President’s Message – September 2026
This month, several events reminded me how intimately connected unity, dissemination, and collective commitment are in the life of our movement. In July, I attended the IC26 Conference of the Fellowship, where an historic announcement was made jointly by Mo Siegel, President of Urantia Foundation, and Sue Seccombe, President of the Fellowship.
Going forward, Urantia Foundation will be responsible for printing the Fellowship’s edition of The Urantia Book, published by Uversa Press, without the Fellowship index. The index will be included in the electronic version and will also be available on the Fellowship website. The books will be labeled “Printed by Urantia Foundation” and “Published by Uversa Press.” Both organizations have long adhered to the Standard Reference Text (SRT). Their joint announcement can be read here.
As a follow-up to this announcement, Urantia Association invited Chris Wood (Vice President of Urantia Foundation) and Sue Seccombe (President of the Urantia Book Fellowship) to present the details of the agreement to the members of our International Representative Council. The purpose of the meeting was to clarify the recently reached agreement between the two organizations, explain the importance of their joint announcement, and examine its potential impact on the possibility of greater unity between the Association and the Fellowship.
The meeting concluded with the decision to reactivate the Unity Committee and continue to explore possibilities for the future. This renewed dialogue reflects a shared commitment to examine organizational models that can foster greater unity, strengthen cooperation, and better serve the Urantia community. It also invites us to imagine how our distinct strengths could come together to support a more harmonious and inclusive future.
I also experienced this search for unity and cooperation very concretely in the field, during my travels for the Association, where I always appreciate being welcomed into the homes of readers. This allows me to get to know their culture better and to experience precious fraternal exchanges.
In August, I went to Finland to participate in the Summer Days, the annual meeting of the Finnish Association, which took place in the middle of the countryside, on the shores of a lake in Tervakoski. About thirty readers were present during the weekend. Although language can sometimes be a barrier, there is always someone to facilitate communication through interpretation.
I took this opportunity to present Urantia Association International, the services it offers to its associations, and the importance of prioritizing dissemination. Dissemination is essential to reach new readers and foster the creation of study groups, which are one of the cornerstones of The Urantia Book’s mission.
Just like in North America, I have seen the aging of the reader population. However, the leader team in place is making a real effort to attract new people, showing initiative and creativity.
My stay was also punctuated by meetings and visits with readers from Helsinki and its surroundings, accompanied by my guide, Risto.
After this very well-organized trip, I took the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia, where Karmo Kalda was waiting for me. He warmly welcomed me into his home for the few days I spent there. At a meeting of their Estonian Association that he organized, and which brought together about ten readers, I again introduced Urantia Association and its services. I also spoke about the importance of dissemination and study groups.
I had the pleasure of discovering Tallinn, a beautiful medieval city steeped in history, in the company of Ruth Kass and her guests. I came back from this trip with a wealth of unforgettable memories.
Back in Quebec, I had the opportunity to continue this reflection on dissemination in a very different context. In my June message, I spoke to you about the importance of adapting it to the culture and region in which we live. In this spirit, I wanted to live this experience personally, in collaboration with members of my association in Quebec. We therefore participated in an expo fair called Salon de l’Éveil in order to make the revelation and its teachings known.
Here, in concrete terms, is how this balance between “I” and “we” was experienced on a daily basis at our booth. My approach was rather discreet. When someone walked to our booth, I greeted them and asked them what attracted them to this fair. According to their answer, I would cautiously start a conversation, often from which beautiful pearls emerged. Each person arrives with their own set of beliefs and ideas; it is important to be delicate so as not to intimidate or offend them. I like the idea of sowing seeds of truth and then letting God do the work.
However, the dissemination does not stop at a first meeting.
Study groups allow readers to continue their discovery of the book and to exchange with other people. After a summer break, several groups have now resumed their meetings. Are you already participating in a group? I invite you to consult the study group directory to find one near you or to join an online group. You will have the opportunity to study with people from all over the world. All of this, the dissemination, the study groups, our meetings around the world, would not be possible without the commitment of people willing to offer their time and talents. We are always looking for volunteers. The International Service Board (ISB) needs one person as a secretary, one person as an assistant secretary, as well as leaders for the Conference Committee and the Dissemination Committee. If serving in one of these roles is not possible for you at this time, you can nevertheless contribute to advancing our mission in other ways. A donation, no matter the amount, is an equally valuable way to support our initiatives and participate in their outreach.
To love is to serve,
Line St-Pierre