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As The Urantia Book begins to spread throughout the world and interest in its teachings appears in other lands, the scope of the opportunity for service of the International Fellowship Committee and of Urantia Brotherhood is coming into clearer definition. The Brotherhood appears to be still in the very early stages of development, as it may be for some time, and there is not a great deal of activity requiring the active involvement of the International Fellowship Committee on a grand scale. Indeed, for the moment, the day-to-day international work is being carried on most ably by Christy, the Resident Director, Henry Begemann in Europe, others specially authorized to carry out particular visits, and by the international contacts of the readers of The Urantia Book including those who may not be organizationally linked with the Brotherhood but whose purposes are entirely consistent with and complimentary to those of Urantia Brotherhood.

The International Fellowship Committee during its one meeting this year in October of 1976 discussed its responsibilities and agreed that we should aim towards becoming good coordinators ready to help those requesting it and working with those who wish to co-operate with Urantia Brotherhood, perhaps some time wishing organizationally to become a part of it.

The committee feels that we should act as good gardeners cultivating where the soil will support genuine interest in the teachings and friendly and ennobling mutual association and co-operation. Consistent with the general approach of Urantia Brotherhood, we wish to be enablers, leaveners.

In carrying out these goals, the committee believes it is helpful that we encourage face-to-face meetings with fellow readers from other lands as much as possible, and that committee members educate themselves and encourage others to do likewise, to become familiar with other cultures, including their viewpoints and their language.

Interestingly, the committee commented vigorously on the need to proceed wisely and slowly with involvement in the international field considering only those study groups for society status who have, over a period of years, demonstrated organizational stability, maturity, a solid understanding of the general goals and purposes of Urantia Brotherhood, and above all a willingness to eschew provincialism, embracing a co-operative internationalism supported through a dedication to the processes of progressive evolution.

The committee members themselves wish to become more familiar with various cultures and viewpoints, presently acquainting themselves with some aspects of France: its people, its culture, its customs. And on a smaller scale the same is true of Finland.

International contacts in the last year or so included visits by the now Chairman of the International Fellowship Committee and two Executive Committee Members to the Netherlands, and various cities and villages in France. A return visit is planned for this July.

One of last year's highlights was a visit to Recloses, France, in the company of Henry Begemann, European Field Representative, and a meeting with the Dupont study group. Not only was the fellowship and study most enjoyable, but also the meeting was important in that it gave us a foretaste-no matter how arguably slight it might be--of what a super-national Brotherhood can be like. We noted representatives there from England, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, England, Italy, and, of course, the United States: people from different countries enjoying one another.

There are those who were there who begin to acquire some understanding of the powerful potentials contained within The Urantia Book for world-wide peace and a true world-wide Brotherhood supported upon a matrix of world law administered through mankind government, guaranteeing social and economic justice to each, and nurtured by the stable expression of mutual and powerful love and trust as was so well exemplified in the life of Joshua Ben Joseph, Jesus of Nazareth.

There was also a stimulating meeting of a wonderfully congenial group in Sens, France, composed mostly of professionals and semi-professionals in the field of medicine. This group is now sifting through a wide range of religious and occult writings and we hope eventually will develop a wholehearted appreciation of and dedication to the Urantia teachings and their world-wide mission. We very much enjoyed our meeting with these fine people.

Finally, the now Chairman of the International Fellowship Committee and two other Executive Committee Members also were privileged to have attended the meeting of the only known regularly meeting study group in the Netherlands, ably conducted by Mr. Begemann. Fellowship and good discussion were had by all.

One important point I should like to make is that Urantia Brotherhood has in its midst a number of loyal, experienced and able students of The Urantia Book whose respective unique qualifications well enable them to serve as representatives of Urantia Brotherhood and of the Urantia teachings, not only in the United States, but also throughout the planet, and many times in the native tongues of their hosts. One example of the positive and unifying results of the efforts of one such representative mission is the continuing harvest of mutual understanding and co-operative association which continues to roll in, in the wake of Julia Fenderson's trip to the continent of Australia about a year and a half ago. Wherever Julia goes, she leaves better understanding and peace in the place of confusion. And there are other capable and qualified individuals who have demonstrated already their abilities for unifying our movement. I hope the Executive Committee and the General Council will make frequent and substantial use of the abilities of such as Julia, which have been honed and made fruitful through long years of unselfish co-operation and service.

In closing, although this recital of activities may have rendered this report somewhat more lengthy than it usually is, it is nevertheless made here in order to point up some of the international repercussions of the spread of The Urantia Book and further it most effectively shows how the international scope of the work of the International Fellowship Committee and the Urantia Brotherhood is more and more coming into clearer definition.

There are many positive potentials appearing just on the horizon. A wise administration of our trust will contribute mightily to the augmenting spiritual renaissance which will some day inspire the minds and fill the hearts of all mankind. We are indeed a privileged number at the beginning of a new planetary age. May we bear our trust well,