Global Ministries University Update on Interfaith Peace Education, New Staff and Graduation in July 2018: The Global Notebook Fall 2018 Volume XI Issue 4

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Your Future is in Focus at GMU GMU Welcomes Four New Staff Members   Mark Doorley will take on the role of Consultant for Continuing Education and will mentor students in the certificate programs.  Mark has a Ph.D. and teaches for Villanova University.  At one time he also taught for Global Ministries University. John Jeffery, Associate Dean of Pastoral Care, will be assisting us with matters related to pastoral care and prospects interested in becoming chaplains.  He will also be working on the development of a program that will create a path to chaplaincy for GMU students.  John holds a Doctor of Theology degree and is a CPE Supervisor with the Center for Spiritual Care and Pastoral Formation (CSCPF) Lee McCoy is our new Enrollment Specialist and will be assisting our prospects in their discernment related to enrollment.  Lee has Master Degrees in Education and Pastoral Studies and recently earned a D.Min. from GMU.  She was our Enrollment Specialist a few years ago and we are delighted to have her back Rebecca Hebert is our Business Associate who will assist Mike Conley, VP for Finance and will be in charge of billing students.  Rebecca has a Bachelor Degree in Business Management and has held many significant positions related to collections.             _______________________                                              Graduation Ceremony Held  in July The GMU graduation ceremony was held in Philadelphia during the Federation of Christian Ministries Assembly.  There were five graduates who attended the ceremony (from left to right):  Frank Pisciotta Resides in Yonkers, NY Doctor of Theology Completed program: 12/24/2015 John Jeffery Resides in Blairsdon, CA  Doctor of Theology  Completed program: July 2018  Mary Theresa Streck Resides in Menard, NY Doctor of Ministry Completed program: 10/11/2016 Lee Ann McCoy Resides in Ottowa, Ontario, Canada Doctor of Ministry  Completed program: May 1, 2018 Barbara Beadles Resides in Silver Springs, MD Doctor of Ministry Completed program 2/15/17 Staff members in attendance standing behind graduates (left to right): Bill Manseau, D.Min., Instructor; Mary Ann Cejka, Ph.D., Instructor; Mike Conley, D.Min., Provost and Instructor; Jean Conley, M.Th., VP for Operations and Development and Instructor; Gerald Grudzen, Ph.D., President,  Dean of D.Th. and M.Th. programs and Instructor; Bridget Mary Meehan, D.Min., Dean of D.Min. and M.Div. programs and Instructor; and Gail Schultz, M.Th., Registrar and Instructor. The room was filled with spectators who witnessed this gala affair.  We are very proud of our graduates and our superior Staff. Message from the President  During the month of August 2018 my wife, Marita, and I traveled to Kenya where we did our seventh annual Interfaith teacher education program in the coastal region of Mombasa.   Prior to our travel to Mombasa, we were invited to do an interfaith presenta-tion at the Muslim sponsored Harmony Institute In Nairobi.    We were also able to meet with the Director of the Jesuit affiliated Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations, Father Elian Opongo, S.J. Father Opongo agreed to be a featured speaker at our interfaith education training program the week of August 13-16.  He spoke about key social justice issues in East Africa and the wider continent of Africa. We are in the process of negotiations with the Jesuits to affiliate our Mombasa Interfaith education program for teachers with the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies based in Nairobi. We had 23 teachers complete our 32-hour program in the second week of August.  For 2019 we are planning a 40-hour leadership training program for teachers in the coastal region of Kenya.  Another important step forward in the evolution of this training was the support we received from the Director of Education for the Kenyan government in the coastal region, Mr. Hassan Duale.  We were able to meet with him at his government offices in Mombasa and he also agreed to visit our program and speak to our teachers at our conference in the Lotus Hotel.  He agreed during this visit to work with us in identifying Head Teachers in the coastal region to participate in our 2019 week long interfaith training program.  After our time in Kenya we were able to visit the Maryknoll Fathers mission in Tanzania where we did a 3-day retreat at the Maryknoll House of Prayers which overlooks Lake Victoria.  In the first week of November Marita and I will represent Global Ministries University at the Parliament of World Religions in Toronto, Canada.  We will be featured speakers at the Parliament on Monday afternoon, November 5.  Our topic will be: Burying the Sword: A Model of Interfaith Education in an Area of Sectarian Conflict and Extremist Influences in East Africa I have written a narrative about our seven years of experience in Kenya, Burying the Sword: Confronting Jihadism with Interfaith Education, which is available at Authorhouse. Doctor Frank Pisciotta, a GMU graduate and member of our team for several years in Kenya, will be taking part in this presentation in Toronto with us.  We will be at the Parliament for several days and plan to submit photos, videos and some interviews that we do at the meeting which will be posted on the GMU Facebook site in additional to my personal Facebook account.  We hope that you will share our reports from the Parliament with your own networks to expand interest in the work of GMU both in Kenya and in the USA.  We need to raise funds each year to support this project in Kenya and we hope that you will consider donating to it and encourage others todo so. Donations to Global Ministries University/Paths to Peace Kenya can be made to the following address: Gerald and Marita Grudzen 6331 Mountford Drive San Jose, CA 95123 -Gerald Grudzen, Ph.D            _______________________