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A review of the history of the Fraternal Relations Committee indicates that, along with many of the standing committees, it remained relatively inactive from 1955 until the early 1970s. During this incubation period, the prevailing philosophy among the first generation of leaders seems well expressed by then FRC chair Albert Dyon in a 1963 summary of Dr. Sadler's remarks to the committee: "...he stressed the view that the real functioning of our committee would await some future time of more general recognition of this revelation, when it will really have begun to get into the awareness and challenge the attention of the leaders of the vested religious interests, both here and abroad."

This period appears to have ended in the early 1970s, when a dramatic rise in book sales and an influx of new, younger readers sparked a developmental surge in all sectors of the Urantia movement. This expansion, with some plateaus, has continued up to the present time. During this more recent 25 year period, members and adjuncts of the FRC have engaged primarily in four areas of service related to the committee's constitutional purpose: "The Fraternal Relations Committee shall foster and develop fraternal relations, understanding, and good will with organizations devoted to the practice or study of religion, to the end that the purposes of THE FELLOWSHIP may be advanced."

Involvement in the Interfaith Movement

In the past 10 years striking developments have occurred in the world of interfaith relations. An emerging international movement is making steady progress toward the goals of harmony among all religions and the eventual development of a unified world faith. Urantia Book readers, many of them FRC members and adjuncts, have provided seminal leadership at the highest levels of this young interfaith movement.

The Fellowship is represented by the FRC Chair as a member organization in the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN), which connects more that 80 supportive groups across the continent. Five out of NAIIN's nineteen directors are Urantia Book readers, including its Chair and Vice Chair. In a manner reminiscent of Jesus' work in Rome, readers have artfully represented the Urantia Book and its teachings in their relations with leaders of the many faith traditions who work with NAIN. Some, like Elizabeth Esperson, have become devoted readers themselves. Appended to this report is an article by Elizabeth which articulates an organizational philosophy directly relevant to the Fellowship's role in the burgeoning Urantia movement. As incoming FRC chair, I am excited at the prospect of meeting and beginning to work with the diverse religionists who will be attending NAIIN's landmark I Channual conference this summer in Edmonton, Canada.

The Fellowship enjoyed a remarkable service opportunity in hosting a Urantia Book booth and presentation at the 1993 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. The FRC will

likely bring forward a proposal to have similar representation at the next Parliament hosted by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu in South Africa in November, 1999.

Several readers are also working closely with more than two hundred religious leaders from around the world on the development of a United Religions Char-ter. A progress report on this project is included on page 6 of the latest NAIN newsletter, appended to this report.

The FRC plans continuing involvement in the interfaith movement as a primary means of accomplishing its constitutional purpose.

Education of the readership

The FRC has provided materials and programs at conferences with the purpose of helping readers to:

• understand and appreciate varied religious traditions

• remain informed of developments in the interfaith movement

• gain familiarity with principles of effective dialogue in contacts with other religionists.

The committee will likely continue along these lines by developing presentations for the IC99 program.

Networking with readers involved in established religious traditions

At conferences in 1989 and 1990, the FRC hosted a discussion forum for readers who served as clergy in Christian denominations. In the years since, there have been indications that many readers participate in established faith communities in a variety of ways; as occasional participants, members, providing lay service, and in a range of leadership capacities. Some never mention the Urantia Book; others have been so bold as to organize presentations and conduct study groups in these evolutionary contexts.

These readers often have rich insights to share as a result of "walking with one foot in each world." During the coming year the FRC may consider ways of contacting and surveying this diverse group of readers. Perhaps we can offer them an afternoon forum at IC99 to gather and share their experiences, and even work together on projects of common concern.

Promotion of fraternal relations within the Urantia movement

In 1989 the Executive Committee assigned the Fraternal Relations Committee the task of "facilitating communication between Urantia Brotherhood and all associated groups working on behalf of the Fifth Epochal Revelation to the end that mutual support, understanding, education, experience, cooperation, and respectful interaction may take place so that the broader, planetary purposes of our unseen supervisors may be achieved."

The committee proceeded to invite all such associated groups to participate in two roundtable discussions of common concerns in 1989 and 1990. Since that time, the

Fellowship has maintained friendly relations and worked cooperatively with most of the service groups in the Urantia movement.

Similarly, the Fellowship has worked to cultivate friendly relations with groups of readers engaged in organized religious functions. Two passages written by Meredith Sprunger, the first 34 years ago and the second in the Spring 1998 issue of the Spiritual Fellowship Journal, are interesting in this regard:

"In the event that members of a local Society of the Brotherhood should find it impossible to worship in the religious organizations of their community, it would be hoped that any church, synagogue, or other religious group formed to take care of these formal religious functions would be completely separate from the Brotherhood society. In this way the Urantia Brotherhood will always remain separate from institutionalized religion, maintaining an ecumenical, non-sectarian atmosphere in which people of all faiths will feel free to fellowship."

"I ... do not think the Fellowship should be organically or officially connected to this research (regarding formation of new religious institutions) or any religious institutions stemming from it. Many students of the Urantia Book are still uncomfortable with institutional religious activities. The Fellowship has a place in coordinating all types and levels of activity associated with the Urantia Book. It might encourage or even facilitate these religious activities without being organically involved with them. Hopefully, the Fellowship can establish cooperative relationships with many diverse organizations while remaining organizationally independent from them.."

The resolution regarding religious belief and practice adopted at our last General Council meeting expresses the Fellowship's independent, yet supportive stance in relation to emerging religious groups within the Urantia movement:

"... the Fellowship encourages all believers in the Urantia Book to ... experiment with new and varied forms of religious socialization to meet the needs of Urantia believers

In years to come the FRC will likely be devoting increasing attention to the promotion of fraternal relations with these groups of readers dedicated to the evolution of Urantian religious practices.

In the past decade, the primary challenge to intra-movement harmony has been in our relations with Urantia Foundation and the IUA. The recent series of meetings has improved the climate for conversation, but substantial differences remain. One of the conclusions reached at the April '98 meeting between the Executive Committee, Trustees, and IUA Coordinating Committee was that the Fellowship would appoint a representative to work with the Coordinating Committee member charged with carrying forward the Foundation's unity efforts. The Executive Committee assigned this responsibility to the Fraternal Relations chair in close consultation with the President, with the understanding that any substantive results which emerged from this arrangement would be conveyed to the appropriate bodies for deliberation.

In support of this function, the Fraternal Relations Committee concluded it would be beneficial for the chair to attend the IUA conferences in Glen Ivy and Finland in attempts to "foster fraternal relations, understanding and good will" between the Fellowship and these reader groups devoted to the Urantia revelation.

Lastly, the committee is pleased to welcome Rebecca Kantor and Gard Jameson as adjuncts; they bring substantial talents and great dedication to the accomplishment of its purposes.

Committee members and Adjuncts

Beth Bartley
Gard Jameson
Scott Forsythe
Steve Rohrbach
Eileen Laurence
Peter Laurence
Eef Hoedemaker
Marion Smith
Sue Tennant
Rebecca Kantor

Marvin Gawryn, Acting Chairman