Vern Grimsley

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Dear Readers of The Urantia Book:

We are writing you regarding certain developing events within the readership of the Urantia Movement which we regard as of the utmost gravity and concern.

Within the last 10 months or so, a member of Urantia Brotherhood, Vern Grimsley, who although not known by all readers is certainly known by many, has been claiming to have received messages by hearing voices from so-called Spirit Sources. These alleged messages relate to the coming of global war and the need to prepare therefor. Vern has further claimed to be a “reservist,” a “contact personality” ,and thus a special person inferentially somehow an agent of the supermortal planetary government. Vern has given these alleged messages wide-spread circulation and has encouraged others in the Urantia Movement to do so. Many readers, for whatever reason,have willingly cooperated in disseminating Vern's “Messages” of fear and anxiety throughout the readership.

Many have tended to believe Vern's assertions, exhibiting various levels of consternation, anxiety and even panic.

Their belief has not necessarily been because of a rational examination or assessment of the source and content of these alleged spirit communications, but because of Vern's personal persuasiveness and his past prominence in the Urantia Movement as a speaker at many meetings of readers. In addition, Vern has in this instance publicly implied that he has the belief and support of the official leadership of the Movement in Chicago. Insofar as Urantia Foundation is concerned, such is not the case.

We unequivocally state that Vern's actions as they relate to the so-calledSpecial Messages and his claim to special status as a reservist, a contact personality, do not have the slightest support or belief by Urantia Foundation. Indeed on October 30, 1983, the Trustees passed a resolution revoking Vern's status as a Special Representative of Urantia Foundation, a status he had been entrusted with for a decade, and a status which in no small measure may have been responsible for causing many, at least initially, to believe Vern's highly questionable claims.

Both Vern and the Executive Committee of Urantia Brotherhood have been notified of the revocation of Vern's appointment as a Special Representative of Urantia Foundation.

Urantia Foundation in no way approves of Vern's actions nor any supporting actions of his related organizations, Family of God Foundation and The Spiritual Renaissance Institute. Neither does Urantia Foundation approve or support those who might cooperate with Vern or any other person or group in any attempt to exert influence over the Urantia Movement through the dissemination of claimed communications from alleged voices from the Spirit World.

We have spent considerable time and effort to insure that The Urantia Book would not be identified in any way with cultic, psychic or occult phenomena or related groups. It is imperative to the success of The Urantia Book and our Urantia Movement that both the Book and the Movement stand on their own, free from association with such phenomena or groups.

Therefore, Urantia Foundation wishes it to be known that these activities of Vern Grimsley and any supporting activities of his related organizations, Family of God Foundation and the Spiritual Renaissance Institute, have no connection with, acceptance by, or approval of Urantia Foundation.

Ultimately the question is: who will give wise and reasoned direction to the Urantia Movement? Will it be the legitimate organizations, primarily Urantia Brotherhood with its constitutionalized democratic process for rational decision making, or will it be unsubstantiated alleged spirit communications emanating from a single individual, responsible only to himself?

We encourage all readers to depend on solid evolutionary wisdom and experiential judgment in dealing with these phenomena and in otherwise determining their own individual direction of living and course of action.

Sincerely,
Urantia Foundation

By Martin W. Myers as its Vice Presiden

Foundation Info

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