By Georges Michelson-Dupont, international vice president, Urantia Foundation, Recloses, France
It is a privilege for me, as the co-founder of Urantia Book International School (UBIS), to write this testimonial as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of the UBIS. We’ve come a long way since the idea for an online school was first considered in 1998—a quarter of a century ago!
Indeed, it has been 25 years since the school offered its first courses in 1999. Under the leadership of Dorothy Elder, UBIS began its mission of helping readers familiarize themselves with the exceptional and sometimes highly complex teachings revealed in The Urantia Book.
It should be remembered that the goal of the revelators is to expand our cosmic consciousness by delivering knowledge, opening our mind framework to the universal cosmos, and enhancing our spiritual perception of God and divine realities.
The study and sharing of these teachings with our brothers and sisters in a safe, organized, and caring environment is essential for many reasons. The school's pedagogy is based on the Jesusonian method of questions and answers, making the student a dynamic participant. It is also non-interpretive. Participants are encouraged to read the suggested and related texts firsthand, so as to be able to respond, according to their understanding, to questions posed by the teacher-facilitator.
The answers are then shared among the participants, who comment online, allowing each participant to individually progress through contributions from the group.
A true brotherhood of thought and soul is established in the courses, as sharing thoughts is a judgement-free experience. What a joy it is to get to know each other and be able to share one's religious life in this way, across borders and languages.
Recently the school launched a new Spotlights Series, where speakers are invited to present a topic of interest around the teachings of The Urantia Book. This is becoming popular among the readership.
All this represents an extraordinary amount of devotion on the part of passionate volunteers, eager to serve the myriad communities of students of the revelation.
What began as a way for Urantia Foundation to enable isolated readers with no access to study groups to study the revelation with others has become, over the years, a true school run by over 100 volunteers.
I would like to take this opportunity, on the occasion of this 25th anniversary, to pay a tribute to my dear friend Dorothy Elder. Her exceptional leadership made this adventure a reality. My thoughts and thanks also go to the pioneers who ensured the progression of the school in the early years. Together, in a great spirit of teamwork and responsibility, they built the foundations of its organization and operation.
To conclude, I thank all those who currently participate in the realization of UBIS and to those in the future who will continue to expand the school worldwide.