satisfies this filing. The AEGA ordination credential is the credential that meets the requirement. Once filed with a county clerk, the credential is recognized statewide.
AEGA Ordained Minister credentials in Minnesota name the holder as an ordained minister of AEGA Ministries International, a Spirit-filled fellowship recognized as a religious organization under U.S. law and chartered as a 501(c)(3) since 1976. Sufficient under Minn. Stat. §517.04 to conduct marriages across Minnesota. AEGA is not a denomination; it is a covenant fellowship of ministers credentialing ministers.
Who AEGA Credentials in Minnesota
Six common Minnesota ordination pathways.
AEGA carries credentialed ministers across every region of Minnesota, from senior pastors in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Duluth, Rochester, and greater Twin Cities suburbs to bivocational pastors, church planters, and chaplains. Each pathway runs through the same Credential Committee review.
Senior pastors of Minnesota congregations.
Lead pastors carrying ordination through AEGA across Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Duluth, Rochester, and greater Twin Cities suburbs. The National Division covering reaches every region of Minnesota through state and area coordinators.
Associate and youth pastors in Minnesota.
Staff pastors stepping into recognized ministerial standing under Minn. Stat. §517.04. AEGA credentialing covers associate, youth, worship, and discipleship pastors serving inside Minnesota congregations.
Minnesota church planters and bivocational pastors.
Ministers starting new works across the Twin Cities metro, southern Minnesota, the Iron Range, and Greater Minnesota. AEGA's 501(c)(3) charter pathway pairs with regional coverage so new Minnesota churches receive both the legal covering and the relational covering from day one.
Ministers transferring credentials into AEGA.
Pastors and ministers moving from another fellowship or denomination into AEGA Minnesota. Regional leaders and the Credential Committee walk the transfer through, usually within three to five weeks.
Minnesota chaplains needing the ordination prerequisite.
Hospital, hospice, prison, military, and first-responder chaplains across Minnesota who need AEGA Ordained Minister credentials before applying for chaplain endorsement. The credentialing path is the gate.
Wedding officiants across Minnesota.
Ministers whose call includes officiating weddings across Minnesota. Under Minn. Stat. §517.04, AEGA ordination supplies the credential filed with a Minnesota county clerk before solemnizing marriages.
Credential Pathways for Minnesota Ministers
Credentialing tracks under one Spirit-filled fellowship.
AEGA carries four ministerial tiers plus the comparison, timeline, certificate, and chaplaincy pages Minnesota applicants reference most. Begin at the tier that matches your call.
Ministerial Apprentice.
The formation tier for ministers preparing for Licensed or Ordained credential. 12-24 months under a local pastor. Minnesota applicants begin here if no prior ministerial standing.
Christian Worker.
For those called to lay ministry roles: Sunday school teacher, jail or street ministry, house-to-house visitation. $50 application + $50 annual renewal. Open to ministers in any Minnesota city.
Licensed Minister.
For ministers in part-time or full-time ministry with limited experience. Authorizes preaching, marriage officiation under Minn. Stat. §517.04, baptism, and all sacerdotal duties.
Ordained Minister.
The highest credentialing tier. Required for chaplain endorsement, charter pastorship of an AEGA congregation, and the most formal forms of Minnesota ministerial standing.
Why AEGA in Minnesota
A covenant fellowship for the long career of Minnesota ministry.
AEGA-credentialed Minnesota ministers carry recognition under Minn. Stat. §517.04, the credential a county clerk reviews when filing for state-level marriage authority, and the standing of a Spirit-filled fellowship that has carried ministers since 1976.
Minnesota Statutes §517.04.
The statute that authorizes ordained ministers to solemnize Minnesota marriages once credentials of ordination are filed with a county clerk. AEGA issues the ordination certificate filed under this statute, recognized across all 87 counties.
Recognized across 87 Minnesota counties.
AEGA ordination is recognized in every Minnesota county clerk's office. Ministers serving across the Twin Cities metro, southern Minnesota, the Iron Range, and Greater Minnesota carry the same credential.
Spirit-filled fellowship oversight.
AEGA is a covenant fellowship of ministers credentialing ministers, not a denomination. Minnesota ministers carry both legal standing and relational covering through regional leadership.
49 years of standing.
AEGA has carried Spirit-filled ministers since 1976. Minnesota county clerks, chaplain boards, and charter agencies recognize the credential on file.
Get Ordained · By State or Nation
Become an ordained minister wherever you serve.
Every state has its own requirements for officiating weddings, performing chaplaincy, and operating a church. We’ve mapped the path for the states most of our applicants come from.
Frequently Asked
Getting ordained in Minnesota, answered.
Do I need to register with Minnesota to officiate weddings as an ordained minister?
Yes. Minnesota Statutes §517.04 requires an ordained minister to file credentials of ordination with the office of a Minnesota county clerk before solemnizing a marriage in the state. This is a one-time filing that is then valid in all 87 counties. AEGA issues the certificate of ordination that satisfies this filing requirement.
How long does AEGA ordination take in Minnesota?
Most AEGA credentials, including ordination, are issued within three to five weeks of a complete application. The timeline is the same in Minnesota as in any U.S. state. The credential review by the Credential Committee covers doctrinal alignment with the historic Spirit-filled stream AEGA has carried since 1976, references, and ministry experience.
Does AEGA credential ministers across all of Minnesota?
Yes. AEGA-credentialed ministers serve across the Twin Cities metro, southern Minnesota, the Iron Range, and Greater Minnesota. The same ordination certificate is recognized in every one of the 87 Minnesota counties.
Can a Minnesota-ordained AEGA minister also become a chaplain?
Yes. AEGA Ordained Minister credentials are the prerequisite for chaplain endorsement. Minnesota hospital, hospice, prison, military, and first-responder chaplains carry AEGA ordination as the underlying ministerial credential before applying for endorsement through their endorsing agency.
How does AEGA ordination compare to online ordination services in Minnesota?
AEGA ordination is a sacred setting-apart act inside a covenant fellowship, not a same-day online certificate. AEGA credentials carry the standing of a religious organization chartered as a 501(c)(3) since 1976, recognized under Minn. Stat. §517.04 and by Minnesota county clerks, chaplain endorsing agencies, and charter authorities. Online certificates frequently fail recognition tests at the county-clerk counter or with endorsing agencies; AEGA credentials do not.
Learn more about ordination through AEGA.
Spirit-filled covenant fellowship. 49 years of continuous standing. Recognized under Minn. Stat. §517.04 for marriage officiation across Minnesota.