By Judy Van Cleave, secretary, Urantia Foundation, Idaho, United States
Operations Overview
Books
Book sales in 2023 appear to reflect the book market’s return to pre-pandemic levels. When sales are compared to the five years preceding 2020, they are the strongest with the exception of 2016. There are various factors for the decline in industry book sales, not the least of which is a 66% return to the workplace for employees, resulting in less online activity. On the positive side, 13,207 Urantia Books in all forms were distributed, bringing the total to 77,257 for the year. Urantia Foundation remains dedicated to achieving its 2024 goals as well as to ensuring the availability of The Urantia Book to truth seekers worldwide.
Education
Joanne Strobel reported that the September trimester of the Urantia Book International School (UBIS), which offered 22 courses, led by 25 volunteer teacher-facilitators from seven language branches, concluded on November 26. The January trimester was announced on November 27, and registration opened on January 8. The monthly Spotlight Series continues in English, French, and Spanish, and recorded sessions are available on the Foundation’s YouTube channel [2].
The online Marriage and Family Symposium will be held on June 14 and 15. The Education Committee has often discussed the need for courses about marriage and family life. This symposium will hopefully be a catalyst for future workshops, seminars, and classes. The goal is to offer inspiration and guidance for individuals and families who are navigating the complexities of human relationships, which are the most spiritual of adventures. For information, contact [email protected] [3].
Tamara Strumfeld reported on the fourth-quarter activities of the Urantia Study Group Directory, noting the following:
• She enjoys working on the directory with such quality, capable, and cooperative team members;
• Bill Beasley is the chair and always keeps them on track;
• Scott Brooks is the website administrator and handles the updates, the annual cleanup project, and the general site maintenance;
• Jackie Koury represents the Fellowship. She keeps records of the meetings and responds to many email inquiries;
• Phillip Marriott represents Urantia Association, recently replacing Rick Lyon. Rick responded to the majority of reader inquiries and retrieved website stats. The team thanks Rick for his years of service, and welcomes Phillip;
• The database cleanup is now complete, ensuring that the directory is the most up-to-date directory for study groups of The Urantia Book; and
• The directory team is an excellent example of organizational cooperation done well! There are now 544 study groups spanning 62 countries and 19 languages.
Visiting Guest
Elisabeth Callahan of Urantia University Institute (UUI) joined the meeting to talk about their new Teacher Education Program (TEP) for which UUI was awarded a $20,000 grant in 2023 from the Foundation's Mustard Seed Grant Program (MSGP). She shared that they have successfully launched a beta test with 11 people from various Urantia Book organizations who believe in creating an education institution for the long term. They are supported by an administrative team fielded by Alice Wood and Ariana Horn. The first 10-week trimester has been completed. Elisabeth noted that she is impressed by the high energy and level of instruction.
Fundraising and Finances
• Q4 unrestricted donations were 4% above Q4 of 2022 and 80% above Q4 budget.
• Restricted donations were 49% below Q4 of 2022 and 46% under Q4 budget.
• Q4 estate gifts totaled $238,776.
• Total income decreased by 8% compared to Q4 of 2022, and was 5% below the projected budget.
• Administrative expenses increased by 2% for Q4, due to the hiring of a new executive assistant. Administrative expenses for the year were 2% below 2022 and 5% under budget.
• Total expenses decreased by 17% from Q4 of last year, and are 14% under budget.
Outreach—Mustard Seed Grants Program (MSGP)
Geri Johnson reported on the success of the first year of the MSGP and expressed gratitude for the committee's tireless efforts and the support provided by bookkeeper Marie White. Together they contributed to what was a seamless second round in 2023. The call for proposals for Round 1, 2024, opened on February 7. If you have a project, be sure to apply by March 20 [4].
Cultural Advisory Council (CAC)
December 2023 saw the close of the CAC’s first two-year cycle and the formation of the second.
After nominations were received from board members and former advisors, the selection of these four new members was finalized: Felipe Arrigorriaga of Chile, Khatukhira “Khat” Bernard of Uganda, Jisoo Han of South Korea, and Samrawit Muluneh of Ethiopia. All have agreed to serve on the 2024–25 council.
Khat gave a presentation to the expanded board on Uganda, its cultural and religious heritage, and the present status of the efforts to disseminate the teachings of The Urantia Book there. Khat’s report is featured in this issue.
Translations
Georges Michelson-Dupont reported that all is well with translations, and that he plans to schedule a meeting with the Polish translators regarding their upcoming revision.
He introduced guest Richard Zhu who spoke to the board about the history of his work translating The Urantia Book into Simplified Chinese. The book has been completed and received high marks from a professional assessment.
Board members shared their abiding gratitude for Richard’s dedicated work and their excitement for what a translation will mean to the Chinese people. Richard expressed his appreciation for the support of both Tamara Strumfeld and Georges, for the opportunity to do this work, and for the blessing it will be to the Chinese people when published online. He looks forward to remaining involved and helping the Chinese people understand the teachings through online presentations and UBIS courses.