1992 Annual Report of the Education Committee
to the
General Council of The Urantia Book Fellowship
Dan Massey
During the 1991-92 year, the Education Committee continued support of the Summer Seminar program and initiated a new, experimental study program - the Wrightwood Series.
The 1992 Seminar held at Lake Forest College, 28 June through 2 July, completes the program of sequential study of The Urantia Book which was begun in 1985. The theme for the final seminar is "Personal Religion and Cosmic Citizenship." Approximately 90 adults are registered for this program, forty of whom will participate in presentation of the program. The Education Committee continues to feel that the summer seminar program is an important way of encouraging thoughtful study of The Urantia Book and is actively engaged in considering the form and content of future programs. In this context, it may be noted that 1994 will be the bi-millennium of Jesus' birth.
The committee's major new initiative during the past year has been the inception of the Wrightwood Series. Each seminar of this program is a weekend-long invitational seminar held at the Chicago headquarters. The goal of this program is to provide a sponsored venue conducive to detailed and in-depth study of a specific topic related to The Urantia Book. Each seminar participant commits to a significant amount of preparatory work and to participation in development of a final, publishable product.
During the spring, two seminars were held. The first of these seminars, organized by Janet Farrington, dealt with the subject "Building the Living Temple of Spiritual Fellowship." The initial phase of work by seminar participants is now complete. A collection of six research papers will be published during the Fall. The second seminar, organized by Barbara Dreier, addressed the subject "Race and The Urantia Book." This seminar was of a smaller and more exploratory character than the first, and will met at least one more time with expanded participation before releasing any work products.
It is noteworthy that participants in both seminars see this experience as the beginning of a continuing focus of study and exploration of the subject matter. At the same time, The Education Committee is analyzing the initial experience in order to better shape future activities in this area. Two topics which have been suggested for future Wrightwood Series seminars are "Roots of the Revelation-Historical and Human" and "The Science of the Urantia Book-Problems and Predictions." The committee continues to develop ideas for this new program and hopes to conduct an additional two seminars next spring.
An ad hoc committee on publications policy has recently recommended that the Education Committee assume responsibility for reviewing, editing, and publishing the proceedings of conferences for Urantia Book readers-locally, nationally, and internationally. The committee would like to take steps to assure reasonably high quality for such a publication and has just begun to explore possible approaches.
Respectfully submitted for the Education Committee
Dan Massey, Chairman
Barbara Dreier
Janet Farrington
Joan Neumann
Marjorie Reed
26 June 1992
A Service of
The Urantia Book Fellowship