Hi, I am Jon, a Dudeist Minister and wedding officiant based in Cincinnati. I love connecting good people. That is why I also run the largest Meetup group in Cincinnati. If you want to join me for an adventure and meet some amazing people, join our MeetUpGroup. There we have all kinds of adventures from pickleball trips to volunteering days.
Dudeist Steven
I wanted to make sure my couples were covered in case something happened to me. In 2024 my son joined me as an ordained minister. At the moment Steven is only a back up and would only substitute in case of an emergency. He actually looks much more like The Dude than I do so if you want a Big Lebowski themed wedding you should consider him.
How this all started.
This all started in 2018 when I was asked by a very good friend to officiate her wedding ceremony. While I consider myself spiritual, I am not religious. I believe in innate values and morals. I have questions about life and deeper meanings. I do not consider myself “religious” because I don’t typically follow one specific set of texts or spiritual practices.
Still, being asked to perform a wedding is a great honor and I wanted to take part in such a special occasion. I wanted to be ordained by a Church that didn’t push beliefs that excluded or hurt people. It was important I find an organization that did more than just tolerate alternate views and philosophies, I wanted one that honored and respected them. In my search I found The Church of the Latter Day Dude and became a Dudeist.
Simply put, I believe that life is too short to waste much time being mean or negative. The world can be hard for some people and I need to do what I can to make my part of it better. That means it really isn’t my place to pass judgment on others because I don’t know the life they have. I can only decide what is right or wrong for myself. Most importantly, do good things and help others when I can. (I was going to include a really bad bowling pun but I wanted to spare you.)
While researching what was legally required to officiate a wedding I learned there is a real need for non-traditional ceremonies. More than just people who don’t subscribe to one version of religion or God. There are people out there who want help with celebrations of life and more. They want someone that respects their alternative lifestyles and honors their beliefs.
Being true to yourself and kind to others is a large part of what Dudeism is about. So I will offer my services as a Dudeist minister to anyone in the world who might need it (even if you like The Eagles).
Just send us a message with what you are thinking. I don’t care how unusual your service may be, as long as its a good thing and respectful to others, I will abide.