By Judy Van Cleave, secretary, Urantia Foundation, Idaho, United States
Five-Year Planning
Committees provided updated strategic goals to the board members for review. Mo Siegel encouraged those assigned to the management of each strategic plan to continue to check their goals and strategies in order to achieve them within the planned time frames. He emphasized steady progress and cautioned against trying to take on too much.
Books
Book distribution was strong in the second quarter. Sales totaled 8,057 copies, up 17% from Q2, 2024. Year-to-date (YTD) sales totaled 12,731, up 6% from last year. Downloads totaled 14,573 for the quarter, up 36%. YTD totaled 25,260, down 14%. Free outreach books totaled 379 in Q2, up 98%. YTD totaled 901, up 17%.
Top priorities for the third quarter of 2025 are overseeing book printings, developing a new app for Android and Apple, and implementing sales and distribution strategies for the five-year goals.
Cultural Advisory Council
Image
Jisoo Han
The Cultural Advisory Council (CAC) was established in order to accomplish two important goals for Urantia Foundation: (1) to bring a global perspective to the expanded board of trustees by bringing in viewpoints from the increasing array of cultures and demographics; (2) to increase awareness of Urantia Foundation programs, goals, and role in the global Urantia community.
In Q2, representatives from the expanded board met with Korean readers on a Zoom call hosted by CAC member Jisoo Han. This was the first of three meetings scheduled in 2025. The discussion was informative and will help inform future community meetings. The second community meeting was held in September by Felipe Arrigorriaga of Chile.
Image
Felipe-Arrigorriaga
Education
Chris Wood reported that Science Symposium IV, “The Evolution of Human Knowledge—100 Years Later,” will be held on November 6 and 7, with Marjorie Ray serving as emcee. Presentations will be given by Tom Allen, Phil Calabrese, Brad Garner, Gard Jameson, David Neufer, Nigel Nunn, George Park, Gabriel Rymberg, Geoff Taylor, and Ralph Zehr.
He also reported on a spiritual retreat scheduled for March 5 to 8, 2026. The Education Committee is looking forward to a greater use of Urantia Foundation for meetings and educational events.
Joanne Strobel reported on the April 2025 trimester of UBIS. Richard Zhu facilitated a “beta course” called The Universal Father in Chinese. It was well received by the participants and generated many questions. The students resonated with the teachings and shared their personal spiritual experiences. There was good feedback, and several students expressed interest in facilitating future courses. A wrap-up meeting in June generated global camaraderie and excellent feedback from faculty and staff.
The 2025–2026 academic year began on September 15. The English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Polish branches are thriving. Nugruho Widi is offering his first course in the Indonesian language. Richard Zhu, assisted by Esther Song, is offering An Introduction to The Urantia Book to Chinese readers.
Q2 Fundraising and Finances
• Unrestricted donations fell 24% below Q2 of 2024 but were up 94% YTD.
• Restricted donations fell 96% below Q2 of 2024 and were up 2% YTD.
• Total income decreased 46% compared to Q2 of 2024 but increased 28% YTD.
• Total expenses rose 17% above Q2 of last year but came in 14% under YTD budget.
Translations
Georges Michelson-Dupont provided his 107th translation report to the board. He reported that the two ongoing translation teams, Esperanto and Filipino, are working well. The Portuguese revision is still under review, but progress is being made.
Mustard Seed Grants Project
Sherry Cathcart Chavis reported that Round 1 projects are moving forward. The Round 2 call for proposals closed on September 8, and grant awards will be announced at the end of October.
Associate trustees Joyce Anderson and Tom Sadler have joined the MSGP Committee, and Chris Wood has rejoined. The committee will focus on improving the value of grantee work for effective dissemination of the revelation.
