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Global Ministries University and the 20th Anniversary of 9/11

As we remember the tragedy of 9/11/2001 when we experienced the loss of over 3000 lives in the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, I also remember clearly that our oldest daughter, Corita Grudzen, MD, had just started her emergency department residency at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan and became part of the first medical responders to this horrific event.  We were able to visit her in New York that fall and go to Mass with her at St. Paul’s Chapel next to Ground Zero which became a central location for a variety of social and spiritual services for those working near Ground Zero.

St. Paul’s Chapel stands directly across the street from Ground Zero and escaped any damage from the destruction of the Twin Towers.  People of every faith and no faith found a home at St. Paul’s Chapel during the following year as New York, the nation and the world attempted to grasp the enormity of this epochal event.   

Clearly a new path forward was needed to address the challenge of our time. It needed to include a global and interfaith response.  In that same year of 2001, Global Ministries University was born to address the new era in which we found ourselves. GMU would become a leader in training a new generation of spiritual leaders who could be empowered to serve people of diverse faith traditions or those who had no religious affiliation.  Just as St. Paul’s Chapel could open its doors to everyone who wished to enter, so GMU opened theological education to a more diverse and inclusive philosophy and theology.

We offer a global perspective in our choice of faculty and its curriculum. An inclusive gender model for its faculty, staff, administration, student body and curriculum is also a hallmark of GMU.

GMU’s global outreach over its 20-year history featured its engagement with the Islamic faith community both in the US and in Africa.  In 2011, GMU began an interfaith education program in Kenya with Christian and Muslim faith leaders and teachers in the Mombasa region.

Because of GMU’s commitment to interfaith education in Kenya, we were invited to form an affiliation with the Tangaza University Institute for Interreligious Dialogue and Islamic Studies in 2020. Beginning in August of 2020 we began planning with Tangaza University and other Christian and Muslim organizations in Africa, Europe, Indonesia, and the US to co-sponsor an international conference on building human solidarity inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical, Fratelli Tutti.  Over 3000 participants took part in this conference from August 19-21, 2021, including religious leaders from throughout the world. 

GMU has connected with a network of interfaith organizations over its 20-year history including the Parliament of World’s Religions.  GMU is presently part of an international consortium planning a second international and interfaith conference on building human solidarity in February of 2023.

As we reflect on the tragic events of twenty years ago, let us also embrace Global Ministries University’s commitment to dialogue, inclusion, and collaboration and work for a more just and peace-filled world.

Gerald Grudzen, President GMU

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GMU and the Season of Creation

GMU will sponsor a free seminar on October 4 at 4 pm (PDT) 7 pm (EDT),  the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, for students, graduates, and all interested parties.

We will discuss the role of ecology in peace building in the Middle East using information from EcoPeace Middle East

We will also discuss the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, and the role of religious leaders in addressing the climate crisis.

The seminar is free on Zoom but registration is required.

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International Interfaith Conference

GMU co-sponsored an international and interreligious conference in Kenya, “Building Human Solidarity in the Light of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter: Fratelli Tutti“ with the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue and Islamic Studies (IRDIS) and the State Islamic University, Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Indonesia (UIN). Other sponsors include the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID), the Harmony Institute, Umma University, the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, and the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI)

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Global Ministries University is celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary of outstanding online theological education and spiritual inspiration! GMU continues to grow and flourish as a leader in innovation and service to the wider community with global outreach and involvement. We look forward to a bright future built apon a solid foundation of education and service! Join the celebration here!

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Community Chaplaincy Program

The Community Chaplaincy program is a unique preparation for grassroots change. It offers a team teaching approach to critical and timely topics among which are body wisdom, trauma, grief, deep listening and resilience – topics relevant to all and much needed in society, local and global. The Community Chaplaincy Program challenges participants to look deeply within; to grow in depth and wisdom, empowering her to profoundly hear and respond to individuals or groups in need. ~ Terri K., MS, MCHES, CWC

Learn more about GMU’s exciting new program here.

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Global Ministries University is an online international contemporary theological learning platform that is inclusive, supportive of creative thinking, and honors the sacred in all religions and spiritual traditions. 

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