A summer of celebration is turning into an autumn of progress and dedicated effort to extending the reach and depth of the Urantia Revelation.
This summer I attended two conferences which took time to honor the 60th Anniversary of the first printing of The Urantia Book and the first attempts to create a formal social organization dedicated to the Urantia teachings. From those early efforts in Chicago, collective reach has expanded tremendously. The Urantia Book is now available in 17 languages, 24 countries have joined Urantia Association International and 12 more countries have organized communities on the cusp of joining. With the perspective of time we can appreciate just how far we have come and how far we will go in the next 60 years!
In Quebec we held the 9th Urantia Association International Conference hosted by the Urantia Association of Quebec and the Urantia Association of Canada. These International conferences are moments to reflect, study, celebrate, and plot the course for the years to come. The international Service Board met to discuss the challenges of the year ahead, and the International Representative Council met to discuss progress in each country in our Association.
Each committee and country is dedicated to their own individual projects, but as a collective our focus for the next year will be three conferences on three continents, each sharing the same theme: Jesus as a Teacher. In North America, the Urantia Association of the United States will team with The Urantia Book Fellowship to host a combined National Conference and Summer Study Session in San Antonio, TX USA, from June 9-12, 2016. This is the first time in nearly 25 years that the entire Urantia Community in the United States will work in harmony for the same conference.
In Europe, Urantia Association International will team with and support The Blue Club of Europe to host a conference in Budapest, September 15-18, 2016. There is a growing united European Urantia Community and this event will be the biggest conference dedicated to fostering this important development. We are encouraging all Urantia Associations in Europe to send a contingent to Budapest. Translation services will be available so register early to help facilitate the hiring of the necessary translators.
In Latin America, Urantia Association of Colombia will host every Latin American Association in a conference in Bogota, October 14-17, 2016. Latin America is the fastest growing region in our International Association and this event will be used to shape the future for this region. English translation will be provided for those who want to visit but do not speak Spanish.
Going forward we will see many more years like 2016, with major events across the world coordinating themes and broadcasting their activities to the world. As our responsibilities continue to grow more volunteers are stepping forward to work for the advancement of our community. Thank you to all!
Finally, I want to congratulate the Urantia Association of the Netherlands who will host our next International Conference in Amsterdam in 2018. Plan ahead! This conference should not be missed!
In service,
Chris Wood