After many years of dedicated service, Dr. Lee McCoy is resigning from her position as GMU Registrar to provide full-time care for her mom. Dr. McCoy has been a valued member of the GMU Administration and is cherished by GMU students for her caring assistance in the Classroom. She has graciously agreed to stay on until a replacement can be found.

GMU is grateful for Lee's extensive experience and expertise and will miss her gentle presence and leadership. Dr. McCoy will always remain a cherished member of the GMU family!

President Grudzen Announces New Community Ministry Program

GMU curriculum will include "An Introduction to the New Testament," a pastoral counseling course in drug and alcohol dependency, and other courses taught by Rev. George Gonzalez

The Women’s Ordination Conference and the Durkin-Dierks Family announce the awardees of the 2025 Lucile Murray Durkin Scholarship

A Pathway of Justice and Joy: The Transformative Ministry of ARCWP By Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

Buddhist Resources

In the last two months we’ve explored free online resources for the study of the Bible and of the Qur’ran. This month, we look at similar resources for the study of Buddhist texts and scripture. 

Unlike Christianity and Islam, the sacred texts of Buddhism are vast and varied, covering the different schools of belief. The two major extant branches of Buddhism generally recognized by scholars are Theravāda (“School of the Elders”) and Mahāyāna (“Great Vehicle”).

Here are some freely available resources for the study of Buddhist texts:

Access to Insight:    https://www.accesstoinsight.org

Scholarly English translations of key Theravada Buddhist texts (Pali Canon); contains essays by respected monks, and study guides.

Dhammapada Sutta:   https://www.egreenway.com/meditation/dharmapada1.htm

Includes translations, bibliography, compiled commentaries, and a subject index.

Library of Luminary Buddhist Institute:

https://www.gaya.org.tw/library/b-ip/tripitaka.htm

List of links to many non-English websites containing Buddhist texts.

SuttaCentral: Early Buddhist texts, translations, and parallels:

https://suttacentral.net/?lang=en

Extensive well-organized collection of early Buddhist texts in multiple languages.

Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC) Digital Library:

https://library.bdrc.io/type%5B0%5D=Instance&sortBy=firstScanSyncDate_desc

Interface that permits searching in Tibetan or Wylie transliteration.

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha: https://84000.co

Translations of Tibetan Buddhist Canon; Kangyur and Tengyur with commentary.

Buddhanet: https://www.buddhanet.net

General introduction of Buddhism across schools, with a Theravāda emphasis. Contains e-books, maps, meditation guides, even kid-friendly resources.

Berkeley Buddhist Studies—BDK America: https://bdkamerica.org

Free, downloadable PDFs of Buddhist canonical texts in high-quality English translations, especially Mahāyāna sutras.

The Digital Dictionary of Buddhism: http://www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb

Recommended for scholars and students doing textual/language research.

Next month we’ll explore resources for study of the Torah. Stay tuned!

Questions? Comments? Need help with research? Contact me: 

Judy Clarence, M.L.I.S., GMU Librarian

librarian@globalministriesuniversity.org

Creation Spirituality and Laudato Si'

The tenth anniversary of Laudato Si' is the perfect time to reconnect with nature and let your spirit soar! Dr. Margie Schneider is offering three courses at a discount. TH580 Creation Spirituality, TH581 Eco-Art & Creation Spirituality, and TH517 Spiritual Ecology are available individually for $235 per course. You don't want to miss this opportunity to expand your awareness of the Divine in Creation and in You!

Dan Horan on Laudato Si' at 10: Touch the earth right in front of you

The Catholic Church in the Quantum Age

Alexander Walton on the need for continued scientific exploration, and how the light of faith can strengthen (rather than suppress) new ideas.

Theology for the 21st Century

Discover the compatibility of science, spirituality, and faith. GMU partners with the Institute of Science and Religion program in Kerala, India. You can view lectures on their YouTube channel.

Silicon Valley Peace Conference:

“AI’s Role in Community Development and Peacebuilding in Developing Nations”

President Grudzen is working with the Pacifica Institute in the Bay Area on an international AI conference on peacebuilding for September of 2026. This will also be the 25th anniversary of GMU. Pacifica Institute has agreed to pay for the cost of facilities where the conference will be held. A conference website is being built, hosted in the Pacifica web hosting. We will have participants from Africa and India as well as the US. It will be a great way to celebrate the success of GMU and our outreach to the world.

We hope to have both in-person and virtual participation in the conference along with the publication of conference papers.

Pope Leo XIV wants to prioritize AI. He’s using the Vatican’s bioethics think tank to do it.



Integral Ecology in an Age of AI

Collaboration with People's Catholic Seminary

GMU seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of those who wish to start Intentional Eucharistic Communities. Together with PCS, GMU is now offering:

Creating Inclusive Eucharistic Communities in an Emerging Synodal Church 

5 sessions: $475 + $25 App Fee

Women in the Bible and Christian Tradition

5 sessions: $475 + $25 App Fee

Credit for these courses can be applied towards a GMU graduate degree or certificate.

Do you have a desire to officiate at funeral services and other rites of passage? Perhaps you already conduct rites of passage but would like formal funeral service training and validation of your credibility.

Are you an end-of-life doula that needs celebrant training and certification

that will enable you to conduct services for the bereaved?

The Center for Celebrant Training shows you how to conduct religious/nonreligious funeral services completely online and at a very low cost.

People's Catholic Seminary offers programs to inspire and educate individuals and groups who embrace a vision of spirituality that is inclusive, liberating, empowering, and equal.

PCS offers pathways to theological and ministerial competencies in a renewed priestly ministry that nurtures our baptismal call to live holy lives as midwives of grace in mystical, prophetic, and sacramental communities of equals.

Homily—Pride Sunday by Mike Corso

Resources from Spirituality and Practice.

GMU gratefully acknowledges the generous gift of $1000 from the Edmund J Nightingale Charitable Fund as a "grant for where it’s needed most.”

GMU operates under the corporate umbrella of the Federation of Community Ministries of California (FCM of CA), originally formed on October 30, 1997, when we gained the status of a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. GMU is registered in Santa Clara County, CA, as a DBA of FCM of CA. The two entities have the same Board of Directors.

Help Our Global Family

https://www.globalministriesuniversity.org/

info@globalministriesuniversity.org

After many years of dedicated service, Dr. Lee McCoy is resigning from her position as GMU Registrar to provide full-time care for her mom. Dr. McCoy has been a valued member of the GMU Administration and is cherished by GMU students for her caring assistance in the Classroom. She has graciously agreed to stay on until a replacement can be found.

GMU will always be grateful for Lee's extensive experience and expertise and will miss her gentle guidance and leadership. Dr. McCoy will always remain an integral part of the GMU family!

President Grudzen Announces New Community Ministry Program

GMU curriculum will include "An Introduction to the New Testament," a pastoral counseling course in drug and alcohol dependency, and other courses taught by Rev. George Gonzalez

The Women’s Ordination Conference and the Durkin-Dierks Family announce the awardees of the 2025 Lucile Murray Durkin Scholarship

A Pathway of Justice and Joy: The Transformative Ministry of ARCWP By Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

Buddhist Resources

In the last two months we’ve explored free online resources for the study of the Bible and of the Qur’ran. This month, we look at similar resources for the study of Buddhist texts and scripture. 

Unlike Christianity and Islam, the sacred texts of Buddhism are vast and varied, covering the different schools of belief. The two major extant branches of Buddhism generally recognized by scholars are Theravāda (“School of the Elders”) and Mahāyāna (“Great Vehicle”).

Here are some freely available resources for the study of Buddhist texts:

Access to Insight:    https://www.accesstoinsight.org

Scholarly English translations of key Theravada Buddhist texts (Pali Canon); contains essays by respected monks, and study guides.

Dhammapada Sutta:   https://www.egreenway.com/meditation/dharmapada1.htm

Includes translations, bibliography, compiled commentaries, and a subject index.

Library of Luminary Buddhist Institute:

https://www.gaya.org.tw/library/b-ip/tripitaka.htm

List of links to many non-English websites containing Buddhist texts.

SuttaCentral: Early Buddhist texts, translations, and parallels:

https://suttacentral.net/?lang=en

Extensive well-organized collection of early Buddhist texts in multiple languages.

Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC) Digital Library:

https://library.bdrc.io/type%5B0%5D=Instance&sortBy=firstScanSyncDate_desc

Interface that permits searching in Tibetan or Wylie transliteration.

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha: https://84000.co

Translations of Tibetan Buddhist Canon; Kangyur and Tengyur with commentary.

Buddhanet: https://www.buddhanet.net

General introduction of Buddhism across schools, with a Theravāda emphasis. Contains e-books, maps, meditation guides, even kid-friendly resources.

Berkeley Buddhist Studies—BDK America: https://bdkamerica.org

Free, downloadable PDFs of Buddhist canonical texts in high-quality English translations, especially Mahāyāna sutras.

The Digital Dictionary of Buddhism: http://www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb

Recommended for scholars and students doing textual/language research.

Next month we’ll explore resources for study of the Torah. Stay tuned!

Questions? Comments? Need help with research? Contact me: 

Judy Clarence, M.L.I.S., GMU Librarian

librarian@globalministriesuniversity.org

Creation Spirituality and Laudato Si'

The tenth anniversary of Laudato Si' is the perfect time to reconnect with nature and let your spirit soar! Dr. Margie Schneider is offering three courses at a discount. TH580 Creation Spirituality, TH581 Eco-Art & Creation Spirituality, and TH517 Spiritual Ecology are available individually for $235 per course. You don't want to miss this opportunity to expand your awareness of the Divine in Creation and in You!

Dan Horan on Laudato Si' at 10: Touch the earth right in front of you

The Catholic Church in the Quantum Age

Alexander Walton on the need for continued scientific exploration, and how the light of faith can strengthen (rather than suppress) new ideas.

Theology for the 21st Century

Discover the compatibility of science, spirituality, and faith. GMU partners with the Institute of Science and Religion program in Kerala, India. You can view lectures on their YouTube channel.

Silicon Valley Peace Conference:

“AI’s Role in Community Development and Peacebuilding in Developing Nations”

President Grudzen is working with the Pacifica Institute in the Bay Area on an international AI conference on peacebuilding for September of 2026. This will also be the 25th anniversary of GMU. Pacifica Institute has agreed to pay for the cost of facilities where the conference will be held. A conference website is being built, hosted in the Pacifica web hosting. We will have participants from Africa and India as well as the US. It will be a great way to celebrate the success of GMU and our outreach to the world.

We hope to have both in-person and virtual participation in the conference along with the publication of conference papers.

Pope Leo XIV wants to prioritize AI. He’s using the Vatican’s bioethics think tank to do it.



Integral Ecology in an Age of AI

Collaboration with People's Catholic Seminary

GMU seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of those who wish to start Intentional Eucharistic Communities. Together with PCS, GMU is now offering:

Creating Inclusive Eucharistic Communities in an Emerging Synodal Church 

5 sessions: $475 + $25 App Fee

Women in the Bible and Christian Tradition

5 sessions: $475 + $25 App Fee

Credit for these courses can be applied towards a GMU graduate degree or certificate.

Do you have a desire to officiate at funeral services and other rites of passage? Perhaps you already conduct rites of passage but would like formal funeral service training and validation of your credibility.

Are you an end-of-life doula that needs celebrant training and certification

that will enable you to conduct services for the bereaved?

The Center for Celebrant Training shows you how to conduct religious/nonreligious funeral services completely online and at a very low cost.

People's Catholic Seminary offers programs to inspire and educate individuals and groups who embrace a vision of spirituality that is inclusive, liberating, empowering, and equal.

PCS offers pathways to theological and ministerial competencies in a renewed priestly ministry that nurtures our baptismal call to live holy lives as midwives of grace in mystical, prophetic, and sacramental communities of equals.

FCM member and longtime Catholic Judy Lorenz shares a personal reflection on how lived experience transformed her views on church abuse, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and racial justice: How I Became WOKE: My 30-Year Journey of Faith, Justice, and Change

Homily – Pride Sunday by Mike Corso

Resources from Spirituality and Practice.

GMU gratefully acknowledges the generous gift of $1000 from the Edmund J Nightingale Charitable Fund as a "grant for where it’s needed most.”

GMU operates under the corporate umbrella of the Federation of Community Ministries of California (FCM of CA), originally formed on October 30, 1997, when we gained the status of a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. GMU is registered in Santa Clara County, CA, as a DBA of FCM of CA. The two entities have the same Board of Directors.

Help Our Global Family

https://www.globalministriesuniversity.org/

info@globalministriesuniversity.org