By David Kulieke, the Urantia Book Fellowship, Lincolnshire, Illinois, United States
For those who desire increased unity among Urantia organizations, recent events have provided a cause for optimism. In recent years a plethora of initiatives have demonstrated a desire for additional cooperative efforts among three major Urantia Book organizations: Urantia Association International (UAI), the Urantia Book Fellowship, and Urantia Foundation.
There have been unity meetings among leaders, an agreement to work together in a publicity seminar, and regular communications among the presidents. Members of each organization have made presentations at each other's conferences. There is a joint Study Group Directory. People involved with information technology (IT) have participated in multiple roundtables since 2009 to discuss common issues. Members of different organizations have worked together on book fairs in Asia and expos in South America. And as more opportunities have occurred to share meetings and other activities, such as a recent tour of Israel, differences among organizations have blurred as individuals have established friendships and recognized the common desire to spread the teachings of The Urantia Book.
A recent initiative between organizations included a seminar of sixteen individuals who met at 533 W. Diversey Parkway in Chicago. It was sponsored by the Education Committees of the UAI, the Urantia Book Fellowship, and Urantia Foundation from June 9 to June 11, 2014. The purpose of the meeting was 1) to reinforce one another's programs through discussion, 2) to give abridged versions for comment and review of each group's portion of a joint workshop to be given in July at the Fellowship's international conference in Amherst, Massachusetts (IC’14), and 3) to seek common ground regarding all three groups' educational missions. The three groups' chairpersons, Sheila Keene-Lund, David Kulieke, and Gard Jameson, planned and chaired this seminar.
The meeting began on Monday evening with a sharing of each participant's gratitude. Then ensued a discussion about purposes and priorities in education, based on the teachings of The Urantia Book. This discussion was based in large part on a publication of the Fellowship Education Committee, "Prime Education References by Category," which gives twenty indexed pages of quotations about education from The Urantia Book.
The second day's focus was to review and give response to a presentation of each group's workshop that would be given at IC’14. The combined workshop was entitled "Seeking Educational Excellence in The Urantia Book." Urantia Foundation’s representative, Dave Elders, gave a talk on “The Purpose of Education and the Importance of Education." Part of his presentation focused on the second paragraph of The Urantia Book: "to expand cosmic consciousness and enhance spiritual perception." Next the Fellowship representatives used a workshop approach to examine one method of "How to Educate Effectively." The three presenters were Ken Keyser, David Kulieke, and Marilynn Kulieke. After modeling an educational technique utilizing several quotations, attenders were placed in smaller groups to analyze other quotations from the book, finding a focus in each case. Then the group reconvened to discuss its findings and how to apply them in study groups. The last presentation was by Sheila Keene-Lund, representing the UAI. She spoke on "Education as Transformation, the Teacher-Student Dynamic." After the presentation the whole group discussed the concepts presented and gave suggestions. After Tuesday dinner many seminar participants attended the Tuesday night study group that weekly meets at Urantia Foundation.
Wednesday morning was focused on the topic "Our Educational Mission: Can We Find Common Ground?” Discussion of this topic resulted in the following statement:
Joint Educational Initiative Statement
Urantia Association International
The Urantia Book Fellowship
Urantia Foundation
In aligning our educational efforts with the revelators’ endeavor “to expand cosmic consciousness and enhance spiritual perception,” (1:2) 0:0.2 we are inspired to study and share the teachings of The Urantia Book in ways that:
- Illuminate God and his reality through the progressive discovery of truth, beauty, and goodness.
- Foster intellectual, moral, and spiritual transformation.
- Encourage individuals to grow Godward as well-balanced personalities.
The group also agreed that the Joint Committee should meet again.
Finally, several ideas were brainstormed for possible future consideration and, in some instances, possible joint projects, even as the group recognized that each organization's committee would continue to initiate its own works and projects.
On July 24, at IC’14, the committees held the workshop that was previewed in Chicago in June. At that meeting Bobbie Dreier replaced Ken Keyser, and Chris Wood, president of the UAI, substituted for Sheila Keene-Lund. Chris spoke on the relationship between student and teacher. About thirty individuals, including members of the committees, participated as a joint presentation became a reality.