Pre-Conference Leadership Roundtable

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By Samantha Nior, Hilversum, the Netherlands.

Editors Note: The April 2009 quarterly meeting of the Expanded Board of Trustees was held in Malaga Spain prior to the Urantia Association International Conference. At the suggestion of Ms. Irmeli Ivalo-Sjölie, Associate Trustee, a leadership roundtable was sponsored on Friday the 17th of April at five o' clock. Each person invited to attend was a leader in their respective country and gave a short presentation about Urantia Book related activities. Samantha Nior (Netherlands) has written a brief summary of her perspective about the roundtable.

It was a beautiful experience meeting these people who are bringing readers together and helping them to form study groups and associations. I learned that the difficulties we have in the Netherlands are common to reader groups worldwide. It was wonderful to hear how in some countries there exist large communities of readers who regularly come together to study the book and to form local and national associations.

The presentation by Joel Chong Myula from Zambia was especially intriguing to me and the other attendees at the roundtable. Most Zambian readers range from high school age to people in their 40's. To speak freely about The Urantia Book, one has to register with the government as an association and be acknowledged as a religion. Joel introduces the book to young people and fosters study groups by visiting them once a month.

All the participants at the roundtable gained an understanding and insight as to how the community of readers is slowly moving forward and coming together. I feel blessed to have been able to participate in this learning experience and to have met such wonderful people.

Bottom from left to right: Claire Mylanus (France); Samantha Nior (Netherland); Nemias Mol (Brazil); Ricardo Machado (Portugal); Rogerio Reis da Silva (Brazil)
Top from left to right: Byung Seo (South Korea); Rick Lyon (USA); Seppo Kanerva (Finland); Gaétan Charland (Canada); Joel Chongo Mvula (Zambia); Gary Rawlings (United Kingdom); Werner Sutter (Germany)
Not Pictured: Michael MacIsaac (Sweden)