Walking A Different Path

Minister AJ Wisti – Free Thinking Minister of the Universal Life Church

Not a Pulpit, Not a Lecture – A Conversation

I’m not here to tell you a “sky daddy” is going to swoop down and save you while you sit back, ignore your own choices, and dodge accountability. Having faith in God, Jesus, or any higher power is fine — but it doesn’t let you off the hook for living a responsible life.

My ministerial work is about cutting through excuses and confronting the real question: what are you doing with your one short life? Are you building something steady during times of crisis, or are you caving to addictions, distractions, and the lazy comforts endorsed by fearful church dogma and the latest social trends? I’ve lived both sides of that coin. I’ve numbed myself with leisure, and I’ve nearly drowned in the temptations that promised escape. But when I chose to build quietly — even in pain — the foundation of my life changed.

Faith Isn’t a Weapon

Believe as you will. I don’t care if your faith is rooted in Christianity, Islam, Paganism, science, or nothing at all. What I do care about is whether you’re using your belief system to grow — or as a weapon to force everyone else into your mold. I encourage diversity of thought. In fact, I insist on it. If we all believe exactly the same, we’ve stopped thinking.

Accountability Over Excuses

My endorsement is for accountability — sometimes brutal, always honest. Independent critical thinking. No shortcuts. No hiding behind ritual, politics, or groupthink. Like Jesus outside the temple walls, I have no brick-and-mortar structure. My ministry is open, transparent, and rooted in community. My convictions are firm, but not immovable. If evidence shows I’m wrong, or if my stance creates more legal problems than it solves, I’ll adjust. That’s integrity.

Who I Am

I am a Free Thinking Universal Life Church minister. My pulpit is wherever honest dialogue happens. My goal is not to give you easy answers — but to challenge you to ask harder questions. The same kind George Carlin was asking on HBO in the dead of night when polite society wasn’t paying attention. The kind that make you uncomfortable, but stronger for wrestling with them.

If you’re tired of sermons that numb, and you’re ready for conversations that sharpen, you’re in the right place.

I’m No Holy Roller

I’m not holy enough to live perfection — and I sure as hell won’t pretend I am. What I preach isn’t sainthood. It’s accountability, responsibility, and just enough humility to remind myself that my path isn’t unique. Plenty of non-religious folks live the same way and don’t get fanfare for it. Neither should I.

I’m just a guy who’s had help crawling out of homelessness, still wrestling with addiction, poverty, and mental illness. My lessons weren’t learned in a seminary or a university lecture hall — they were carved into me through failure, survival, and the slow grind of rebuilding when everything inside me screamed to give up.

Here’s the truth: you could be accepting an award at a celebrity-studded gala at 4 p.m. and be dead by midnight. That’s not cynicism. That’s reality. And it’s the stark reminder that keeps me grounded. Life is short, fragile, and fleeting. Pretending otherwise doesn’t make it less true.

A Grounded Ministry

My ministry isn’t about piety. It’s about honesty. It’s about recognizing that life is brutal, beautiful, and temporary — and what matters most is how we show up for ourselves and others while we’re here. Not as saints. Not as martyrs. Just as humans doing the work of living with integrity.