About The Urantia Book FellowshipOur VisionA global community promoting spiritual transformation by sharing a revelation of living truth. Our PurposeTo connect people together as brothers and sisters to share the truths of The Urantia Book teachings to promote our personal and spiritual growth. Our MissionTo facilitate the worldwide spread of The Urantia Book and its teachings, to stimulate study, support individual spiritual growth, connect truth seekers, and ensure that reliable resources about The Urantia Book and related communities are available to people everywhere.
Our Core ValuesChildlike Faith: We rely on God's divine guidance, and on the help of a vast array of universe ministers. Cooperative Teamwork: Knowing the exponential value of teamwork, we plan our work together and enthusiastically support each other's efforts toward our common goals. Loving Relationships: Because we recognize that our relationships are permanent realities, we express startling affection for each other. Abiding Trust: We trust in God's plan for our world. We trust others to give their best effort to The Urantia Book Fellowship, and we are trustworthy in return. Joyful Service: We live to serve. Our gratitude to God for his many gifts stimulates our desire to share His love with every person on earth, to manifest the brotherhood of all mankind, and to do everything in our individual and collective power to move our planet toward its destiny as a world of light and life. About The Urantia Book FellowshipThe Urantia Book Fellowship (a.k.a., the Fellowship)—founded in 1955 as Urantia Brotherhood—is an inclusive association of individuals, families, and groups inspired by the transformative teachings of The Urantia Book. Through worldwide support of study, dissemination, and reader services, our members seek understanding among all readers of The Urantia Book and the peoples of the world. The Fellowship is committed to the ideal of spiritual unity, which embraces individual diversity, as embodied in the teachings of The Urantia Book. The Urantia Book Fellowship is unaffiliated with Urantia Foundation. The Fellowship publishes the fully indexed edition of The Urantia Book through its own internal publishing agency, Uversa Press. Reader services and organizational business are managed by the General Council which consists of thirty-six members elected from our members. The General Council is assisted by an Executive Committee comprised of General Council members who manage various working committees of the Fellowship. The Urantia Book Fellowship is a member of the North American Interfaith Network. Many devoted men and women have served the Fellowship since 1955. To view the bios of current Fellowship leaders, click here. The Urantia Book Fellowship is the continuation of the Forum, the social organization of believers which reviewed The Urantia Book prior to its original publication, and formed Urantia Brotherhood. The name was changed to The Urantia Book Fellowship in 1990. We have been growing since 1955 as an independent, international spiritual communion of believers devoted to the dissemination of The Urantia Book and the study of its teachings. There is no official doctrine, viewpoint, or belief system promulgated by the Fellowship. We seek to coordinate the efforts of all readers to study The Urantia Book, to grow spiritually, to foster community, and to participate in the world-wide spread of the book and its teachings. Statement of PurposeThe purposes of The Urantia Book Fellowship are (1) the study and dissemination of the teachings of The Urantia Book; (2) the promotion, improvement, and expansion among the peoples of the world of (a) the comprehension and understanding of cosmology and the relation of the planet on which we live to the universe, (b) the genesis and destiny of man and his relation to God, of (c) the life and teachings of Jesus; and (3) the inculcation and encouragement of the realization and appreciation of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all—in order to increase and enhance the comfort, happiness, and well-being of all people, as individuals and as members of society, by fostering a religion, a philosophy, and a cosmology which are commensurate with humankind's intellectual and cultural development, through the medium of fraternal association, and ever obedient and subservient to the laws of this country and of all countries wherein The Urantia Book Fellowship may extend. We abide by the Fellowship's Constitution and By-Laws and support its purpose as stated in the Constitution. We strive within the limits of our ability to share The Urantia Book with others whenever possible. We support The Urantia Book Fellowship to the best of our ability with contributions of service, resources, and creativity. StructureHow is the Fellowship organized? The Fellowship is made up of people who study The Urantia Book that gather together for socialization, worship, service, and study of the book. Study groups are a primary way that Urantia Book entusiasts gather together to study and socialize. Study groups may eventually decide to form a Urantia Society if they wish to increase their formal participation in the Fellowship's governance and global activities. Urantia Societies are autonomous chapters of The Urantia Book Fellowship. They come together for organizational business that includes facilitating local events for socialization, worship, and education around the teachings of The Urantia Book. Every three years these autonomous local Urantia Societies elect representatives who attend the Fellowship's Triennial Delegate Assembly (TDA). TDA representatives in turn elect Fellowship members to positions on the Fellowship's policy making body, the General Council. The General Council then elects the Fellowship's Officers and Service Team Chairs—or Board of Directors—from among its members. This group is known as the Executive Committee. The TDA also advises the General Council on various matters of concern of their Urantia Societies. Members of the General Council manage dissemination and socialization projects on a national and international basis. The Fellowship’s Executive Committee is comprised of eight individuals; the five officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Secretary-General) of the Fellowship and three Service Team Chairs (World Wide Team, Fellowship Team, and Media and Communications Team). The Service Team Chairs preside over the work of nine Departmental (standing) Committees (see chart below) and various ad hoc committees. The Fellowship's Executive Committee holds fiduciary responsibility for the Fellowship's activities. The Fellowship is registered with GuideStar Exchange and annual audit financial information is available there. The seven tiers of The Urantia Book Fellowship:
EducationThe Education Committee seeks to (1) enhance the quality of education and study of The Urantia Book within the community of readers, (2) bring the teachings to new readers, to enhance in-depth study among students, (3) support and develop teachers, and (4) encourage spiritual growth of individuals. We will pursue these goals by applying principles and pedagogies drawn from the wisdom of human educators and using lessons about education from The Urantia Book itself. If you would like to know more, please click here to visit our Education resources page.
"The entire universe is one vast school." 37:6.2 (412.2) Membership ApplicationsFor basic access to our site, you can sign up as a Website Registrant. If you are also interested in volunteering or leading a study group, you can indicate this in your profile. To be considered for Membership in The Urantia Book Fellowship (a.k.a., the Fellowship), that is, to become a Member of the Fellowship, please click here. You can read more about what it means to be a Member of the Fellowship below. Please note that the terminology of our website platform sometime uses the word "Member", or "Membership" in various places, but this does not always align with official "membership" in the Fellowship. Membership Levels on our website platform:
If you are already a Member of The Urantia Book Fellowship, and would like to serve on the General Council, log into your account and click here. As a member, you are entitled to access the minutes of the General Council. To become more familiar with our organization, and the requirements of membership, please read through the following documents:
Some information about becoming a member and signing up for organizational service, along with hard-copy forms:
Here are some of the activities that your membership supports: PublicationsCommitted to sharing our authors, artists, and events through the The Urantia Book Fellowship's Publications Committee, our hope is to enrich the spiritual life of current students of The Urantia Book; to offer opportunities for current Urantia Book students to introduce people to the Urantia Book teachings and community; and to provide an outlet for wisdom and creativity from those who find enlightened teachings in The Urantia Book. Past Publications are available for everyone to view:
Dedicated volunteers use their creativity and in-depth study to write articles for these publications. Feed your curiosity. Feed your soul with stories, videos, poetry, art, and Urantia events. An archive of our publications, dating back to 1955, can be found here: The following is a historical archive of the Urantia Book Historical Society: We also offer The Urantia Book with a comprehensive topical index, a two-column format, an internal referencing system, an appendix, and a free audio DVD of the entire book.
Second Miler Grant ProgramRevelation Development Grant Program OPEN NOW FOR YOUR APPLICATION A fund to help the Urantia Book reader community with revelation development projects The Urantia Book Fellowship’s Executive Committee and General Council launched a grant program in 2020 called the Second Miler Grant Program to support revelation development projects created by Urantia Book readers and communities worldwide including the The Urantia Book Fellowship's Committees, General Council members, Urantia Societies, and Area Coordinators/Field Workers. Each project supports the The Urantia Book Fellowship’s vision: “A global community promoting spiritual transformation by sharing a revelation of living truth.” Since the announcement of our pilot program we received and reviewed many diverse and creative proposals. With our successful pilot completed, we have opened this fund to all members and bona fide Urantia Book readers and communities worldwide. Do you have an idea of new or better ways to share the teachings of The Urantia Book? Whether large or small, whether you are working alone or with your study group, society, or an informal group of other readers, you can apply for financial support from our Second Miler Grant Program. Annual program funding comes from investing a sustainable portion of The Urantia Book Fellowship's assets into the ideas and initiative of readers who are willing to go the second mile so that the world may share our gift of revelation (The Urantia Book). Let your imagination soar! Grant amounts average $2350 (plus or minus about $1000) but exceptional larger projects and multi-year funding will be considered. If you have an idea that is a revelation-development project and you need some support to pursue your initiative then we want to hear from you. Just to give you an idea of the range of projects currently underway ... TRUTH
BEAUTY
GOODNESS
Click here to learn more about the details of this program and to apply. Some Second Miler Grant Recipients
Stepping Stones to the RevelationHow do we introduce the Urantia Teachings to 20,000 people per month? The Urantia Book Fellowship's Outreach Program
The Fellowship's Outreach Program is responsible for promoting The Urantia Book through a wide range of grassroots projects domestically and internationally. The program has participated in hundreds of book fairs and expos introducing the book and its teachings to thousands of potential new readers. A number of our best outreach materials are available here.
The Urantia Book Fellowship's International ProgramThe Fellowship's International Program nurtures and sponsors students and communities around the world by connecting readers with leaders and by fostering opportunities for study and socialization. The program has sponsored international book fairs in numerous countries including Korea, India, Nepal, Zambia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Russia, Croatia, and Turkey. In addition, through the Pipeline of Light, more than 5800 desperately needed books have been donated and delivered to eighty-four countries.
The Urantia Book Fellowship's Interfaith ProgramThe Fellowship's Interfaith Program has presented the book to countless ministers and placed it in hundreds of religious libraries worldwide including the Vatican. Representatives from the Interfaith Program were present at each of the last five Parliament of World Religions: 1993 in Chicago Illinois, 1999 in Cape Town South Africa, 2004 in Barcelona Spain, and 2009 in Melbourne Australia. Most recently, 120 Urantia Book readers were present at the 2015 Parliament of World Religions in Salt Lake City, Utah, including more than seventy-five members from our young adult community.
Web PresenceCreated in 1996, www.urantiabook.org was one of the first Urantia websites providing an on-line collection of resources inspired by The Urantia Book. Currently, the site averages more than 6000 visits per month exposing millions to the book and its teachings in the past twenty-five years. Additional Urantia-based websites including UrantiaNow and Family Life are now available. Study GroupsMany readers like to explore the book's ideas with other readers. Hundreds of small autonomous study groups have been formed around the world. Some of these study groups affiliate in regional societies which in turn elect leadership for the The Urantia Book Fellowship. To find a study group near you or to participate in an email discussion list, check our Study Group Directory. The Urantia Book Fellowship: A Brief HistoryStarting in 1924, every Sunday at 3:00 p.m., a group of interested friends met at the Chicago home of Drs. William and Lena Sadler to read and review unusual information that was coming through a mysterious "sleeping subject." The voluminous material--the Urantia papers--revealed to them new ideas of the universe of universes; life after death; man's origin, history, destiny and life on earth; and the life and teachings of Jesus.
This group of initial reviewers, who became known as the Forum and who signed a pledge of secrecy, grew to include individuals from all walks of life. Much of the content of the papers was based on answers to questions they had been invited to submit, and there was a steady turnover of members. Between 1924 and June 7, 1942, when Dr. Sadler officially disbanded the Forum by announcing that it had completed its work, almost five hundred people had participated. Between this date and book publication, the group continued to meet weekly to read and discuss the papers.  In 1950, the Contact Commission who had been directly in touch with the superhuman phenomenon, consisting of Dr. Sadler (Dr. Lena passed away in 1939), his son Bill Sadler, his secretary Emma Christensen, and in-laws Wilfred and Anna Kellogg, together with some close Forum friends, formed Urantia Foundation in preparation for book publication. In January 1955, prior to the book publication the following October, the Forum reorganized into Urantia Brotherhood, projected to become the vehicle for social organization and dissemination activity. For thirty-four years, Urantia Brotherhood and Urantia Foundation worked together side-by-side on publication and dissemination, the Foundation having franchised the Brotherhood to use the name Urantia and the three concentric circles symbol. In 1989, due to ideological differences that are documented elsewhere, Urantia Foundation disenfranchised the Brotherhood.  The now independent Brotherhood set about finding other quarters. In the process of disenfranchisement the Brotherhood was required to give up the name "Urantia Brotherhood", the use of the words Urantia and Urantian, and the use of the concentric circles symbol. In addition, for several years members of the Brotherhood were unable to obtain books from Urantia Foundation, which held the copyright and controlled distribution. The Brotherhood's thirty years of work establishing distribution channels for The Urantia Book was shut down. Without access to books or names of new readers, the future for the organization looked bleak. But the Brotherhood was only temporarily daunted. It legally changed its name to The Fifth Epochal Fellowship and later to The Urantia Book Fellowship (a.k.a., the Fellowship), purchased a new headquarters building in Chicago and continued to pursue its mission of disseminating the teachings by supporting study groups and hosting local, national and international conferences.  In 1996, when Urantia Foundation lost the copyright to The Urantia Book, the Fellowship printed its own edition using its subsidiary Uversa Press. Once again the organization had an ample supply of books and was insured against ever again being cut off from supplies. The copyright was briefly reinstated, but in 2002 the original English text of The Urantia Book was legally declared to be in public domain. Since then The Urantia Book Fellowship has continued to print, distribute and improve its edition of the book. In 2005, the Fellowship sold its building in Chicago to become a virtual online organization capable of being managed online by readers anywhere in the world. The original Urantia Brotherhood continues to grow today as The Urantia Book Fellowship. It supports a wide range of reader activities and dissemination services, from web resources to international conferences, interfaith events, outreach expositions, public introductions, Urantian scholarships, translations, audio recordings, international book fairs, and study groups. The goal has always been to make The Urantia Book available to any human being who longs for its sublime wisdom and truth.  Beyond all human and organizational struggles, The Urantia Book Fellowship continues its efforts to foster good relations amongst all Urantia Book readers, believers, and groups, viewing them all as brothers, sisters, and partners in the work of worldwide dissemination, consistently striving for brotherly love, inclusivity and integrity--recognizing that there is a true spiritual kinship underlying all Urantia Book believers, who endure and endeavor to serve God and humanity. We, The Urantia Book Fellowship, above all, honor and serve this family of believers. For more historical information, visit the Urantia Book Historical Society website. IRS Form 990 |
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