Second Miler Grant Recipient Matte Jockas
by Mark Wood
Strengthening Communities by Sharing the Urantia Book Revelation
Matte Jockas’ approach to sharing the revelation of living truth in his home country, Uganda, may seem counterintuitive.
Before applying for a grant from the Second Miler program, the young social entrepreneur and spiritual leader had, by his reckoning, already helped guide 600 souls who were “ready and hungry” to receive the new living truth of The Urantia Book.
This was done through sessions conducted by the Wilmat Development Foundation, which focuses on improving people’s livelihoods through social entrepreneurship. So their approach to empowerment was dual: economic and spiritual.
“Through the UB revelation, we have been able to rescue, rehabilitate and restore various troubled young mothers, pregnant teenage girls, elderly people and widows by sharing healing truth on how to build back better…” Matte stated in his application for a Fellowship grant.
These groups, he said, grew stronger in faith while being equipped with knowledge to improve their livelihoods.
A different approach
Matte observed, however, that sometimes the revelation was being transmitted to readers who lacked a clear understanding of what the book contains.
This, he said, limited the knowledge-sharing process between readers and non-readers in their communities. So–and here comes the counterintuitive aspect–he halted the process of delivering Urantia books to members and took a different approach.
“We wanted to prepare a ground that is ready to welcome the new knowledge of truth. This has been made possible through sharing personal summaries of The Urantia Book revelation and personal testimonies of how The Urantia Book revelation truth has changed our lives."
Matte and his team were also keen to see people adopt the revelation “without turning away from their own religion.” Many were still captured by what he calls the “imitation of religion” which has crippled or slowed down the expansion of The Urantia Book revelation truths.
“Yet if well presented along with other programs, there will be minimal rejection of the new revelation.”
Economy and Spirituality
Matte believes that equipping members of communities both spiritually and economically acts as a strong bridge for breaking barriers, expanding the revelation and building back better.
“In order to motivate members to adopt the Urantia Book revelations, entrepreneurship and reading sessions of the Urantia Book shall be incorporated into our approaches in order to pull more people closer to the love of the Word and expansion of the new Revelation Truth,” Matte wrote in his Second Miler application.
Funding for his project was granted in February 2021. It went towards printing and distributing 150 pamphlets for 150 aspiring Urantia Book readers, and the purchase of 150 tarpaulins distributed to 50 small reader groups to support them in their weekly sharing sessions and socio-entrepreneurial work.
It also helped fund a move to monthly online UB sharing sessions–in the midst of Covid-19 – with over 50 people who were highly interested in learning about The Urantia Book.
%20Matte%20Jockas.jpeg "Matte Jockas")
%20Matte%20Jockas%20The%20books%20have%20arrived%20and%20are%20about%20to%20be%20distributed%20to%20readers..jpeg "Matte Jockas holds a newly arrived copy of The Urantia Book.")
%20Matte%20Jockas%20The%20books%20have%20arrived.jpg "The books are about to be distributed to a Urantia Book group, sitting on one of the tarpaulins funded by the Second Miler Grant Program.")
%20Matte%20Jockas%20Women%20taking%20the%20lead%20in%20sharing%20and%20reading%20with%20their%20friends.jpg "Women taking the lead in reading and sharing the book.")