During the past three years, the primary activities of the Education Committee have related to its continuing sponsorship of the intensive Summer Seminar. Seminars were held at Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois, 26-30 June 1989, and, this year, 23-27 June 1991. The programs for these seminars continued the sequential study of The Urantia Book begun in 1985. The 1989 program covered the second half of Part III of the Book and was based on the theme "Foundations of the Jesusonian Gospel". The 1991 program covers the first half of Part IV, using the theme "Inspired Living-Amidst the Trials of Time". This sequence will conclude next year with an examination of the second half of Part IV. 

These seminars represent the major current effort of the Education Committee to address its constitutional mandate to "...find, prepare, and qualify teachers of The Urantia Book..." and to "...interest such ... persons in preparing themselves to teach ... and to prepare and qualify such persons to teach The Urantia Book..." Over the years, the ideas implied by the words "...to teach The Urantia Book..." have been broadened in practice to mean "...to help readers to understand the teachings of The Urantia Book..." 

As the committee's major effort, the seminars have a triune focus. First, they afford readers an opportunity to study the Book with others from diverse parts of the movement. Second, they provide a forum for readers to demonstrate and exchange ideas about styles and methods of presenting concepts from the Book. Third, because of their traditional association with the Triennial Delegate Assembly and the General Council, they create a social setting in which committed readers, who are attending these meetings, make contact with people responsible for the administrative, programmatic, and policy-making functions of the Fellowship. 

During the past three years the committee has increasingly recognized the multiple functions the seminar program fulfills for the Fellowship, and has endeavored to provide a program which balances the intellectual, the instructional, and the social features of the experience. This has led to planning a number of presentations in which ideas and viewpoints external to, but impinging on the teachings of the Book have been presented and discussed. In the 1989 program, for example, workshops were offered on such subjects as modern artistic visions of lkhnaton and the archaeological record of the Amarna period. The 1991 program includes a historical examination of the period of Michael's bestowal and an examination of the relationship of the teachings of Jesus to the evolved doctrines of the Christian religions. 

The intellectual and instructional agenda of the seminar week has been balanced and relieved by special programs offered by the Fraternal Relations Committee, which have been designed to complement the seminar theme. In 1989 several Christian ministers offered their unique perspective as readers of the Book. In 1991 speakers representing Zen Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism are offering "Urmia style" presentations of their religious traditions. The Education Committee gives a special vote of thanks to the Fraternal Relations Committee for organizing these marvelous extensions to the core program. 

The scope of the seminars has also been extended by programming free time for informal fellowship and ad hoc meetings to address topics of interest to self-selected groups of attendees. The 1991 evening program includes a multi-media presentation, a social evening, an evening of open committee meetings, and an additional Fraternal Relations Committee presentation. We believe this varied program, in which about a third of the registered attendees will also serve as presenters, affords the best opportunity to address the multiple and varied needs of committed students of The Urantia Book for experience in learning, teaching, and socializing the revelation. 

The focus of the seminars is admittedly selective. It is the intent of the committee to make the appeal of the seminars as broad as possible while maintaining high standards of concept, discourse, and fellowship. Although seminar participants are largely self-selected, a factor in self-selection that goes beyond interest in the seminar agenda is the cost and time involved in travel to Lake Forest. This has, unfortunately, made it difficult or impossible for many committed readers to participate in these programs. In future years this problem may be addressed by organizing either this seminar or alternative seminars outside the Chicago area. The continuing success of the Scientific Symposium series (in Nashville in 1988 and in Oklahoma City in 1991), which was organized by an ad hoc team, indicates the viability of a broader and more varied seminar program. 

During the recent strategic planning session held in Tampa this Winter, a number of General Councilors, Education Committee members, and Area Coordinators participated in a careful analysis of the "Mindal Purpose" described in the Fellowship Constitution. The most interesting result of this analysis was the discovery of a major goal for the Fellowship which is, at present, largely un-addressed. Simply stated, this goal is to foster intellectual awareness, throughout the world, of the concepts, ideas, and teachings of the Book. This goal is quite apart from and different from similar, and better understood goals to foster the living of the teachings of the Book, to encourage public awareness of the existence and contents of the Book, and to promote sales and distribution of the Book. 

The new goal of fostering intellectual awareness of the concepts, ideas, and teachings of the Book is directly related to the constitutional mandate of the Education Committee, although it also overlaps areas of interest to a number of other standing committees of the Fellowship. During the next few years we plan to initiate program planning in this new and potentially important area. We are open to ideas from all readers about how best to launch a discussion and planning activity in this area, and look forward to hearing your thoughts. 

Respectfully submitted for the Education Committee

Dan Massey, Chairman

Barbara Dreier

Joan Neumann

Marjorie Reed, Secretary

Betty Zehr

Ralph Zehr