The Fellowship appears to be in relatively good condition at the moment, and may be on the verge of participating in significant new for-service activities on behalf of The Urantia Book. I do not wish to give the impression that we are without significant problems to resolve, clearly there is much to do and much to learn. Nevertheless, the general character of our efforts appears to be moving in a direction which seems to be reasonably consistent with the spirit of the teachings of The Urantia Book.

There is an increased trust in the group process which has been accompanied by an increased capacity to tolerate diverse opinion and action without ruinous disruption, To the degree that demonstrate that we are capable of intelligently and peacefully dealing with challenging circumstances I expect we will be given increased responsibility and more demanding tasks. The cosmos is not sentimental. Those who have demonstrated the ability to faithfully execute assigned tasks are always given more to do. Those who will not or cannot perform will find themselves with less opportunity for service.

One of our immediate challenges is the continued improvement of our group processes. In particular, societies need to take a more active and responsible role in the life of our organization. Our structure is founded on the presence of active and relatively autonomous local societies. If these are not present, the entire rests on a weak foundation. There is frequently a lack of interest in the affairs of the organization at the local level. If this situation cannot be corrected we may have to conclude that our current structure is not viable.

Significant efforts are being made to foster interest in The Urantia Book outside the United States. These activities are in their early stages. It is currently very much a learning process. These efforts may require us to reexamine our attitudes concerning association with other organizations.

There is always the possibility of a "suddenly" which will rapidly precipitate us into new and increased levels of activity. If and when that happens we will probably be barely prepared for it, and we will have to exercise greater care than ever to avoid going off on unproductive tangents. If we stay steady we will continue to be given meaningful work to do. These are self-evident principles of cosmic management.

The Fellowship is fortunate to have a large number of talented and spiritually motivated individuals working on its behalf. It is these people who make it all happen. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all and encourage them to continue their efforts while encouraging others, particularly less experienced individuals, to participate in the process.

It has been my great pleasure to participate in this work. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know so many outstanding people. I look forward to many more exciting years of service and fellowship with you all.

Steve Dreier