A Brief Explanation, Officially,
Alan Ross is a brand name which was created because
it is easier to remember, spell and pronounce than Daniel Begnoche.
Legally, Alan Ross
must sign all documents with his real name. Therefore,
when becoming a minister, He could
only become ordained as Daniel W.
Begnoche, not Alan Ross. Since it would not be proper
to call him Reverend Alan Ross, we have listed it correctly above.
This does not, however,
preclude anyone from referring to him as Father Alan or
Reverend Ross, as he prefers. We only discuss this here to make clear the legal
distinction.
"I was
called to service in 2007 as an ordained minister
with the
Universal Ministries, headquartered in Milford, IL, The Universal
Ministries is a non-denominational church which embraces your right
to worship in whatever manner best suits you, so long
as your beliefs
cause no harm to others. I want to help you investigate the deeper
meaning of life, the endless wonders around us and God's role in
your future.
The first
question I'm usually asked is about my name and why I don't
change it legally to avoid confusion. The answer is simple but
not very
glamorous: I was born Daniel W. Begnoche, but never liked the name.
As an entertainer, it was cumbersome, hard to remember and even harder
to spell or pronounce. I spent many weeks trying to find a name
that fit
and finally came up with Alan Ross. When I began using the name,
my
mother asked me not to change it legally out of respect for the family
and my late father. I agreed because I love my parents and the
manner
in which I was raised and I am proud of my family's
accomplishments. It
does make things more difficult when you carry two names, but I prefer
to be called Alan and I feel more comfortable in my skin as Alan Ross.
Until now,
the only time I ever even used my real name was when I had
to sign a legal document, so the name thing never really posed a problem
for anyone. But being ordained as Reverend Daniel W. Begnoche
created
the need for me to explain why I wasn't Reverend Alan Ross.
I hope
this satisfactorally answers the question and makes clear that I
still wish to be known as Alan Ross and the only thing different will be
my signature on your Marriage License, Baptism papers or other official
forms.
Feel free
to use the navigation bar at the top of this page to surf this
site and accept my thanks for stopping by."
Alan Ross and the