Teaching Mission History

From Rick Giles

April 13, 2000

History of The Coeur d”Alene Mission Group

Origins of the Coeur d'Alene Teaching Mission Group.

In the mid 1980's one of the members of the Urantia Book Study Group passed around a transcript of Machiventa and Abraham from a group in New Zealand. I had somewhat followed the activities of Vern Grimsely and The Family of God and had spent years in the seventies with two fellows who claimed contact with celestials and taught classes on the Urantia Book in the foothills of the Sierra mountains in California. So, upon receiving this transmission my first thought was "Yeah, seen it all before." I read through it looking for that give away phrase that shows its human origin. Instead of finding the flaw I was inspired by its difference from the usual channeled information I read. That was the last I gave it a thought until 1991 when Bill Brock, one time attendant of the Coeur d'Alene study group, called from Pocatello, Idaho to tells us that a member of their group was receiving contact from celestial teachers. He then told me about the Woods Cross group and Ham .

Soon there after I began reading the Pocatello and Woods Cross lessons. Again they were refreshing compared to other channeled articles. Perhaps it was the Urantia Book context, Its focus was toward personal growth. It didn't have end of the world scenarios, guru lords, or other new age cosmic jargon.

Mark and Mary Rogers were hosting the meetings. One night Mark said that we ought to caravan down to Pocatello and Wood Cross and sniff out this phenomena. The best way to tell if it's all for real was to go meet the people. By spring of 1992 people were too busy and babies were on the way. My wife, Barbara, one day at lunch said; "Why don't we go? If we wait for a group trip it may never happen." So, we took off Memorial weekend for an experience that turned out to be memorial indeed! Our first meeting was in Pocatello where we meet the gracious Bill and Virginia Kelly and Larry and Frosty Johnson. The lesson was on opening doors. I asked a fumbling question and was warmed in heart by teacher Daniel's response. The T/R was one of the most soft spoken and humble people I have ever met. No power seeking leader tendency at all.

The next night we went down to Woods Cross to check out that group. Again, we meet sincere and humble people and a quite modest lady who was the T/R. I asked my question the night before and gave no thought to asking another one. Barbara surprised my by asking if there was anything to say to the Coeur d'Alene group as people back home will be curious about our visit. Ham responded by saying that our teacher was in attendance and would speak, and that he was an expert with words. Elyon introduced himself and asked Barb for her dedication to help him bring forth the lessons. We went home all excited about having a group teacher and Barbara as T/R. I remember us discussing where in the truck Elyon was sitting and if he stayed outside at the rest stops.

Barbara and I tried for months to get a message in our morning meditations. Nothing. I started writing down what I called impressions hoping that would get the mind flowing, rather than sitting there with a blank mind. They began to come, but I couldn't credit them with outside influence. They kept getting longer from one word to a sentence to full paragraph answers to questions I'd ask. I would still deny outside influence. Then one night as I was almost asleep, I suddenly awoke to a clear mind, and my whole body was buzzing like electricity was flowing through it. It felt like I was floating five feet above my bed. I heard loud and clear the words, "I am Elyon. Do not neglect my presence." Gulp. I thought, "Poor fellow; I haven't been giving him credit for his efforts."

By this time the Group was getting regular lessons from Elyon and Aaron through Simeon and soon there after Frosty Johnson. Barbara became our wholehearted and devote transcriber faithfully typing up a session each week and having copies ready for the group. She went through great struggles trying to T/R and gave up trying. She felt so left out as more people were "coming on line". We were all new to this process and struggled with doubts about authenticity and desired to be truthful and trusting. We believed that if Barb ever were to T/R we'd have no doubt that there was no hanky panky there. As the years have gone on she continues to transcribe while T/Rs have come and gone, proving ever faithful to Elyon's request to help him get his lesson across. She may not T/R, but she has distributed more lessons than anyone in our group.

The Urantia Study group came to a crossroads where it was time to decide how to hold meetings, as some were not really all that interested in the Teaching Mission and stopped attending. Others wanted to talk with the teachers more than read the Urantia Book. We so held resolution meetings where we aired our differences and decided to split into two groups, a Urantia Book Study Group and a Teaching Mission transmission group. About this time the Spokane Teaching Mission group was well under way. (See History of Spokane story).

We hold an annual Michael's birthday celebration hosted by Mark and Mary Rogers on a weekend close to August 21. Mark is one of our regular T/Rs. Tom Newbill has become our transcript devourer. He reads and re-reads them and brings to the group excellent synopsis' of how the lessons are tying together. He expertly draws out comparisons from years back that directly relate to the current lessons.

Elyon has become noted for his use of metaphor, causing me to ever remember Ham saying Elyon was an expert with words. Early on we were introduced to several other personalities that have become regular contributors to the lessons. Two are Melchizedeks, Malvantra and Lantarnek. Another is a midwayer, Sharmon. Aaron ran off to Pocatello with Simeon but visits once in a while.

 The teachers have inspired several projects in our group. In conjunction with the Spokane group we held several public talks on angels and one on revelation. We have hosted the Cheney National Teaching Mission Conference and a regional Northwest TeaM gathering. I was bold enough to give a lecture at the Spokane Metaphysical Society on the Ascension Plan from the Urantia Book. We held a panel discussion there on another night on Light and Life - Universal, Planetary, and Personal. Songs are being composed by the musicians in the group. Daniel Megow is going strong with his Church Within ministry. Books are in various stages of composition. Mark and Mary Rogers, Barbara and myself are developing an hour long presentation - Introduction to the Urantia Book - that we hope to publish as a pamphlet, a video, an audio tape, and hold a public meeting. Tom Newbill has given two Sunday morning sermons at the Unity Church in Sandpoint, Idaho.

"Spiritual development depends, first, on the maintenance of a living spiritual connection with true spiritual forces and, second, on the continuous bearing of spiritual fruit: yielding the ministry to one's fellows of that which has been received from one's spiritual benefactors." The Urantia Book Page 1095

Rick Giles