© 1997 Steve Dreier
© 1997 The Fellowship for readers of The Urantia Book
By Steve Dreier
The Fellowship is a social and service organization composed of readers of The Urantia Book. It is the oldest, largest and most experienced of all such organizations. During its more than 40 years of existence the Fellowship has passed through a variety of phases, some pleasant and gratifying, some distressing and discouraging. Fortunately, due to the dedication and talent of its many members, and perhaps with some unseen and unrecognized assistance, it has weathered it all, matured, grown wider, and now finds itself poised for a period of expanded service opportunities.
New developments combined with augmented traditional activities promise something of an organizational suddenly for the Fellowship. During the past year we have made some challenging and far reaching decisions and we will have more of these to make in the near future. Our little ship has “steamed out of the sheltered bays of established tradition and has begun its cruise upon the high seas of evolutionary destiny.” (UB 99:1.3) These new developments require substantial organizational support and it is essential that we take time to understand where we are going and make adequate preparations to support what we decide to do. This annual report will highlight some of the issues that are now before us, or will be in the immediate future.
Most seem pleased with the Fellowship’s decision to publish The Urantia Book, and it is likely that we will continue to publish on a regular basis. Our first effort was effected ad hoc, requiring thousands of hours of effort from several dozen people. Now we need to develop suitable organizational mechanisms for continuing this work-intensive area of activity, especially so since one publication is likely to lead to others. A second printing is not far off. In addition, there are already several suggestions for other products, including an electronic edition, translations, and a proposal to publish Part IV as a separate volume. Should we decide to produce any of these items, we must develop orderly and manageable procedures to accomplish the work. We do not want to have the attention, resources and talent of our membership completely domi- nated by these new activities at the expense of other important concerns, such as forming and supporting study groups, sustaining societies and other similar activities.
Production is complex and demanding, but only part of the new work. Next comes marketing and placement; publications do no good sitting in cartons. Efforts to get our new edition of The Urantia Book into bookstores have begun, and will continue aggressively during the coming year. Current plans envisage the participation of our entire membership in encouraging bookstores to stock our new edition.
Experience will prove whether this task is easy or difficult, but either way we must persist until it is accomplished. The book is only of use when it is readily available for someone to read, and as publishers we are obliged to work diligently to make that happen.
Good Cheer Press of Boulder, Colorado has been contracted to handle all matters of distribution and order fulfillment. They have done an excellent job filling the hundreds of pre-publication orders and will continue to be responsible for handling this aspect of the Fellowship’s work. Had we decided to do this through the Wrightwood office, the attention of the staff and facility would have been diverted from other current needs, including the considerable work required to prepare for IC 96 . Perhaps this cooperative model will find further application with other organizations and with other Fellowship activities.
While the majority of our activities take place in the United States, our mission is intemational. Fellowship contacts with readers outside the United States are increasing in number and frequency. We are not highly experienced in this area, and it will require deliberate and determined effort for us to make meaningful progress. Fostering these international relationships makes heavy demands on time and resources. Language, distance and cultural differences hinder communication. The possibilities for misunderstanding and waste are greatly multiplied. We need to take a close look at these matters so that we can establish efficient and effective organizational means to support the growing needs in this area. Clearly, if we decide to produce translations, these activities and their organizational demands would increase manyfold.
The World Wide Web is rapidly becoming a major means for global communication and exchange of information. The medium has great potential for assisting us in our worldwide mission to disseminate The Urantia Book and its teachings; it also may significantly facilitate our growing organizational needs. The Fellowship has taken its first steps on the Internet, but much more needs to be done, and in a timely manner. A major allocation of organizational time and resources will be required to establish a leadership position on the Internet for Urantia Book related matters.
Interfaith activities are increasingly popular elements of religious activity. In the past we have been somewhat tentative about Fellowship involvement, but our participation in this area is growing significantly and promises to provide us with additional new opportunities for insight and experience. This field may hold significant new potential for disseminating The Urantia Book.
Societies are the fundamental constitutional units of the Fellowship. In recent years there has been a significant decline of interest and activity in some Fellowship societies. This report is not the place to discuss the possible reasons for this decline, but it is important that we investigate the situation and, once the facts are clear, make appropriate responses. It is possible that the current status is simply part of a normal pattern of ebb and flow, and that all societies will soon experience renewed vitality as a result of the several new activities mentioned elsewhere in the report. After seven years of being cut off, we will be hearing from new readers again; some of these new readers will join societies and study groups bringing refreshment and invigoration. In any case, we all need to give increased attention and effort to our society and study group structures if we expect them to remain viable and productive.
The aggregate effect of these several activities on the Fellowship’s Wrightwood office will be profound. It means more phone calls, letters, accounting, mailings, meetings and many other similar functions. The Wrightwood office will probably require some restructuring to handle this increased activity. We will be looking at this carefully during the coming year.
Additional items could be listed here, but those mentioned above should be sufficient to suggest the potential nature of the near future. Organizational activities are going to be more numerous and complex than has been the case for the past few years. All who are involved with Fellowship activities should plan for a period of increased effort and activity. More will be required from all of us.
This year all components of the Fellowship (societies, committees, General Council, Executive Committee, etc.) need to engage in serious review and planning. How shall we arrange ourselves to meet the service demands of the immediate future? Are our various structures and functions suited to present conditions? If not, what modifications are indicated? General Councilors are strongly encouraged to think about these things and share their thoughts in writing. We will plan to discuss these matters at our 1997 mid-year meeting.
These have been instructive and productive times for the Fellowship. We have made difficult decisions and patiently plowed through mounds of detail. We have done all of this in the open, respecting the group process, and honoring the wide diversity of viewpoint present in our assembly. When all views were heard and decisions reached we moved in unity to accomplish what was decided. Together we have demonstrated our intention to do the right thing, and in the right way. On that foundation we can move on to the work of the future with reasonable confidence and controlled enthusiasm.
In closing, I want to thank all who worked to make the events of this year possible. My thankful appreciation is not directed only to those who carried out some specific and highly visible task, but to everyone who participated in the process. You have each been essential to the final results, and I consider myself truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to share these experiences with you.
NOTE: Below are passages from the Constitution of the Fellowship and The Urantia Book which might provide some helpful orientation during the current period of transitional change.
¶ Article II — Purpose
“The purposes of The Fellowship are the study and dissemination of the teachings of The Urantia Book; the promotion, improvement, and expansion among the peoples of the world of the comprehension and understanding of Cosmology and the relation of the planet on which we live to the Universe, of the genesis and destiny of Man and his relation to God, and of the teachings of Jesus Christ; and the inculcation and encouragement of the realization and appreciation of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man — in order to increase and enhance the comfort, happiness and well-being of man, as an individual and as a member of society, by fostering a religion, a philosophy, and a cosmology which are commensurate with Man’s intellectual and cultural development, through the medium of fraternal association, ever obedient and subservient to the laws of this country and of all countries wherein The Fellowship may extend.”
¶ … and from The Urantia Book
“There is a real purpose in the socialization of religion. It is the purpose of group religious activities to dramatize the loyalties of religion; to magnify the lures of truth, beauty and goodness; to foster the attractions of supreme values; to enhance the service of unselfish fellowship; to glorify the potentials of family life; to promote religious education; to provide wise counsel and spiritual guidance; and to encourage group worship. And all live religious encourage human friendship, conserve morality, promote neighborhood welfare, and facilitate the spread of the essential gospel of their respective messages of eternal salvation.” (UB 99:6.2)
¶ Four Reasons You’ll Want This Urantia Book!
1.Over 300,000 Urantia Books have sold already.
The combined sales of Urantia books by all publishers now exceed 300,000 copies. Stocking this book in your inspirational, spintual, New Age, or religious section means more profit and sales.
2. People love this new book cover design.
This compelling cover design was preferred by spiritual book shoppers. Now book browsers can glance at the cover and know the book is about the universe, earth history and the life and teachings of Jesus.
3. At last, The Urantia Book is affordable.
Other publishers’ hard cover editions retail for . Now your customers can buy this world-class softcover version for only .
4. This newly formatted book uses the original text while introducing vastly superior, user-friendly features such as:
- Easy-to-read double column text
- Universal paragraph numbering system
- Lightweight paper with a durable book cover
- An instant cross reference system to the 1955 version
The Urantia Book from Uversa Press is endorsed and promoted by The Fellowship, the worldwide membership organization of Urantia Book readers.
ISBN#0-9651972-1-2 Soft cover Retail $18.95 1864 pages.
These two pages illustrate the advertising the Fellowship has placed in the catalogs of several book distributors.
¶ Here’s Why Your Customers Will Prefer This Urantia Book…
1. It’s easy to read.
This is the first widely available Urantia Book that uses double column text. As with Bibles, double column text helps you read faster, scan quicker, remember more, grasp ideas rapidly, and reduce eye strain.
2. The new book cover design is beautiful.
The new cover is perfect for displaying. The graphics invite browsing and impulse purchase. The new cover communicates the spiritual nature of the book. With this design you can confidently stock the book in the inspirational, spiritual. religious, or New Age section of your store.
3. This new book provides convenient cross-referencing to the old system.[^1]
Small page numbers on every page indicate the corresponding page number of the 1955 version. This easy and reliable system allows anyone reading the new format to simultaneously reference with someone reading from the old format. The < marker shows exactly where the old page break occurred.
4. At last, a universal referencing system.
Now readers can quickly find their favorite paragraph or quotation because every paragraph is now numbered. To make referencing even easier, the top of each page has the Paper (Chapter), section, and last paragraph number highlighted. This universal format smplifies the task of indexing and creating secondary works.
5. The new improved book has local support to ensure its success.
The Fellowship, the worldwide Urantia Book membership organization, publishes this edition. Our 40-year old organization pledges its resources to help you sell The Urantia Book. Our resources include thousands of members and friends, 18 local societies, hundreds of autonomous, yet spiritually-aligned study groups, newsletters, national and local conferences, and numerous support groups.
Look for this edition of The Urantia Book in your local bookstore.
[^1] Urantiapedia’s Note: About the policy of Urantiapedia regarding the referencing system for The Urantia Book, check our documentation on this subject.