© 1976 Meredith Sprunger
© 1976 The Urantia Book Fellowship (formerly Urantia Brotherhood)
The purpose and function of the Brotherhood School is determined by the nature and goals of the URANTIA Brotherhood. The URANTIA Brotherhood was organized to promote the study and dissemination of the teachings of The URANTIA Book among the peoples of the world. This purpose is being actualized primarily through the instrumentalities of individuals, study groups, and societies.
The URANTIA Brotherhood during the first twenty years of its existence has dedicated itself to a leavening, spiritual ministry. It is our conviction that this should always characterize the URANTIA Brotherhood’s relationship to society. Just as Machiventa Melchizedek exacted a pledge from each teacher never to organize exclusive congregations for worship or function as a priest, so we should never become a “church” or exercise an institutional ministry.
The kingdom of God is an invisible and spiritual brotherhood which is destined to become a living organism which transcends social institutions. It is our conviction that contemporary religious institutions can and will furnish an adequate source of religious ministration for our society. The greatest contribution which the URANTIA Brotherhood can make to all of the individuals and institutions of our society is to always maintain a prophetic, leavening, spiritual ministry rooted in the Fifth Epochal Revelation. Translating these teachings into specific social-institutional responsibilities will be the task of the various individuals and institutions of our society.
In the light of this picture of the URANTIA Brotherhood, we regard “URANTIA Brotherhood School” as a generic term designating educational activities anywhere in the URANTIA Brotherhood. We see individuals, study groups, and societies as the basic channels of educational activity. Just as the URANTIA Brotherhood does not aspire to become an institutional church, so the Brotherhood School does not plan to become an educational institution. Our task is to act as a perpetual spiritual leaven to the individuals and institutions of our society.
We shall strive to serve individuals and groups by making educational materials and resource leaders available. The Committee on Education plans to research and define standards of excellence for teachers and educational activities which will help teachers in self-evaluation and growth as well as furnish criteria for evaluating educational effectiveness in groups and institutions. In time we hope to present suggested curricula which might facilitate competence in religious education at various levels. In co-operation with the Fraternal Relations and Domestic Extension Committees, the Committee on Education hopes to promote the development of educational material and activities designed to introduce insights of The URANTIA Book to the basic institutions of our society.
—Meredith Sprunger