Since our October news letter, the annual January meeting of the General Council of the Urantia Brotherhood has been held, and reports of the officers and various departmental committees were presented. As usual we are attaching the treasurer's annual report and the new roster of committees. Harry E. Rowley was elected treasurer to finish the term of Russell W. Bucklin, who moved to California.

The reports of the departmental committee chairmen contained summaries of the last year's activities, which you have read about in prior news letters. Most of the news received at headquarters comes over the secretary-general's desk; and through Miss Rowley's correspondence, phone calls, and discussions with individuals she feels that more and more contacts are being made between societies and study groups. The two field representatives, William S. Sadler, Jr., and Meredith Sprunger, have visited Oklahoma City, Darien, the Orvonton Urantia Society of Chicago and the Urantia Society of Glenview. Unofficial trips have been made by Ruth Burton to the Los Angeles society and the Santa Monica group, the Oklahoma society, Dorothy Elms in Albuquerque, and Sophie Hansen in Albany. Edith Cook and Warren Kulieke both made visits to the study group in Culver, Indiana. Marian Rowley also visited the Los Angeles and Santa Monica groups.

The secretary-general also reported the existence of 17 study groups: Winnetka, Glen Ellyn, Western Springs, and Springfield, Illinois; Albany, New York, Darien, Connecticut; Culver, Indiana; Topeka, Kanasas; San Diego, Rancho Sante Fe, Riverside, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Sydney, Launching Place, Glen Iris, Australia; Dunedin, New Zealand. If you know of any others please let us know. Also we would like to have the names of any persons interested in the Urantia Book who might not be in our geographical index.

The new officers of the First Urantia Society of Oklahoma are Berkeley Elliott, President; Mary Kathryn Grisso, vice-president; Helen Butler, Secretary; and Wilma McManus, treasurer.

The membership in the Brotherhood has increased from 222 to 235 with six members-at-large. 462 books were released during 1961, making a total of 4,754 first edition books released.

President Warren H. Kulieke's report contained a wonderful message and we would like to pass it on to you:

"The concept of the kingdom as presented by the Master has largely failed on earth. A social organization has supplanted the kingdom of the divine brotherhood, albeit the Christian church contains the seeds which will some day produce a spiritual awakening--a revival of the actual teachings of Jesus. The Christian church exists as a socio-philosophical system of belief based upon the fact of Michael's bestowal. Thus it is that a historical religion has displaced the teachings of Jesus regarding the kingdom. It becomes apparent that the gospel of Jesus regarding the kingdom has many facets. He never gave us a precise definition. Regarding the kingdom, Jesus presented a number of ideas. He conceived it in the following ways: "The temple of living fellowship in the eternal realities of the Father's kingdom based upon the insight of the indwelling spirit.

"The personal and inner spiritual life of the believer's fellowship and communion with God the Father.

"The reign of God's spirit in the hearts of individuals resulting in the brotherhood of gospel believers--the social aspects of the kingdom.

"The true and inner religion of the kingdom unfailingly and unceasingly tends to manifest itself in outward loving service for man.

"The religion of the kingdom is a genuine personal experience which no man can contain within himself.

"The kingdom of heaven exists within the heart of the believer--the spiritual ideal of individual righteousness.

"The truth-loving soul, the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, for God, is admitted by faith to the spiritual kingdom.

"Finally; Jesus proclaimed that 'the kingdom is the will of his heavenly Father dominant and transcendent in the heart of the believer.'

"And we are told that these teachings that have been compromised, attenuated, modified, altered, and buried for 2,000 years will some day emerge to transform the world.

"The Urantia Book contains these teachings--man's highest moral ideas and spiritual ideals with man's sublime hope for the future--eternal life.

"We have formed a brotherhood for the purpose of disseminating these truths. The success of this organization rests upon us. We are warned that 'we may have diversity of intellectual comprehension and interpretation, even varying degrees of socialization, but lack of spiritual brotherhood is both inexcusable and reprehensible.'

"'Mistake not! there is in the teachings of Jesus an eternal nature which will not permit them forever to remain unfruitful in the hearts of thinking men.' If we fail in our responsibility, the kingdom will be delayed. The great hope of Urantia lies in the possibility of a new revelation of Jesus with a new and enlarged presentation of his saving message--the living gospel of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

"May we face our responsibility with courage, determination, and devotion while we pray for wisdom and guidance for the great task remaining before us--bringing to reality the Father's kingdom."

James C. Mills
Vice-President

JMC:LMS