GMU Celebrates 20 Years of Honoring the Sacred in All Religions and Spiritual Traditions!
Excellence, Flexibility, Affordability!
Celebrate GMU's 20th Anniversary! GMU continues to grow and flourish as a leader in online education and support of global concerns and intiatiatves. We look forward to a bright future built apon a solid foundation of education and service!
Last month the "Update" posted President Gerald Grudzen's and Dean Bridget Mary Meehan's messages about GMU's Anniversary. This month we hear from Mike and Jean Conley.

Message of Retired Provost Michael Conley, D.Min.:
I have been a part of the growth of Global Ministries University almost from its inception and just recently retired. I handled the finances and curriculum. My master’s degree in Not-for-Profit Administration and my teaching career helped GMU to offer a professional, dependable catalog and experience for students... Read more.

Message of Retired VP for Operations and Development Jean Conley:
I began functioning as administrator of Global Ministries University shortly after its inception and eventually held the title of Vice-President for Operations and Development. There were just four students enrolled at that time and, needless to say, with only four students there was very little money to run GMU. Being in charge of development, my mission was to acquire more applicants in order to generate enough tuition to sustain the University… Read more.

We invite you to share your thoughts and reflections about Global Ministries University in the "Leave a Comment" box on our special 20th Anniversary Celebration page on the GMU website.
Spotlight on the GMU Family: Marita Grudzen, RT, MHS

Global Ministries University and the Federation of Christian Ministries have a shared history and membership. Marita is a member of the Federation of Christian Ministries Circle of Directors. She recently presented a report of GMU activities to the FCM Circle highlighting not only current initiatives but also GMU's history of international interfaith ministry and service. You can read it here.

Marita is also chair of the Diocese of San Jose Committee, "Stewards of Our Common Home." She will present a program on environmental justice to students of the Institute for Leadership in Ministry (adult lay leaders in the diocese) in March. The Spanish-speaking team and English-speaking team will present parallel day long trainings to a total 90-100 ILM students.

Find out more about GMU's Environmental Justice Certificate here.
Provost Mary Ann Cejka has updated GMU's Mission Statement in compliance with the requirements of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).
GMU's VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT
Global Ministries University (GMU) is an interfaith and international online graduate school offering affordable courses, certificates, and graduate degrees in ministry, theology, interreligious studies, ethics, and peace studies. We celebrate our Christian roots in the values of Vatican II ecumenism and outreach; as such, we affirm our historic and continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue by honoring the sacred in all religions and spiritual traditions. GMU equips people from a variety of faiths and denominations to lead and minister with integrity, competence, and professionalism. We embrace inclusivity, the equality of persons and cultures, and openness toward diverse theological perspectives.

GMU's New Classroom

We hope you are finding it easy to use gmuclass.org. Please email if you have any trouble accessing the new platform.
Community Chaplaincy Program
The Community Chaplaincy Program has specifically designed integrations for senior residences and is accepting applications for classes in the spring and summer of 2021. We recommend that you enroll now. Click on the image for the brochure. Click here for a detailed description of the program with bios of the instructors.
Center for Celebrant Training
Our Focus
People today are looking for a more personal approach to rites of passage, such as weddings and funerals. Our focus is to provide formal training that shows you how to design and conduct personal, meaningful wedding ceremonies and funeral services.
People’s Catholic Seminary
Celebrating the Spirit’s Call to New Life in the Christian Tradition
 for the 21st Century
People's Catholic Seminary (PCS) was founded in 2017 by Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan and Rev. Dr. Mary Theresa Streck for women and men seeking a seminary experience in contemporary theology. PCS, a seminary without walls, educates women and men, ordained and non-ordained in new ways of thinking, attitudes, and values to meet the needs of inclusive ministries of equals today. The future of adult education requires open minds and loving hearts committed to justice and equality in the Christian tradition.
GMU EN ESPAÑOL
GMU annouces that it is now publishing! Dr. Gerald Grudzen's and Dr. John Raymker's Papa Francisco, Conscientia Del Mundo, has been publshed by GMU Press and is avaibale on Amazon.

¿Por qué tantos admiran al Papa Francisco? ¿Qué le da la asombrosa habilidad de hablar con los jóvenes en un lenguaje familiar para ellos? En este libro, John Raymaker y Gerry Grudzen exploran la vida y los escritos del Papa Francisco, que tienen una capacidad profética y visionaria para hablar sobre temas importantes del día.Los autores evalúan cómo los encuentros del Papa Francisco con líderes religiosos de otras religiones han abierto nuevos caminos para ayudar a unir a la humanidad. Se remontan a la historia cristiana para explorar las enseñanzas de místicos católicos como Thomas Merton al mismo tiempo que profundizan en las creencias de los místicos islámicos y budistas para demostrar qué tan bien el Papa está en contacto con una espiritualidad que puede hablar a quienes buscan la verdad.Leer más.
Global Citizenship

He spoke of the upcoming international and interreligious conference in Kenya, "Building Bridges for Human Solidarity in the Light of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter: Fratelli Tutti," which is co-sponsored by GMU, the Harmony Institute, the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue and Islamic Studies (IRDIS), and Umma University.

The conference will take place in Nairobi, Kenya on August 19, 20 and 21, 2021 and will be available on Zoom and YouTube. You will be able to register for the conference at globalministriesuniversity.org in the coming weeks. There will be no charge to participate in it but donations are welcome. Read the description of the concept of the interfaith conference, "Building Bridges for Human Solidarity in the Light of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter: Fratelli Tutti," here.
The future of our planet rests largely with our youth and the care with which we help them to develop and flourish.

President Grudzen is offering a free course for young people who wish to participate in the conference to develop their own priority issues and submit a vision statement from their perspective.

The meetings will take place the first Wednesday of each month from February through June 2021. They will begin at 7 pm (Pacific Time) and last for 90 minutes.

Ms. Shahinaz El Hennawi will be our guest speak at the Global Citizenship Forum on March 3. She resides in Alexandria, Egypt where she has worked in the field of peace education and gender studies at the world famous Library of Alexandria. She is also a GMU faculty member in the field of peace education. View her work here.

This is FREE course but registration in advance is required.
In Praise of Online Education
Distance learning has been gaining traction in the field of education for the past many decades. It provides those who cannot pursue the dreams of acquiring degrees and certificates of higher learning through traditional means because of their professional commitments and offers an alternate way to do so to suit their convenience... Read more from a blogger in Pakistan.
GMU is "Family"
Interfaith Peace Iniatives

Global Ministries University undertook "Paths to Peace Kenya" for the past decade beginning in 2011. It sponsors an Interfaith Training Program which has trained over 140 Christian and Muslim lay leaders, teachers, and principals and has been endorsed by the Kenyan Director of Education for the six costal counties.

GMU promotes peace through education. We care about world conditions, we care about human rights, we care about peace, we care about interreligious understanding. Not only do we care, but we take action by implementing programs and providing courses that support these values. Please consider supporting GMU's initiaves sponsoring peace and justice throughour the world. Thank you for your generosity!