The work of the IFC during the past year has been reconsidered. Restoration of the copyright to the Urantia Foundation, the subsequent negotiations, and the more recent meeting with the IUA in April has encouraged the Fellowship to seek areas of cooperation in the international arena. Marvin Gawryn will be representing the Fellowship at the IUA conference in Finland during August. He and Gard Jameson will travel to Poland after the conference to discuss the possibilities of book publication and distribution. Gard and I are planning a trip to India next year to attend the New Delhi Book Fair. This will be circa IC99. Hopefully we can take a group from the conference to the fair. In India we have the opportunity to work with the Foundation in the area of commercial distribution, or by distributing our books through person to person contacts and social events.
As you already know, IC99 is being done in conjunction with the IUA yearly conference. I am looking forward to this, because we will be seeing many of our international friends for the first time in 10 years. The International Lounge at IC99 will become more thematic with the conference days anticipating a large foreign contingent especially from our Korean and other Asian friends.
I should like to speak to an emerging activity of significance among our group: individual and group missionary efforts. Currently, Waldine Stump is taking a group to the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkish Coast in the tradition of Berkeley Elliott. Serge Bisson will be sailing around the world distributing The Urantia Book as part of the Millennium Odyssey Armada. Norman Ingram, after successful tours of South America and East Asia, will be undertaking a comprehensive tour of Africa disseminating The Urantia Book and its teachings. Rose Liske has dedicated a portion of her life to the dissemination of The Urantia Book to our friends in Latin America. She has made contact with a reader and is currently helping with distribution in Cuba. Perhaps time has come for us to consider supporting this vital activity through a separate trust fund.
It has been decided to dedicate one half of Fellowship books to international placement. This is being managed by Flowers. I am pleased that there are several creative requests for books to be placed in the international arena.
The work of the IFC needs to be delegated more now and in the future than it has been in the past. I have offered adjunct positions to those on the council and others in the movement devoted to international outreach. Over the past year we have discussed dividing up responsibilities. Douglas Fraser has given his life to nurture the faith of our South American friends. Delores Nice would also like to be involved with our Latin American readers. Gary Deinstadt has an international interest and is a media professional. Stevie Shaeffer has an interest in pursuing our connection with interfaith activities. Susan Ransbttom speaks fluent Spanish and has an internet interest. Lila Dogirn is devoted to our Russian friends and a quality Russian translation. International work has become more intertwined with the rest of the movement.
With the types of activities and the talents mentioned above the Fellowship will begin as a group important cultural contact in the coming years. An exciting time to be alive on the planet.
Your friend,
John Lange, Chair for the committee
Lila Dogim
Douglas Fraser
Stevie Shaeffer
Susan Ransbottom
Adrienne JarniganAdjuncts: Delores Nice, Gary Dienstadt, Barry and Kay Clark