Norma J. Burton, M.Div.                              

Minister of Unity in Ashland

 

A dynamic speaker and masterful ritual maker, Norma J. Burton, has lead Unity in Ashland to new realms of spiritual depth and creative expression. Drawing upon her background in Buddhism and psychology, spiritual theater, and indigenous ceremony Norma insures that the Unity Sunday gatherings offer a rare and diverse tapestry of music and teachings from around the world.

Norma attended the UC Berkeley Graduate Theological Union where she did M.A./Ph.D. studies in comparative religions and earned her Masters of Divinity degree through the Pacific School of Religion. There she specialized in Buddhist/Christian dialogue and became certified in hospital and hospice chaplaincy.

Her amazing background of work experience includes being one of the founding mothers of the Battered Women’s Movement in the 1970’s. In that key social change movement she directed shelters, chaired state coalitions and was elected Director of the national training office. In the 80’s she took on the role of Executive Director of the international headquarters of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, developing over 60 chapters of engaged Buddhism around the globe. In the 1990’s she founded the International Alliance for Spirit at Work and directed large conferences bringing spiritual and ethical practices to corporate workplaces.

Her vision for Unity in Ashland is that it is a safe and sustainable community of diverse people committed to doing their shadow integration work and thereby supporting one another to bring forth each ones sacred work.