1/26/99

Press Release

The Millennium Initiative for Unity in the Twenty-first Century

The goals of the members of the Urantia Book Fellowship and the International Urantia Association are strikingly similar, and yet relations between these two reader groups have been strained.  Substantial amounts of time and energy have been diverted from the true objectives and purposes of our organizations.

The Urantia Book is a thousand-year revelation.  Those of us who love the revelation must find a way to work together toward our common goals.  The Millennium Initiative is a unification initiative, independent from the Urantia Book Fellowship, the International Urantia Association, and from the Urantia Foundation. 

The primary goal of the Millennium Initiative is to explore the possibility of reunification of these two reader groups.  If the primary objective cannot be obtained at this time, the secondary objective will be to explore ways in which these reader organizations can work harmoniously toward common goals.  If we cannot find a way to work together, then at the very least we need to insure that our differences do not hinder or impede the dissemination of the Fifth Epochal Revelation. 

We cannot effectively take the message of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man to the world unless and until we can manifest unity within our own community of reader-believers.

The Millennium Initiative Committee is composed of a group of volunteers who are now or have been active in either the Urantia Book Fellowship or the International Urantia Association. The Committee will begin meeting in March.  The Committee members recognize this process is likely to be difficult and extremely challenging.  Each member of the committee is personally committed to the integrity of this process.  Serious efforts toward reunification cannot be biased for or against either organization and succeed.  At the same time, the committee recognizes that both organizations have important issues which must be addressed during this process. We believe that open communication will be essential to the success of the Millennium Initiative. 

We will keep both organizations informed of our progress.  We look forward to working with you.  We ask for your prayers and your support.

The Millennium Initiative Committee

Please direct inquiries to:

David Elders: delders@msn.com
Nancy C. Shaffer: nshaffer@ix.netcom.com