2022 Annual Report

President’s Message

Urantia is now quivering on the very brink of one of its most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment. 195:9.2 (2082.7)

Truth and Righteousness

“The book belongs to the era immediately to follow the conclusion of the present ideological struggle. That will be the day when men will be willing to seek truth and righteousness. When the chaos of the present confusion has passed, it will be more readily possible to formulate the cosmos of a new and improved era of human relationships. And it is for this better order of affairs on earth that the book has been made ready” (Publication Mandate).

Our mission at Urantia Association International is to disseminate the teachings of The Urantia Book and to be prepared to make the teachings available for the day when people are ready and willing to seek truth and righteousness.

Thank You

Thanks to our wonderful and generous donors and the tireless work of so many members and volunteers dedicated to the revelation, we continue our virtual presence globally through the use of seminars, study groups, and workshops. Fortunately, with the easing of the pandemic-related restrictions, it was possible for us to resume personal contact at some events, of which we highlight the European Conference held in Malaga, Spain at the end of 2022. It was a magnificent event, where we were able to embrace each other again, fraternize, and feel the strength of the revelation and its teachings as instilled in all of us.

A Global Perspective

As a global organization with Constituent Associations in over 30 countries, we are working hard for greater integration and participation for all our associations. Even in countries where we still don’t have an association, we have approached local leaders to help, encourage, and support their efforts to promote and facilitate their progress towards becoming an organization. We want to promote meetings of leaders so they may exchange experiences and draw up plans and projects to strengthen their actions in each region and enable us to open new frontiers.

Working Together

Our working committees, along with our Continental Coordinators, have worked tirelessly to bring the revelation to every corner of the planet and to strengthen our local communities so they can continue to grow and become self-sustainable in their regions. We do this by encouraging the formation of study groups, promoting seminars and conferences, and by making The Urantia Book available to multiple associations and leaders. We also encourage their active participation in the meetings of the International Representative Council (RC), where they can share experiences and develop important programs.

Enrique Traver

On behalf of the International Service Board

Highlights

Be not discouraged; human evolution is still in progress, and the revelation of God to the world, in and through Jesus, shall not fail. 196:3.33 (2097.1) 

We are comforted by this assurance from the Urantia revelation, and furthermore, we are blessed to witness the progressive evolution and the spiritual fruits borne of patient, steady growth. To see all that has unfolded within a mere 67 years is a gift—the reward of devotion, effort, teamwork, and faith. And today, this growth is particularly evident in Latin America and Africa, where The Urantia Book is being introduced to many spiritually hungry souls thanks to the tireless efforts of inspired volunteers. Here are a couple of highlights for the year:

Progress in Africa

Evolution of Conferences

The evolution of conferences in Africa began when readers, isolated in many parts of the continent, yearned to contact each other. Then came the formation of study groups, which led to collaborations with organized entities in the community of Urantia Book readers. Eventually associations were formed and, if all goes to plan, many more will follow.  

Challenges, such as the recent pandemic, impacted the world and our lives in many ways, providing us with new experiences and new hurdles to overcome. It triggered amazing innovations in technology and social engineering, leading to gatherings in virtual conferences or, as we call them, Urantiathons. 

African Urantiathon in May 2022

Readers from several African countries came together on virtual platforms to share thought gems and reflections on the Urantia Revelation. The theme, “United in Service,” reminded us that, as sons and daughters of the Universal Father, our ultimate call is to serve, even beyond worlds and realms. And whenever we set out to serve a cause, serve our fellows, or to serve this Urantia revelation, we are united in one purpose. 

Participants from all parts of the Urantia community worldwide were enlightened by insightful and beautiful presentations and musical interludes. 

The following titles give an insight into the presentations: 

Unity and Service – Our Joy and Brotherhood by Khatukhira Bernard, Uganda 
Service as a Unifying Factor by Moustapha Ndiaye, Senegal 
United in Be…ing by Delae Sowu, Ghana (who sadly graduated earlier this year) 
A Path to Unity by Assan Diagne, Senegal 
The Master’s Joy by Lanz Emmanuel, Ghana 
Musical interludes by Kwadjo Spiri, Ghana 

Reflections

Good things happen when we create platforms such as the Urantiathons, where readers connect and fraternize with one another and the revelation. Our appreciation goes out to Urantia Association International and the Urantia Book community for continually supporting these programs, thereby creating opportunities to foster in-depth study of the book and to disseminate its teachings. Thanks to the readers, especially the speakers, presenters, organizers, and translators, for all the effort and work put in to make these programs such wonderful, beautiful, and insightful activities for all. 

The baton passes on! The Urantiathons will continue to connect readers beyond geographic boundaries, and while this is the first of its kind in Africa, I can assure you that it won’t be the last. 

Warm greetings from Africa, 
Collins Lomo 
Continental Coordinator 

Latin America Seeding Program

In 2022, we undertook a substantial seeding program by distributing 630 copies of The Urantia Book to ten countries in Latin America.

This was a fantastic dissemination program for our associations in Latin America. Many thanks to Urantia Foundation, which generously donated the books while we managed their distribution. We sent books to Argentina 30, Bolivia 70, Brazil 120, Chile 30, Colombia 140, Costa Rica 50, Ecuador 50, Guatemala 50, Mexico 40, Peru 50. 

Unfortunately, the logistical cost of these operations was very high, reaching up to $23 per book or more, so even though it is an excellent program, we were limited in the resources available. To complete this program, we applied part of the resources available in the Global Seeding Funds and about 50% of the total costs were supported by donors interested in the program.  

If you are interested in supporting this program, you can donate to the Global Seeding Fund on our website at: Donate.

For more information about this program fund see: Global Seeding Fund.

The associations, upon receiving the books, had the opportunity to apply and distribute the books according to their needs and by following the guidelines established by Urantia Association, which includes distribution in school bookstores, book fairs, study groups, and direct sales.

Any book sales-generated resources help the associations support specific projects. In the case of Brazil, some of the resources were applied in preparation for their audio version of The Urantia Book, in addition to other projects.

Each association covered the costs and we are grateful for the sacrifices made by all to help meet expenses for things such as accounting, Zoom rooms, website maintenance, preparation for annual conferences, and support for study groups.

By having the book available, associations are able to participate in book fairs, which is an excellent means of spreading the teachings, and to make the book available in public and school libraries. In this way, the associations can develop improved methods of dissemination.

Our intention is to encourage this program by expanding the distribution of books around the world with the support of Urantia Foundation and our donors.

Comments From Recipients

“Greetings my brothers, Wilson Leon and Enrique Traver. Thank you so much for the shipment of five boxes of Urantia Books to Guatemala, which I received in the month of January 2023.”

—Gerardo Leche, Guatemala

“Beloved siblings, Tamara, Enrique, and Wilson, on behalf of the National Urantia Association of Colombia, we want to express our gratitude for the support we have received from Urantia Foundation and Urantia Association International, who joined efforts so that we could receive 140 books as a donation, which will be used for dissemination activities of the fifth revelation in Colombia, as agreed with the Latin American Committee. We will be faithful multipliers of these resources that have been given to us.

“Thank you for this manifestation of commitment and support for our programs, and in the certainty that these seeds will be sown with the same love that Master Jesus taught us in his preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.”

Norma Caicedo
President of the Colombian National Association
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Urantia National Association of Colombia

Financial Report

Urantia Association International is a truly international association, consisting of Constituent Associations world-wide. These independent associations are linked by an International Representative Council and assisted by Continental Coordinators, a Central Service Board, and a paid administrator. 

We are an independent organization; while we fully support Urantia Foundation, we are not a part of the Foundation and are not subsidized by the Foundation or any other group.   

We are a very lean organization when it comes to finances, preferring to focus on service and volunteerism.

In 2022 Urantia Association received $95,232 in revenue from members, affiliates, and supporters, up 1% percent from last year. Total expenses and service program disbursements were $107,071, up 14% from last year. We begin 2023 with a fund balance of $179,981; $110,413 in restricted funds and $69,567 in unrestricted funds.

Jay Peregrine, CFO

Income (in United States dollars) $
Ordinary Un-Restricted Contributions 72,463
Restricted Fund Contributions 22,770
Earned Income 3,210
Other Income 690
Total Income 99,132
Expenses $
Program & Projects 47,394
Administration Expenses 45,258
General Operations Expenses 14,419
Total Expense 107,071
Change in Net Income Adjusted (7,939)

Looking Ahead

Long-Range Plan

Our mission is to disseminate the teachings contained in The Urantia Book to all corners of our world. It is a challenging mission that demands enthusiasm, commitment, resources, plans, structure and focus, all fueled by the love to our brothers and sisters. When we look back, it is possible to see that we have traveled far since we embraced this ideal.

However, looking ahead, it is easy to see that our work has just begun and that we still have a long way to go. It is a way with plenty of diversity in culture, religion, language, and ethnicities and, while we welcome diversity, it has its challenges. It is nothing we cannot overcome, but we need to have a Long-Range Plan to identify those strategies and resources needed to succeed. It is all too easy to get lost when exploring unknown terrain. Having clear targets and well-defined objectives is essential for us to maintain a safe harbor and fulfill our mission.

We have created an ad hoc committee to brainstorm, prepare, and submit to the International Service Board (ISB) and the Representative Council (RC), a Long-Range Plan covering five years or more. So far, this committee has held eight meetings defining the basics of our organization, such as:

1. Our Vision: The establishment of the era of light and life on Urantia.

2. Our Mission: To foster study of The Urantia Book and to disseminate its teachings.

3. Our Objectives:

  • WHY —The reason why the Urantia Association exists.
    We believe the teachings of the book have the potential to rejuvenate spirituality around the world and to enhance the comfort, happiness, and well-being of every person.
  • HOW—The way we do things.
    We help others connect to God by sharing the teachings of The Urantia book and we build a network of people with the same desire to disseminate the teachings of the book.
  • WHAT—we do.
    We help Urantia Book students around the world to study, share, and apply these teachings in daily life. We also foster and encourage truth-seekers in countries where no associations exist, to share the teachings in their regions.

Representative Council

We will continue to assist the Representative Council members gain a better understanding of the Association’s activities and encourage them to contribute their experiences to help us improve our work. We also encourage members to participate in our quarterly ISB meetings, and we have invited each of the Association leaders to do a presentation to the RC on the work and activities in their regions in order to inspire us with new ideas, and discuss challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Expansion

We will be encouraging the leaders of our communities to meet in-person on a regular basis to discuss plans and share experiences, and to identify areas needing our attention, resources, or support. This will allow for better integration, cooperation, and engagement. The purpose of this is to strengthen the work of our leaders and associations, while at the same time, outline plans to expand into new regions.

We will continue to intensify the work of our Global Seeding Program, which provides financial support for projects intended to spread the book and its teachings. It also supports regional groups and associations in their efforts to supply study groups with books, support materials, teachers, and organizers; to participate in national and local book fairs; and to place books in libraries. Funds will be used to make books available to bookstores in isolated regions where there is no commercial book distribution available. (For more information on this program see the article on the Latin American Seeding Program in this Annual Report.)

For 2023, plans are underway for Urantia Association’s 3rd Latin American Conference in Mexico, the 2nd African Conference, a 24-hour Global Urantiathon, two 12-hour Latin American Urantiathons, and two 6-hour African Urantiathons. Also plans are progressing well for the March 2024 Urantia Association International Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Once again, we would like to thank all our donors for their generosity. Your donation is what supports our activities worldwide. Many thanks.

Help us to support the growth of the Urantia community. Start by donating today.

Donate Online

Contributors

In appreciation of their support for Urantia Association and our activities in 2022, we wish to thank the following contributors. Names posted with permission. Not all contributors are listed.

  • Jean-Luc Amblet, Switzerland
  • David and Joyce Anderson, United States
  • Paul D Anderson, United States
  • Jean Ascher, Denmark
  • Asociación Urantia de España, Spain
  • Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Le Livre d’Urantia, France
  • Australia/New Zealand Urantia Association (ANZURA), Australia
  • Zailyn Prada Blackburn, United States
  • Joseph Bruny, United States
  • Flavio Ronald Burin, Brazil
  • Miguel Mallorca, Spain
  • Douglas Cable and Betty Lou Wallace, United States
  • Elisabeth Callahan, United States
  • Stephen and Connie Caruso, United States
  • David and Trish Chilton, United States
  • Inge Clark, United States
  • Donato Coco, Italy
  • Bill and Kaye Cooper, United States
  • Janet Cote, United States
  • Brian Lee Cox, United States
  • Ronald Craig, United States
  • Kenneth and Linda Cramer, United States
  • Eduardo Ramiro Cuestas, Argentina
  • Douglas Fulton, United States
  • Joao Frederico Abbott Galvao, Jr., Brazil
  • Victor Garcia Bory, United States
  • Gestion Charland-Lessard Inc, Canada
  • Katrina Glavan-Heise, United States
  • Georgia Gleaves, United States
  • Cheryl  Glicker, United States
  • Deborah Goaldman, United States
  • Nichita, United States
  • Greater Lake Michigan Urantia Association, Inc, United States
  • Janet Guaderrama, United States
  • James G. of Maine, United States
  • Robert Hersey, United States
  • Doreen Heyne, United States
  • Myra Hight, United States
  • Ariana Horn, United States
  • Marian and Matthew Hughes, United States
  • Donna Huy, United States
  • Larry Jackson, United States
  • Gard and Florence Jameson, United States
  • Richard Jernigan, United States
  • Jesusonian Foundation, United States
  • Bruce Johnson, United States
  • Dana Kersey, United States
  • Benjamin King, United States
  • Raymond Klebba, United States
  • Marilynn Kulieke, United States
  • Mark and Karen Kurtz, United States
  • Jacques Lafrance, Canada
  • Jean Claude Lafreniere, Canada
  • David Linthicum, United States
  • Helena Mendieta Lopez, United States
  • Teresa Lueck-Bradley, United States
  • Rick and Susan Lyon, United States
  • José Enrique Marti Traver, Brazil
  • Patricia Martin, United States
  • Julian McGarry, Australia
  • Patty McGrath, United States
  • Olga Molina López, Spain
  • Melva Morrow, United States
  • Eva and Wayne Myers, United States
  • David Neufer, United States
  • John W Nugent, United States
  • Ohio Students of the Urantia Book, United States
  • Robert Oliver, United States
  • Susan Owen, United States
  • Edgar Paternina, Colombia
  • Patti Page Perdue, United States
  • Jay W Peregrine, United States
  • Voyette Perkins-Brown, United States
  • Rebecca Picou, United States
  • Gail Pollock-Manthey, United States
  • Gary and Wanda Powless, United States
  • Dr. Richard A. Rawson, United States
  • Dave Reiman, United States
  • Richard Rosen, United States
  • Royce Russell, United States
  • Andrew Rux, United States
  • Nicholas Scalzo, United States
  • Jeanette M Schafer, United States
  • John Schreiner, United States
  • Cynthia Scott, United States
  • Will Sherwood, United States
  • Jake and Margaret Thompson, United States
  • Charles Smith, United States
  • William Spaulding, United States
  • Line St-Pierre, Canada
  • Brent St. Denis, Canada
  • Michael O. Stafford, United States
  • Stephanie Stein-Buchler, United States
  • Joanne Strobel, United States
  • Trevor and Kathleen Swadling, Australia
  • Geoff Taylor, United States
  • Bruce Thomas, United States
  • Ralph and Karen Thornton, United States
  • Les Tibbals, United States
  • Neville and Patricia Twist, New Zealand
  • Urantia Association of Finland, Finland
  • Urantia Foundation, United States
  • Irene Olivia Valenciano Fallas, Costa Rica
  • Judy Van Cleave, United States
  • Meredith Van Woert, United States
  • Virginia-Carolina Readers Association, United States
  • David Wagstaff, United States
  • Neal Waldrop, United States
  • Norman Weiss and Diana Yesu Whakapapa, New Zealand
  • William Wentworth, Australia
  • Jose Winum, France
  • Alice and Chris Wood, United States
  • Joel and Xue Wood, United States
  • James Woodward, United States
  • Michael Zehr, United States
  • Wally Ziglar, United States