Riḍván 2009 Annual Report

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States

early loved Co-workers,

One year ago, the Universal House of Justice called attention to
a rising capacity in the worldwide Bahá’í community for service
to the Faith, as the result of “systematic study of the Creative
Word,” and the application of insights through “a process of action,
reflection and consultation.” With hearts filled with gratitude to the Blessed
Beauty, we celebrate a range of achievements in the past year demonstrating
that our collective capacity to advance the process of entry by troops contin-
ues to develop. We look forward to the coming year with confidence in the
still greater victories to come.
Increased understanding of and commitment to the institute process;
increased collaboration among individuals, the institutions, and the com-
munity—the three participants in the Five Year Plan; and greater ability to
act as a learning community—all played a role in the achievements of the
past year. Progress is also due in great measure to the stimulating effects
of the conferences called for by the Universal House of Justice, six of which
were held in the United States. Some 18,000 American believers attended
the U.S. conferences held in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Portland,
and Stamford. The friends who attended took inspiration from presentations
by members of the International Teaching Center, wonderful and diverse
cultural celebrations, workshops focused on understanding and action, and
stories shared by various individuals at the forefront of the teaching work.
Thousands of individual pledges of service resulted, which added greatly to
the momentum that had already been achieved and ensured the establish-
ment of an unprecedented number of new intensive programs of growth.
In all these developments we are seeing glimpses of the new culture envi-
sioned by the Universal House of Justice—a culture in which all members
 of the community find a place in service, a culture with an outward-looking
orientation that welcomes multitudes of people of all backgrounds.
This progress occurred against the backdrop of significant world events: on
one hand, the collapse of the world economy, the political, social, and mate-
rial repercussions of which will no doubt be felt for some time to come; and on
the other, a new level of international effort aimed at resolving these problems.
It was only last year that the Universal House of Justice reminded us of “the

I
forces of integration and disintegration operating in society today” and “the
n all these
relationship between the rise in receptivity to the Faith in all parts of the globe
developments we are and the failing of the world’s systems.” The Supreme Institution continued:
seeing glimpses of the
That such receptivity will increase as the agonies of humanity deepen
new culture envisioned is certain. Let there be no mistake: The capacity building that has been
by the Universal House set in motion to respond to mounting receptivity is still in its earliest
of Justice—a culture stages. The magnitude of the demands of a world in disarray will test
in which all members this capacity to its limits in the years ahead. Humanity is battered by
of the community find forces of oppression, whether generated from the depths of religious
prejudice or the pinnacles of rampant materialism. Bahá’ís are able to
a place in service, discern the causes of this affliction. “What ‘oppression’ is more griev-
a culture with an ous,” Bahá’u’lláh asks, “than that a soul seeking the truth, and wish-
outward-looking ing to attain unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go
orientation that for it and from whom to seek it?” There is no time to lose. Continued
welcomes multitudes progress must be achieved in the activity and development of the three
participants in the Plan.
of people of all
backgrounds. These words remind us of the urgent need for sustained and focused attention
on the framework of the Plan.

2
Advancing the process of growth
As of this writing, 167 clusters with intensive programs of growth are projected
for Riḍván 2009, an increase of 77 in one year. Activities at the cluster level,
with the institute process as their driving force, will have yielded at least 2,500
A lthough no clusters
experienced the
dramatic enrollments
adult and youth enrollments, plus some 1,200 child and junior youth registra-
tions. This not only far exceeds each of the previous two years of the current of the previous
Plan, it is an aggregate level of annual growth not seen in this country in well year, more clusters
over two decades. experienced growth.
The two essential movements at the heart of the Plan—the progress of individu- As a result, aggregate
als through the sequence of institute courses, and the consequent advancement growth for the country
of clusters from one stage of growth to the next—have now become an estab- rose considerably. In
lished pattern throughout the Bahá’í world. Much is being learned from year to addition, new believers
year, and even from cycle to cycle, about the dynamics of this process. We offer
are now far more likely
the following observations about recent experience in the United States.
to participate in one or
In last year’s annual report, we noted that a handful of clusters had produced more core activities.
high numbers of enrollments in the expansion phases of their growth cycles in
the preceding year. Three clusters saw about 50 new believers enter the Faith
within periods of 10–14 days—and three more of them had about 100 in at
least one cycle. In the past year, however, these same clusters experienced much
more modest levels of growth in each cycle. This decrease in enrollments was
the result of decisions made by the same core teams that earlier had orga-
nized collective teaching efforts; they were determined not to overwhelm the
human resources available for proper consolidation to take place. The capacity
to set enrollment goals commensurate with the capacity to nurture new believ-
ers marks an important step forward in the maturation of the growth process.
It is interesting to note that, although no clusters experienced the dramatic
enrollments of the previous year, more clusters experienced growth. As a result,
aggregate growth for the country rose considerably. In addition, new believers
are now far more likely to participate in one or more core activities.
Collective teaching activities were the object of greater focus in the past year.
Receptive populations were identified in specific neighborhoods, where the
entire array of core activities, plus direct teaching efforts of various kinds, were
established and took root. Many of the more successful efforts have emphasized
the establishment of neighborhood children’s classes. In fact, there is a high
correlation between enrollments in a cluster and the existence of neighborhood
classes for children. We are beginning to see patterns of community life emerg-
ing in these neighborhoods that include the participation of both veteran and
new believers, as well as large numbers of seekers.
Last year we noted an emerging emphasis on direct teaching, “an open and
bold assertion of the fundamental verities of the Cause,” for which the co-
gent presentation from Ruhi Book 6 (commonly known as “Anna’s presenta-
tion”) was serving as an effective model. A related element was the readiness

3
 of a growing number of the friends to invite individuals to become members
of the Bahá’í Faith. Direct teaching at that time was primarily taking place
in door-to-door campaigns in receptive neighborhoods. This year there were
numerous reports of the use of a more direct approach in firesides, devotional
meetings, and other venues, where it was meeting with notable success, under-
scoring the difference between the method of teaching and the setting.
The correlation between cluster advancement and the active involvement of
Local Spiritual Assemblies is striking. We see progress wherever local Assembly
members are actively involved in the Plan, and where the institutions encourage
the friends, support the activities of the core teams, and in other ways help to
ensure proper focus on the framework for action.

National and regional developments

Regular three-month cycles of planning, action, and reflection taking place at
the cluster level continue to be paralleled by similar patterns at the regional
and national levels. The Regional Bahá’í Councils undertake systematic reviews

W e see progress
wherever local
Assembly members are
of each cluster in consultation with the Counselors, National Spiritual Assem-
bly, Auxiliary Board members, Regional Training Institutes, and Area Teaching
Committees. From these consultations, specific lines of action emerge that are
designed to lend further impetus to growth.
actively involved in the
The National Spiritual Assembly meets regularly with all five Counselors resident
Plan, and where the
in the United States for a joint assessment of the Plan’s progress. These plenary
institutions encourage consultations, complemented by frequent meetings and communications be-
the friends, support the tween the Counselors and officers of the Assembly, ensure unity of vision and
activities of the core affect decisions related to resource allocation, guidance to the community, and
teams, and in other administrative activities.
ways help to ensure The departmental reports contained in this document provide detailed informa-
proper focus on the tion about the activities of the Regional Bahá’í Councils and the various offices
framework for action. and agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly. The following are a few high-
lights from the past year.

Due to the economic crisis, the As-

sembly cut back a total of 40 sala-
ried positions from various national
offices. In addition, all capital expen-
ditures for national properties were
postponed unless they were already
under contract or addressed issues of
life safety or building integrity. These
changes necessitated a commensu-
rate reduction in services, with only
highest priorities retained. Most of

4
the effects will be felt in the coming year, but to some extent they are already
reflected in the departmental reports.
A number of efforts were undertaken to help the community achieve greater
T wo new Regional
Bahá’í Councils
were established in
focus on the elements of the Five Year Plan. For example: The preponderance the southern region,
of courses offered at the permanent and seasonal Bahá’í schools addressed the
in response to the
Plan. The participants, numbering several thousand, reported very positive expe-
riences, and we are now working to measure whether the courses helped these progress that has been
same participants become more active in their clusters. made in the 78 goal
All major communications were aimed at helping the believers to understand
clusters once overseen
and become engaged with the Plan. The American Bahá’í, now in magazine by the Regional Bahá’í
format, was key to this strategy, as was the U.S. Bahá’í Newsreel. Both pub- Council of the Southern
lications have emphasized the many features of the process of learning at the States.
cluster level. Feast letters continued to address themes related to the Plan. In
addition, the Assembly sent out hundreds of unique letters and emails related
to the Plan to various individuals and institutions.
The National Teaching Office in the last year acted as a clearinghouse for
teaching materials and resources for the use of the friends, assisted in develop-
ing information for publication in The American Bahá’í, published the teach-
ing blog http://teaching.bahai.us on the Internet, and supported the National
Spiritual Assembly with regular analysis and reports on the progress of the Plan.
Two new Regional Bahá’í Councils were established in the southern region. The
Regional Bahá’í Council of the Southeastern States serves Delaware, Georgia, Ken-
tucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and
West Virginia; the Regional Bahá’í Council of the South Central States serves Ala-
bama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
This change was made in response to the progress that has been made in the 78
goal clusters once overseen by the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Southern States.
The number of junior youth programs rose in response to stimulus provided by
the Universal House of Justice’s Office of Social and Economic Development
(OSED), which held two training seminars in the past year. This was a good
example of how to begin to develop human resources for a specific purpose.
The first seminar, held last June, included about 25 individuals who had been
invited based upon demonstrated commitment to and experience with junior
youth programs. Together they shared their own experiences and experiences
from around the world, as documented in various materials provided by OSED.
They also spent time refining their understanding of the junior youth curricu-
lum. Most of the same individuals returned six months later for a follow-up
seminar, having spent the interim applying their learning in the field and gain-
ing deeper experience. These friends returned to the field with a more profound
grasp of the issues affecting junior youth and have now begun to help others
understand how to successfully undertake this service.

5
 Other developments

I n spite of the
economic crisis in
the world, believers
In brief, some other significant developments of the past year occurred in the
following areas.
Since Riḍván 2006, 614 believers from the United States have undertaken ser-
still made the National vice as international pioneers as of late March. The goal for the current Plan is
1,300, indicating the need for many more of the friends to arise for this price-
Fund a priority and
less service to the Cause. In addition, some 1,273 trips have been recorded by
pursued achievement believers serving as international traveling teachers.
of the $25 million goal
In the past year, we have received contributions from a significant number
with vigor. The spirit of individuals who had not before contributed directly to the National Bahá’í
accompanying these Fund. In spite of the economic crisis in the world, believers still made the
efforts is the same National Fund a priority and pursued achievement of the $25 million goal with
spirit that pervades vigor. The spirit accompanying these efforts is the same spirit that pervades our
our community— community—anticipating growth and development, with high hopes for the
future.
anticipating growth
and development, with The work of the Kingdom Project continues. Restoration of the House of Wor-
ship is proceeding, and plans for the new Visitors’ Center have been approved.
high hopes for the
We plan to break ground for the Center in early summer of this year. Both res-
future. toration and the Visitors’ Center are scheduled for completion by spring 2011.
This is a delay of six months caused mainly by the discovery of two old fuel
tanks that had been buried several decades ago beneath one of the gardens.
One of the tanks had leaked fuel oil, which required a vast amount of soil to be
removed and replaced.
In early 2008, the Bahá’í Distribution Service underwent a major reorganization,
closing its Atlanta operation and relocating to Wilmette. New features of the
operation included outsourced fulfillment and the use of “print-on-demand”
technology, the combination of which, it was thought, would save significant
personnel and warehousing expenses while providing a wider range of services
in a timely manner. In the past year, the benefits became clear: the annual con-
tribution of the National Fund to support publishing dropped from $900,000 to
$290,000. This is in spite of a 30 percent downward turn in sales revenues, the
result of the temporary closing of the House of Worship Bookstore and general
economic conditions.

6
Opportunities
In the months leading up to the December regional conferences, it remained
clear that the bulk of service related directly to the Five Year Plan was being
undertaken by a relatively small cadre of believers. The number of individuals
deployed in the arena of action was not commensurate with the many thou-
sands who had received at least some training through participation in institute
courses. Of those who did engage in service, not all were able to sustain their
activities. In addition, the number of new human resources being developed
through the institute process was beginning to flatten.
The conferences brought to the process of growth a renewed vigor, as thou-
sands of believers pledged specific services within the context of the Plan. The
Regional Councils and Auxiliary Boards lost no time following up with them,
and it has now become clear that in many clusters the resulting progress has
been dramatic.
T he conferences
brought to the
process of growth
The true success of the conferences must be measured not in weeks or months, a renewed vigor, as
but throughout the remainder of the Plan. The best means of harnessing the thousands of believers
energies created by these extraordinary events is to cultivate a culture of ac- pledged specific
companiment, whereby every believer receives loving and continuing encour-
services within the
agement in his or her path of service.
context of the Plan.
Institutions can play a role as they maintain the focus of the community on The true success of
the Plan and, in each cluster, “boldly guide the friends who have demonstrated
their enthusiasm for teaching and the core activities, lovingly encourage those
the conferences must
who are trying to find their place, and wisely remove any obstacles to prog- be measured not in
ress that may emerge.” Individuals also have a contribution to make, through weeks or months,
wholehearted commitment to service and a corresponding willingness to help but throughout the
others achieve their potential. Every additional believer in the field of action will remainder of the Plan.
make a profound difference.

7
 Conclusion

W e take example
and inspiration
from the believers in
We have no doubt that it will be possible to win the goal of establishing
intensive programs of growth in 233 clusters by Riḍván 2010. Such a monu-
mental achievement is certainly within our grasp and will leave us with an
additional year both to increase that number and to strengthen those that
the Cradle of the Faith, already exist.
who remain unswerving
We take example and inspiration from the believers in the Cradle of the Faith,
in their devotion to the who remain unswerving in their devotion to the Cause of God. Let us beseech
Cause of God. Let us the Almighty that our efforts may shine with the very same spirit of fidelity
beseech the Almighty and sacrifice.
that our efforts may We are moved to offer our gratitude to the Continental Board of Counselors
shine with the very and their Auxiliaries, whose loving and untiring services have had an incalcu-
same spirit of fidelity lable impact on the progress of the Faith. We especially call to mind our dear
and sacrifice. Rebequa Murphy, now in the company of the Concourse on high and eagerly
awaiting the opportunity to come to our assistance. All who knew her still
feel the presence of her beautiful and
pure spirit.
And finally, we offer profound
gratitude and tribute to our beloved
Universal House of Justice, which has
so patiently and lovingly brought
forth new capacities in all of us. In
particular, we are grateful for the
many lessons learned from the six
conferences held in this country. Not
only did we grow in our understand-
ing of the Plan—we were reminded of
the wonderful strength and diversity
of this extraordinary and blessed
Bahá’í community. And we learned
how much can be achieved in a very
short time, provided we are united in
spirit and purpose.
We close with these words addressed by the Universal House of Justice to the
six conferences held in the United States:
Undeflected by the turmoil and distractions of the world around you,
direct your energies to the task at hand with expanded vision and
renewed consecration. New achievements invariably bring new chal-
lenges.
Every steadfast believer is called to a faith and determination, a com-
mitment to unity and sacrifice that will lift the Cause to a new stage

8
 in its development. May all find a part to play. May all appreciate the
contribution of others. May all pour forth time and resources to sup-
port the advancement of your clusters, to foster the capacity of your
N ot only did we
grow in our
understanding of
co-workers, and to quicken the spirit of love and devotion that propels
you forward. the Plan—we were
reminded of the
Be assured of our ceaseless prayers for your happiness and for the success of
your endeavors in the path of service. wonderful strength
and diversity of
this extraordinary
With loving Bahá’í greetings, and blessed Bahá’í
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES community.

9
 Regional
Regional Bahá’í Council of the Central States Bahá’í Councils
During 2008–09, in keeping with the spirit of the Chicago regional conference 11 ���Regional Bahá’í Council of the
held in December 2008, the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Central States reor- Central States
ganized its thinking and action to provide for greater impact at the cluster level.
14 ���Regional Bahá’í Council of the
The December 6, 2008 message from the Universal House of Justice to the six
Northeastern States
regional conferences taking place across the United States expressed this vision:
“May all find a part to play. May all appreciate the contributions of others. May all 18 ���Regional Bahá’í Council of the
pour forth time and resources to support the advancement of your clusters.” The Northwestern States
elements of this vision have become guiding principles in the Council’s efforts to 22 ���Regional Bahá’í Council of the
further the work of the Five Year Plan in the Central States. South Central States
Coherence and the Council 25 ���Regional Bahá’í Council of the
To best utilize the Council’s time and maximize its efficiency, several changes in Southeastern States
its operations are being implemented. The Council’s meeting agenda has been 28 ���Regional Bahá’í Council of the
realigned to mirror the two essential movements necessary for sustainable growth. Southwestern States
The Council is exploring ways to cut back on physical meetings in order to:
• Save money and divert these unused funds into the work of the Regional Train-
ing Institute (RTI).
• Permit Council members to be in the field more often.
U nderstanding the role
of data in coherence is
evolving. Collecting, analyzing,
The Council is also developing proactive goals and strategies in three-month cycles and using the data from
to seamlessly support the work of the RTI, cluster advancement, and Local Spiri- past cycles is proving more
tual Assemblies. Transparency in communication and strengthened collaboration effective; some core teams are
between it, the Auxiliary Boards, and the RTI are also part of the Council’s strate- beginning to use the data in
gies for achieving coherence throughout the region.
decision-making and planning.
Coherence in the clusters
To achieve the goal of strengthening and orienting the core teams and developing
an understanding of the schemes of coordination for the Local Spiritual Assemblies,
cluster agencies and institutions have been coming together in multi-cluster work-
shops to study the available guidance and consult with each other to determine how
best to achieve a coherent approach to growth within their own clusters. Studying the
guidance “again for the first time” has been very helpful, especially as the clusters have
firsthand experience of the guidance in action. Understanding the role of data in co-
herence is evolving. Collecting, analyzing, and using the data from past cycles is prov-
ing more effective; some core teams are beginning to use the data in decision-making
and planning. The Council will need to learn how to assist the core teams and Local
Spiritual Assemblies to continually consult, act, and reflect on what is being learned.

Central States RTI

During 2008–09, the Central States Regional Training Institute evolved from a
five-person Board meeting monthly to a three-person Board trying to meet bi-

Regional Bahá’í Councils

11
 annually. Its work was promoted first by three Regional Coordinators, then by one
Regional Coordinator, then by four Regional Coordinators—all within the span of
three months. The Regional Council, RTI Board, and Regional Coordinators are
all feeling the impact of these changes as they learn their new roles and ways to
consult and collaborate with each other to maximize learnings at the cluster level
while driving and sustaining this critical “engine of growth.” The Council secretar-
iat is beginning to work more closely with the RTI Board to practically implement
the learnings more quickly. The Regional Coordinators have been analyzing the
quality and success of the institute training process in each of their clusters, ap-
pointing new Cluster Institute Coordinators (CICs) as needed, and working closely

T he book currently
in progress with the
largest number of study
with the CICs to revitalize the institute process within each cluster.
Modest gains have been made in the number of believers completing the entire course
sequence in the Ruhi curriculum, although the greatest gain has been the number
circle participants completing Book 4. The book currently in progress with the largest number of study
is Book 1 (298), circle participants is Book 1 (298), which may reflect an increased number of individu-
which may reflect an als from the clusters’ communities of interest becoming engaged in core activities.
increased number of Cluster advancement
individuals from the The Central States will have elevated 10 clusters from the “B” to “A” stage of devel-
clusters’ communities opment by Riḍván 2009, each launching its own intensive program of growth (IPG)
of interest becoming at the time of elevation; 24 IPGs will then be in place, which is 74 percent of the
engaged in core region’s Five Year Plan goal. Further, seven more clusters will by Riḍván be elevated
activities. to the “B” stage of growth, which will bring the total of “new” “B” clusters to 11, or
122 percent of the goal. The original nine clusters selected to launch IPGs by Riḍván
2010 are still making progress toward that goal. It is unclear at this point whether or
not the additional two “B” clusters will be able to launch IPGs by Riḍván 2010.
Despite the modest gains shown in engagement in the institute process, enroll-
ments are up for the year by nearly 50 percent (293 enrollments by February 2009
compared to 198 enrollments by February 2008), as more teachers gain confidence
and skills in direct teaching.

Stages of advancement in the Central Region as of 3/31/2009

‘A’-stage clusters ‘B’-stage clusters

IA-07 (Ames/Des Moines, IA) IA-14 (Cedar Rapids, IA)
IL-03 (Aurora area, IL) IL-01 (Rockford, IL)
IL-09 (Springfield, IL) IL-11 (Champaign, IL)
IL-16 (Chicago, IL) MI-09 (Grand Rapids, MI)
IL-17 (Evanston area, IL) MN-02 (Lake of the Woods Co., MN)
IL-20 (Wilmette area, IL) MN-34 (Hennepin Co. North, MN)
IN-01 (Indianapolis, IN) OH-05 (Hamilton Co, OH)
KS-13 (Wichita, KS) OH-06 (Montgomery Co, OH)
MI-17 (Ann Arbor, MI) WI-16 (Appleton, WI)
MI-11 (Central Lower Peninsula, MI) WI-17 (Sheboygan, WI)
MI-18 (Oakland Co., MI) WI-22 (Milwaukee Co., WI)
MI-28 (Wayne Co., MI)
MN-27 (Minneapolis, MN) ‘★C’-stage clusters
MN-28 (St. Paul/Ramsey Co., MN)
IL-02 (Waukegan, IL)
MN-30 (E & SE Mpls/St. Paul area)
IL-18 (Des Plaines, IL)
MN-33 (Hennepin Co. S., MN)
MO-01 (St. Louis Co., MO)
MO-03 (Columbia, MO)
MO-07 (Kansas City, MO/KS)
NE-13 (Omaha, NE/IA)
OH-01 (Cleveland area, OH)
OH-03 (Columbus/Franklin Co., OH)
WI-19 (Madison, WI)
WI-21 (Waukesha Co., WI)
 Ruhi book completion in priority clusters Enrollments / registrations
Book 7 946 953 Book 7 293 Total
79 Children
Book 6 1,131 1,193 Book 6
12 Junior
youth
Book 5 172 221 Book 5 198 Total
49 Children 32 Youth
Book 4 1,481 1,565 Book 4 7 Junior youth 170 Adults
Book 3 1,514 1,540 Book 3 14 Youth
128 Adults
Book 2 1,950 1,989 Book 2

Book 1 2,714 2,708 Book 1

5/2007– 5/2008–
As of May 1, 2008 As of February 1, 2009 2/2008 2/2009

Developing strong Area Teaching Committees (ATCs) while keeping equally strong
CICs in place remains a challenge. Auxiliary Board members have taken this to
heart, working on both fronts. Relatively high turnover in membership on the ATCs
continues, although immediate orientation and training is helping to stabilize
S igns of growth—
whether by
developing a unified
them. The intensified level of activity within the clusters brings new understanding vision for the cluster or
of the requirements, roles, and responsibilities of ATCs and CICs. ATC members are
in actual enrollments—
encouraged to build capacity in others through accompaniment. Much is yet to be
learned about coherence of growth when the agencies of the core team bring their is evident in those
unique strengths and expertise “to the table.” clusters in which the
Assemblies are actively
Activating pledges
participating in core
The Regional Coordinators are beginning to mobilize tutors to expand and activities and home
strengthen the institute process in priority clusters by identifying the strengths of
the tutors and matching those strengths with the needs of the clusters. Homefront visits.
pioneers are similarly sharing what they see as their strengths and working with
the Council to determine where the needs are and where the pioneers are will-
ing to go to support those needs. The services of some pioneers will more closely
resemble the services of traveling teachers—living and teaching in goal areas for
perhaps the entire summer, rather than settling in them with any permanence.
The Council has also contacted individuals who made deputization pledges at the
Chicago Regional Conference to thank and encourage them, as well as provide in-
formation on how to contribute to the recently established Regional Deputization
Fund.

Local Spiritual Assembly development

Intensified teaching activities have had profound effects on the Local Spiritual
Assemblies in the region. Whether in “C” or “A” clusters, Assemblies are asking
questions and searching for ways to support growth at the cluster level. Signs of
growth—whether by developing a unified vision for the cluster or in actual enroll-
ments—is evident in those clusters in which the Assemblies are actively participat-
ing in core activities and home visits. Assembly representatives have been asked to
participate in the multi-cluster workshops mentioned earlier. This has given them
insights into the schemes of coordination that are being implemented in the clus-
ters as growth and activity warrants and has provided many with a clearer under-
standing of Local Spiritual Assemblies’ vital role in the teaching work.
In summary, the Central States are working to strengthen and expand the institute
process in all priority and emerging clusters. Another goal is to enhance the work
of expansion and consolidation by reinforcing clusters with homefront pioneers
and ongoing training and accompaniment of individuals as they continue to share
the love of Bahá’u’lláh with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers.

Regional Bahá’í Councils

13
 Regional Bahá’í Council of the Northeastern States
O ver 20 individuals
have been placed
as homefront pioneers,
The year 2008–09 has been a remarkable year of growth, change, and learning
for the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Northeastern States. The Council is grateful
with many more to have throughout the year benefited from the loving partnership of Counselor
arising as pioneers, Gerardo Vargas, the members of the Auxiliary Boards serving the Northeast, the
traveling teachers, and National Spiritual Assembly, cluster agencies, Local Spiritual Assemblies, and the
Bahá’í World Center.
youth year-of-service
volunteers. The December 2008 regional conference, held in Stamford, Connecticut—at which
over 2,000 participants received counsel and encouragement from members of the
International Teaching Center and other senior institutions of the Faith—focused
the region on the elements of the Five Year Plan and generated some 3,727 pledg-
es of service, which are still being added to every week. Over 20 individuals have
been placed as homefront pioneers, with many more arising as pioneers, traveling
teachers, and youth year-of-service volunteers.
The region’s youth gathered once again at the Northeastern Bahá’í Youth Confer-
ence—now referred to as “NEBY: The Movement”—this year with an increased focus
on engaging youth and young adults in the core activities and direct teaching.
Among the many continuing youth and junior youth activities in the region was
last summer’s Project Mírzá Mihdí in New York City and Long Island; the Council
hopes the project will expand eventually to all “A” clusters.
Regional Council members met with 19 Local Spiritual Assemblies to develop
greater collaboration among the agencies and institutions of the Faith in the re-
gion to further the progress of the Plan in their clusters.
During this third year of the current Five Year Plan, the number of clusters that
have reached the “A” stage of development in the Northeastern states grew from
12 to 22—all with intensive programs of growth in place—with 10–12 more antici-
pated by the Plan’s conclusion. At Riḍván 2009, we project the following statistics
for the third year compared to where the region stood at the start of the Plan:
• 420 enrollments of adults and youth compared to 97 in the Plan’s first year
• 392 study circles compared to 123
• 65 junior youth groups compared to 24
• 959 individuals completing the sequence of Ruhi courses compared to 479
• 310 devotional meetings compared to 156
• 150 children’s classes compared to 110

How growth took place

What were the factors that led to such rapid growth and change in the region in
one year? Three strengths emerged during 2008–09 that had an enormous impact

Riḍván 2009
14
 on systematic, sustainable growth:
1. Direct teaching: “Open and bold assertion of the fundamental verities of the
Cause”; “Bahá’u’lláh’s message should be given liberally and unconditionally to
humanity.”
2. Identifying receptive populations: Seeking out “souls with whom they can
share a portion of that which He has so graciously bestowed on humanity.”
3. Placing homefront pioneers and resource people: people that are “capable of
generating enthusiasm and intensity.”
Three examples follow.
The Power of Direct Teaching: New York City.
T hree strengths
emerged during
2008–09 that had an
• An “A” cluster in 2005, New York welcomed about 15 new believers a year. enormous impact on
• Auxiliary Board members and others were sent to Atlanta, a Dallas seminar, and
systematic, sustainable
Norte del Cauca in Colombia, and brought learning back. growth: Direct
teaching, identifying
• “Teaching Workshop Days” were held to raise skills and scout for receptive
neighborhoods.
receptive populations,
and placing homefront
• A skilled and experienced teacher (resource person) from the Southwest came
pioneers and resource
forward.
people.
• The April 2008 expansion phase brought about 72 enrollments in two weeks.
• Follow-up was difficult: some drifted away. The cluster consulted with and

Stages of advancement in the Northeast Region as of 3/31/2009

‘A’-stage clusters
02 (Hartford/Tolland, CT)
06 (Lower ME/NH)
08 (New Hampshire)
11 (Boston area, MA)
15 (Hampden Co., MA)
17 (S. Middlesex Co., MA)
21 (Central Jersey, NJ)
28 (Buffalo area, NY)
30 (Long Island, NY)
31 (New York City, NY)
35 (Rochester area, NY)
41 (Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA)
42 (Philadelphia, PA)
‘B’-stage clusters
07 (Upper Maine)
09 (Vermont)
14 (Franklin/Hampshire, MA)
16 (Northeast Massachusetts)
19 (Rhode Island)
22 (Cherry Hill area, NJ)
24 (Newark area, NJ)
27 (Albany area, NY)
32 (Newburgh area, NY)
36 (Syracuse area, NY)
37 (Westchester Co., NY)
38 (Allentown/Reading, PA)
44 (Philadelphia SW, PA)
45 (Pittsburgh area, PA)
‘★C’-stage clusters
01 (Fairfield Co., CT)
04 (New Haven Co., CT)
12 (Bristol/Plymouth, MA)
18 (Worcester Co., MA)
20 (Bergen/Passaic, NJ)
43 (Philadelphia NW, PA)
 learned from other clusters. The quality of early presentations has a powerful
impact on consolidation.
• Expansion phases since have resulted in fewer enrollments, but the teaching is
more methodical; consequently, a number of Book 1 study circles, children’s
classes, and junior youth classes are starting.
• New Bahá’ís are now neighborhood teaching coordinators, hosting Feasts and
devotional gatherings, teaching friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.
• How this was accomplished:

P rogress in the
Lancaster/
Harrisburg cluster
· Relied on prayer, studied guidance.
· Created unity among institutions and community.
has been achieved · Took bold step into direct action.
through unity, through · Identified receptive neighborhoods.
creativity, and through
· Learned to share the Faith directly.
action that is animated
by confidence in divine Finding a R eceptive Population: New H ampshire Cluster.
power. • Began Five Year Plan with 50 pledges to complete sequence of Ruhi courses.
• Formed teaching teams, made home visits, and multiplied core activities.
• Conducted “Sundays in the Park” pilot program: neighborhood children’s
classes over eight weeks.
• Identified a neighborhood: immigrant populations, friendly, children ages 4
through 12 from Burundi, Congo, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Somalia, Sudan, and
United States.
• Welcomed 18 new believers in three months.
• Serve needs of 31 now in neighborhood children’s classes.
• How this was accomplished:
· Remained flexible and persevered.
· Identified receptive neighborhood.
· Mobilized Ruhi Book 3 course graduates.
· Offered genuine service: children’s classes.
· Shared Faith directly when receptive souls emerged.
· Started Book 1 study circles and devotional gatherings.
R esource P ersons and Homefront P ioneers: H arrisburg/L ancaster Cluster.
• Advanced from “C “to “A” stage of development in less than a year — from
gradual to rapid growth.
• Auxiliary Board members and Council placed and supported a homefront pio-
neer.
• Resource person worked with small group to scout neighborhoods.
• IPG resulted in 19 enrollments, core activities multiplied, two new Bahá’ís on
ATC, fund goal doubled, three new Bahá’ís on the Assembly.
• Rented home with three homefront pioneers, two of whom have been Bahá’ís

Riḍván 2009
16
 for six months: holding regular Feasts, core activity focus.
• Auxiliary Board members appointed assistants to work with young people: hik-
ing and overnight camping, meeting new friends in the park, learning different
modes of meditation, even setting up a “haunted house” for the entertainment
of neighborhood children at Halloween.
• Progress in this cluster has been achieved through unity, through creativity, and
through action that is animated by confidence in divine power.
• How this was accomplished:
· Relied on prayer.
· Were courageous in the face of fear.
P erhaps the
most important
development of
· Placed homefront pioneers. all is the spirit of
· Utilized resource person for first teaching project in receptive neighborhood. genuine service that
· Utilized skills from the institute training process. is awakening as the
friends arise to offer
· Multiplied core activities.
real assistance to their
· Mobilized new believers. neighbors.
· Had fun with youth.

Conclusion
Space considerations prohibit the telling of a story from each cluster in the
Northeast, particularly those clusters, in addition to the three examples above, that
achieved double-digit growth during 2008–09, including the Rochester area, the
Boston area, Lower Maine/New Hampshire, Upper Maine, South Middlesex County,
Philadelphia, the Syracuse area, Allentown/Reading, Hampden County, the Newark
area, and Hartford/Tolland. Perhaps the most important development of all is the
spirit of genuine service that is awakening as the friends arise to offer real assis-
tance to their neighbors.

Regional Bahá’í Councils

17
 Regional Bahá’í Council of the Northwestern States
Summary
Progress of the Five Year Plan in the Northwestern States has accelerated to keep
pace with the needs of the Plan. Actions of the believers in goal clusters in key
areas—progress through the sequence of institute courses, application of learned
skills, and participation in the core activities, teaching, and understanding of the
Plan—have increased markedly since the Plan’s inception. Participation of almost
30 percent of the region’s believers in the December regional Bahá’í conference
held in Portland has resulted in a surge of enthusiasm and documented action in
the field, greater understanding of the framework of the Plan, and an even closer
connection to the Universal House of Justice—all of which will greatly assist the
prosecution of the Plan in this region in the remaining two years.

‘A’-stage clusters
CO-13 (Colorado Springs, CO)
Stages of advancement in
CO-14 (Fort Collins, CO)
CO-15 (Boulder, CO)
the Northwest Region
CO-17 (Westminster/Arvada, CO) as of 3/31/2009
CO-19 (Denver, CO)
OR-09 (Jackson Co., OR)
OR-14 (Eugene/Lane Co., OR)
OR-15 (Corvallis/Benton/Linn Cos., OR)
OR-24 (Tigard/Lake Oswego/West
Linn, OR)
OR-26 (Beaverton/Washington Co., OR)
OR-31 (Portland, OR)
WA-08 (Redmond/N. King Co., WA)
WA-09 (Whatcom/Skagit Cos., WA)
WA-13 (Snohomish Co., WA)
WA-14 (Seattle area, WA)
WA-15 (Bellevue/Cent. King Co., WA)
WA-17 (Renton/S. King Co., WA)
WA-19 (Tacoma/Pierce Co., WA)
WA-24 (Yakima, WA)
‘B’-stage clusters
CO-09 (Grand Junction / Mesa Co., CO) UT-09 (Sandy, UT)
CO-16 (Lakewood, CO) WA-01 (Port Angeles/Olympic
CO-18 (Arapahoe/Douglas Co., CO) Peninsula, WA)
ID-01 (Boise, ID) WA-04 (Vancouver/Clark Co., WA)
MT-01 (Yellowstone Co., MT) WA-05 (Bremerton/Kitsap Co., WA)
OR-18 (Salem/Woodburn, OR) WA-06 (Olympia/Mason/Thurston
OR-23 (Milwaukie/Gladstone, OR) Cos., WA)
UT-06 (Salt Lake City, UT) WA/ID-28 (Spokane, WA/Kootenai
UT-08 (Salt Lake Co., UT) Co., ID)

‘★C’-stage clusters
OR/WA-21 (Pendleton/Walla Walla/ OR-28 (Gresham/Multnomah, OR)
Umatilla Res., WA)
Special victory in Colorado
As the year 2008–09 draws to a close, the region celebrates the launch of new
intensive programs of growth (IPGs)—including four in Colorado. The surge of
activity in Colorado goal clusters in the few months preceding Riḍván is a special
victory for the believers there and is attributable to a number of important and
connected developments:
• Visits last fall by the late Counselor Rebequa Murphy, who clarified the urgency
for engagement in Plan activities to communities and Local Spiritual Assem-
blies.
• Purposeful study of the Plan guidance by more and more of the believers, giv-
ing rise to a heightened awareness of actions needed before Riḍván 2009.
T he surge of activity
in Colorado goal
clusters in the few
• Improved understanding—brought about through the efforts of the Regional months preceding
Bahá’í Council—of how believers can apply their enthusiasm to the needs of the
Plan.
Riḍván is a special
victory for the
• Effective release of individual initiative in the goal clusters encouraged by
believers there and
Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, who gave their all to help the
believers find it. is attributable to a
number of important
• Helpful and practical interaction by the state representative of the Office of
and connected
Cluster Advancement with the Area Teaching Committees, and growing capacity
in goal clusters. developments.
• Increased enthusiasm throughout the state inspired by news of victories shared
among the various goal clusters planned to advance by Riḍván 2009.
• Effective leadership of the institute training process provided by Cluster Insti-
tute Coordinators, who developed the necessary skills with the assistance of the
Regional Institute Coordinator.
• Insights shared at Feasts and cluster reflection meetings by a large number of
returning pilgrims, whose enthusiasm for the Plan was utilized as a resource.

Northwestern Regional Training Institute

As of March 2009, the number of people completing the full sequence of courses
in the Ruhi curriculum has increased by 81 percent in the span of two years.
The region-wide increase in direct teaching yielded a
wider application of skills developed through the training Individual completion of the main sequence
institute as well as a deeper understanding of the need for
Percentage
high-quality training. It has become clear that developing
of youth
the needed skills requires completion of the course prac- A B ★C C Total and adults
tices and that neglecting the practices limits the desired
results. In seeking to develop these skills further, a number Colorado 91 91 8 190 14.7%
of refresher courses were held—particularly for Ruhi Books Idaho 13 9 22 5.9%
1, 2, and 6—with an emphasis on completing the required
practices. Through study of the presentation in Book 6, Montana 10 19 29 10.5%
now well-known as “Anna’s presentation”, many felt em- Oregon 237 34 12 45 328 15.0%
powered and experienced new confidence in their teach-
ing, gaining an appreciation for the value of explaining Utah 49 9 58 9.9%
concepts together with giving facts. Washington 310 76 3 18 407 11.2%
A growing number of neighborhood children’s classes pro- Wyoming 5 5 4.2%
vided opportunities to put Book 3 to good use and created
Total 638 273 15 113 1039 12.3%
demand for training in Book 3A, as well as for additional

Regional Bahá’í Councils

19
 Enrollments by state
curriculum materials.
2006– 2007– 2008–
2007 2008 2009 The fourth core activity, forming and
working with junior youth groups, was
Colorado 13 24 24 given much added support and mo-
Idaho 6 6 10 mentum through the appointment of
coordinators who focus on this activity.
Montana 6 10 6 Some of these individuals participated
Oregon 35 31 73 in seminars conducted by the World
Center’s Office of Social and Economic

T hrough study of Utah 5 16 14 Development, and upon their return,

the presentation Washington 41 51 96 applied the fresh insights they had
gained to the strengthening of efforts
in Book 6, now well- Wyoming 2 1 3 for the spiritual and moral empower-
known as “Anna’s ment of this important segment of
Total 108 139 226
presentation”, many population.
felt empowered and A recent “snapshot” of the children’s
experienced new Enrollments per 100 adults and youth classes and junior youth groups active
confidence in their in goal clusters in the region shows 142
teaching, gaining an 2006– 2007– 2008– children’s classes and 45 junior youth
2007 2008 2009 groups.
appreciation for the
Colorado 1.0 1.9 1.8
value of explaining Cluster advancement
concepts together with Idaho 1.7 1.6 2.7 The Council is tracking 33 clusters that
giving facts. Montana 2.2 3.7 2.1 are designated to have fully operational
intensive programs of growth by the
Oregon 1.6 1.5 3.3 Plan’s conclusion. The Council is also
Utah 1.1 2.9 2.3 working with three other clusters as
alternates and tracking two clusters
Washington 1.2 1.4 2.6 with a modest Bahá’í population whose
Wyoming 1.5 0.8 2.5 activity and movement is of special
note.
Region 1.3 1.7 2.7
Some 70 percent of the “A” clusters in
the region have been engaged in in-
tensive programs of growth for an average of eight months. Learning in action has
been their hallmark—specifically, learning about what intensity means, how to find
receptive populations, how to integrate the core activities into the teaching work,
and how to achieve higher levels of growth per cycle.
“B” clusters comprise the other half of the region’s goal clusters. Some 80 percent
of these have been in that stage for an average of nine months. They are learning
the fundamentals of the framework for action: to scale their efforts to the level of
neighborhoods, to multiply the core activities, and to effectively teach the Faith
directly.
There are no “C” clusters among the goal clusters.

Youth development
The Council established a Youth Development Office with the goal of mobilizing
an army of youth into action in support of the Plan. Working in close collabora-
tion with members of the Auxiliary Boards and selected cluster agencies, the Youth
Office organized summer teaching and consolidation projects in three clusters
(Seattle, Washington; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Benton County, Oregon).

Riḍván 2009
20
Youths participated in institute courses, conducted home visits, taught children’s
classes, hosted devotional gatherings, assisted with firesides, participated in cluster
reflection meetings, went door-to-door teaching, and helped organize a junior
youth camp. The projects enabled them to return home with new skills and confi-
dence, prepared to be at the forefront of advancing the process of entry by troops
in their own clusters.
The Youth Office also organized Fall Campus Planning Retreats at the University
of Colorado in Boulder and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. During the
retreats, participants reviewed the Plan’s major elements, studied recent guidance,
reflected on personal goals, and developed concrete action plans aligned with local
cluster efforts. S ummer projects
enabled youths to
return home with new
Conclusion
skills and confidence,
The building of the framework for action in the Northwest region is well under
way. Use of this framework for substantial growth is the task at hand. The up-
prepared to be at the
coming months will bring to the friends many new experiences associated with a forefront of advancing
greater connection to children, young people, singles, and families in the general the process of entry
population as the Bahá’í community engages with them in the application of by troops in their own
Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation to our lives. The Council is honored to have the opportu- clusters.
nity to serve this glorious spiritual enterprise in the Northwest region.

Regional Bahá’í Councils

21
 Regional Bahá’í Council of the South Central States
T he Council has
especially focused
on contacting those
Regional Bahá’í Conferences in Atlanta and Dallas
The Southern region of the United States is now, as a result of a decision imple-
friends who pledged to mented by the National Spiritual Assembly during 2008–09, blessed with two
serve as mobile tutors, Regional Bahá’í Councils, and two of the six regional conferences that took place
as travel teachers, and throughout the United States in December 2008 were held in the South. One con-
ference was held in Atlanta, Georgia, which attracted 3,600 attendees from both
as homefront pioneers, the Southeastern and South Central regions. A second conference was held in the
and encouraging them South Central region in Dallas, Texas, with more than 2,200 attendees.
to arise as never before
Attending the conferences as representatives of the Universal House of Justice
to win the goals of the were members of the International Teaching Center. In addition, members of
Plan. the Continental Board of Counselors and the National Spiritual Assembly were
in attendance. The members of the International Teaching Center gave moving
presentations at both conferences. They brought the love of the Universal House
of Justice and shared inspiring stories and relevant passages from both the Bahá’í
sacred texts and the most recent guidance regarding the Five Year Plan.
The two newly established Councils gave reports describing how Bahá’í communi-
ties in the regions are changing significantly. Newly formed devotional meetings,
study circles, children’s classes, and junior youth programs are continually multi-
plying and include greater numbers of seekers.
The arts were alive and vibrant throughout the conferences, as part of the de-
votional segments and the memorable artistic program on Saturday evening.
Saturday sessions focused on celebrating achievements and sharing learnings,
while Sunday sessions were devoted to making commitments to serve. Over 1,000
Bahá’ís from the new South Central region made pledges to host devotionals, start
firesides, and/or serve as tutors, as children’s class teachers, as traveling teachers, or
as homefront pioneers in clusters planning to launch intensive programs of growth
(IPGs) by Riḍván 2009.
To sustain the momentum from the regional conferences, the Councils responded
to all the pledges for service that were received as soon as the conferences ended.
The pledges and contact information were entered into spreadsheets and shared
with cluster agencies so they could follow up at the grassroots level. The Regional
Bahá’í Council of the South Central States has especially focused on contact-
ing those friends who pledged to serve as mobile tutors, as travel teachers, and
as homefront pioneers, and encouraging them to arise as never before to win the
goals of the Plan.

Advancement of clusters
The South Central region began with 16 “A”-stage clusters and 24 “B”-stage clus-
ters. Of these, 14 “B” clusters were identified as priority clusters to be advanced to
the “A” stage of development by Riḍván 2009. A new Cluster Development Office

Riḍván 2009
22
 in the South Central region was established to collaborate closely with the Conti-
nental Counselors, Auxiliary Board members, and core teams to meet these goals.
In but four months, the number of “A” clusters nearly doubled because of the
heroic efforts of the Area Teaching Committees, Cluster Development Facilitators,
Cluster Institute Coordinators, and Auxiliary Board members and their assistants—
all collaborating to win these victories.

Seeker Response System and Statistics Reporting Program

The Seeker Response System (SRS) is functioning well in the South Central region,
helping to ensure that teaching is understood to be the highest priority for every
Bahá’í community. The Regional Seeker Response Specialists are supervising the
follow-up of every precious seeker from the 1-800-22UNITE phone line and the
national public website. A strategy to route seekers to the cluster level for follow-
T he Seeker Response
System (SRS) is
functioning well in the
up was adopted in preparation for the anticipated increase of seekers from the South Central region,
Online Registration System. The region receives over 500 inquiries annually from
helping to ensure that
individuals who are actively seeking information about the Faith.
teaching is understood
The South Central region has for some time been able to claim the second highest to be the highest
number of enrollments in the country. During 2008–09, the enrollments for the
South Central region will reach approximately 800, a total that includes adults,
priority for every
youth, junior youth, and child registrations. Bahá’í community.
The Council appointed a Regional Statistics Officer who coordinates the collection
of data from cluster-level statistics officers. The Regional Statistics Officer reports
this data regularly to the National Statistics Officer, who then reports it to the
World Center.

Stages of advancement in the South Central Region as of 3/31/2009

‘A’-stage clusters ‘B’-stage clusters
Broward Co., FL Nashville, TN Denton Co., TX Birmingham area, AL Emerald Coast, FL (Pensacola
Miami-Dade, FL Austin area, TX El Paso area, TX Limestone/DeKalb Cos., AL area)
First Coast, FL (Jacksonville/St. Collin Co., TX Fort Bend/Brazoria Cos., TX (Huntsville area) Marion Co., FL
Augustine area) Dallas, TX Harris Co., TX (Houston) Little Rock area, AR Melbourne, FL
Gainesville, FL Dallas Co. NE, TX San Antonio Area, TX Springdale area, AR Sarasota/Manatee Cos., FL
Lee Co., FL Dallas Co. SW, TX Tarrant Co., TX (Fort Worth) Daytona, FL Baton Rouge area, LA
Orlando, FL New Orleans area, LA
Palm Beach, FL Jackson area, MS
Pasco/Hernando Cos., FL Amarillo area, TX
Pinellas Co., FL Bryan/College Station, TX
Tallahassee, FL Rio Grande Valley, TX
Tampa, FL
Norman, OK
Oklahoma City, OK ‘★C’-stage clusters
Chattanooga area, TN/GA
Montgomery Co., TX
Knoxville area, TN
Memphis area, TN/AR/MS
 Martha Root and Magdalene Carney Regional Training Institutes
The South Central region is blessed with two active and capable Regional Training
Institutes (RTIs) focused on the development of human resources for expansion
and consolidation.
The Martha Root Regional Training Institute has 55 Cluster Institute Coordina-
tors who nurture, accompany, and train tutors throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma,
and Texas. These devoted friends—along with 400 active tutors—keep the wheels
of the “engine of growth” turning at the grass roots. A total of 550 people have

T
completed the full sequence of Ruhi courses, with 310 study circles having been
he South Central
completed in one year, with a strong emphasis on the course practices. Neighbor-
region is blessed hoods have 53 children’s classes in progress with a total of 438 Bahá’í children and
with two active and 258 non-Bahá’í children involved. There are 30 junior youth groups, involving 136
capable Regional Bahá’í junior youths and 56 non-Bahá’í junior youths.
Training Institutes The Magdalene Carney Bahá’í Institute serves Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Missis-
(RTIs) focused on the sippi, and Tennessee. It manages 27 Cluster Institute Coordinators and 350 active
development of human tutors. A total of 640 people have completed the Ruhi sequence and 227 study
resources for expansion circles have been completed this year. There are 108 children’s classes, with 386
Bahá’í children and 309 non-Bahá’í children participating. There are 37 junior
and consolidation. youth groups, involving 110 Bahá’í junior youths and 91 non-Bahá’í junior youths.
A principal focus of the Regional Training Institutes is developing capacity among
youth at the cluster level by engaging them in special youth projects, such as
Project Badí‘ and Project Anís. The institutes have appointed a Junior Youth Group
Program Coordinator and a Children’s Class Program Coordinator to increase the
number of these core activities and inspire the animators of junior youth groups
and teachers of children’s classes. The institutes are also working to enhance the
effectiveness of tutors, especially with regard to mobilizing participants to action.
The Regional Bahá’í Council of the South Central States is committed to mov-
ing forward—in the words of the Universal House of Justice’s letter of December
6, 2008 to the six regional Bahá’í conferences taking place in the United States
—“undeflected by the turmoil and distractions of the world” and to calling upon
everyone to “find a part to play”—so that all believers will dedicate their “utmost
to this sacred enterprise.”

Riḍván 2009
24
Regional Bahá’í Council of the Southeastern States
Formation of the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Southeastern States took place
shortly before the December 2008 regional Bahá’í conference held in Atlanta. Since
A spirit of dynamism
is permeating the
region, and it appears
the conference, the region has witnessed, in clusters of all stages, an increasing that the believers are
number of individuals arising to attend reflection gatherings and participate in
fulfilling the Universal
their cluster’s teaching plans. It has seen a few hundred individuals arise to teach
by traveling to nearby priority clusters and to the Bahamas. A spirit of dynamism is House of Justice’s call
permeating the region, and it appears that the believers are fulfilling the Universal in its message to the
House of Justice’s call in its message to the six regional conferences held through- six regional conferences
out the United States: “Every steadfast believer is called to a faith and determina- held throughout the
tion, a commitment to unity and sacrifice that will lift the Cause to a new stage in United States: “Every
its development.”
steadfast believer
Movement of resources and traveling teachers is called to a faith
At the Atlanta regional conference, the focus provided for the 10 priority clusters and determination, a
slated to launch an intensive program of growth (IPG) by Riḍván 2009 helped to commitment to unity
galvanize the friends into action. This movement of the friends in the region to and sacrifice that
assist the priority clusters has been an uplifting experience. Many friends from
will lift the Cause
the Central Mountains, North Carolina cluster (Asheville area) drove to support the
IPG launching and intensive teaching in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Polk, South to a new stage in its
Carolina cluster. Friends from Washington, D.C.; Montgomery County, Maryland; development.”
Howard County, Maryland; Fairfax County, Virginia; and others arose to assist the
Prince Georges County, Maryland cluster to advance by Riḍván. Dozens of Bahá’ís
from the Metro Atlanta and Gwinnett-North Fulton, Georgia clusters have traveled
to priority clusters in the Atlanta area to teach. Friends from the Columbia area,
South Carolina cluster consistently supported the newly advanced Charleston-
Berkeley, South Carolina cluster. Friends from the Blue Ridge and Lower Shenan-
doah Valley, Virginia (“C”- stage) clusters arose to teach in Roanoke, Virginia.
Friends from the Triangle, North Carolina cluster, many of whom are youth and
young adults, drove weekend after weekend to assist the Triad, North Caro-
lina cluster to advance by Riḍván. One dedicated person drove all the way from
Charleston, West Virginia on two weekends to Greensboro (Triad) to assist in the
teaching initiatives. One cluster from outside the region provided a dedicated cadre
of friends from Nashville, Tennessee to support Kentuckiana, Kentucky. Three
clusters have each launched an IPG since then, with the seven remaining clusters
striving to achieve the necessary conditions of readiness and growth.

Advancing clusters with increased capacities

New levels of growth and learning are being seen in the case of these recently
launched intensive programs of growth. In the Greenville-Spartanburg-Polk cluster
in South Carolina, their first intensive phase welcomed 10 new believers in the
span of a few weeks. The Roanoke area, Virginia cluster experienced the confirma-
tions of five new believers in their first few weekends of teaching. Finally, in the

Regional Bahá’í Councils

25
 Pee Dee, South Carolina cluster, during its first intensive cycle the friends are well
on their way to reaching their goal of 18 enrollments with the confirmations of 17
new believers having accepted the message of Bahá’u’lláh.
The clusters are learning how to immediately engage “these fresh adherents in the
courses of the training institute,” which is vital to the raising up of resources to
establish a sustainable pattern of expansion and consolidation. Many clusters are
experiencing an over-50 percent rate of involvement of new believers in institute
courses. They are striving to learn not only how to ensure that a new believer
completes Ruhi Book 1 training within the same cycle that he or she is enrolled,

I n the Northern
Virginia area, three
clusters went from one
but how to ensure that he or she makes consistent progress with Book 2 within
that same cycle.

Training and development of Area Teaching Committees

centralized school with The Council is beginning to learn about the training and development of Area
little participation from Teaching Committees and cluster development facilitators. It has collaborated with
non-Bahá’í children to members of the Continental Board of Counselors to conduct “Renewing the Spirit
nearly 30 neighborhood of Teaching” seminars. By Riḍván 2009, two such seminars will have been held in
the region.
children’s classes with
over 120 non-Bahá’í Regional Training Institutes
children participating. The Regional Bahá’í Council of the Southeastern States is now served by two Re-
gional Training Institutes (RTIs): The Crimson Ark Regional Training Institute and
the Louis Gregory Institute (LGI). The Crimson Ark RTI administers the institute
training process for Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Washington, D.C., and the Louis Gregory Institute oversees Georgia, North Caro-
lina, and South Carolina. Each training institute has an RTI Board overseeing its
work. The two Regional Training Institutes have experienced significant progress
over the past year, most notably in neighborhood children’s classes and junior
youth groups. Each training institute has developed strengths in specific areas—the
Louis Gregory Institute in establishment of junior youth groups and the Crimson
Ark in multiplication of neighborhood children’s classes.
The Louis Gregory Institute is responsible for the institute training process and
related core activities in 18 priority clusters, and is served by 38 Cluster Institute
Coordinators (CICs). The scheme of coordination at the Louis Gregory Training
Institute has greatly assisted the advancement of junior youth programs in that
three-state area. The training institute has appointed a Deputy RTI Coordinator for
junior youth, who has assisted in establishing 45 junior youth groups with approx-
imately 450 junior youths participating throughout the Carolinas and Georgia. The
Triangle, North Carolina cluster has recently been identified as a learning site for
junior youth training and will launch its first training seminar within the next few
months. Plans are also in progress for junior youth retreats/camps during summer,
to keep junior youth groups together during the school vacation period. These day
camps will also be used for Ruhi Book 5 training to raise up junior youth group
animators. This is a significant advance for this core activity in the Southeast
region.
The Crimson Ark Regional Training Institute is responsible for 16 priority clusters
served by 31 Cluster Institute Coordinators. The institute has had great success in
establishing neighborhood children’s classes, particularly in the Northern Virginia
area, where the largest centralized Bahá’í school in the country was disbanded
by the sponsoring Local Spiritual Assembly in order to foster and encourage the
establishment of neighborhood children’s classes with an outward orientation. The
three affected clusters went from one centralized school with little participation

Riḍván 2009
26
 from non-Bahá’í children to nearly 30 neighborhood children’s classes with over
120 non-Bahá’í children participating. The appointment of an Assistant Regional
Coordinator for Children’s Classes for the Crimson Ark RTI greatly facilitated this
process. This has been a remarkable success for the three clusters served by the
former centralized school. As a result, a centralized Bahá’í school in nearby Mary-
land is in the process of phasing out its operations, and neighborhood children’s
classes are already taking its place.
The greatest challenge for the areas served by the Crimson Ark RTI has been
training and development of junior youth group animators and establishment of
junior youth groups. Since the regional conference in Atlanta, however, an appar-
ent upsurge has been seen in the number of those who wish to start junior youth
groups and to be trained as animators. It is anticipated that the Deputy Regional
T he clusters are
learning how to
immediately engage
Coordinator for Junior Youth Groups at the Louis Gregory Institute will be working
in close collaboration with the Crimson Ark RTI to assist it with the raising up of “these fresh adherents
junior youth group animators who can, in turn, train and accompany others in this in the courses of the
field of service. It is expected that in the process, the youth, who are numerous in training institute,”
the area but not engaged in the core activities in large numbers, will be mobilized which is vital to
and motivated to serve. Mobilizing youth and encouraging them to complete the
full sequence of Ruhi courses, teach children’s classes, and engage in animating
the raising up of
junior youth groups has been an ongoing challenge. Nevertheless, the number resources to establish
of junior youth groups has increased from 17 to 24 over the past year with an a sustainable pattern
increase from 35 to 45 non-Bahá’í junior youth participating. Children’s classes of expansion and
have increased from 27 to 57, with the number from the community of interest consolidation.
expanding from 86 to 215.
To foster the development of Cluster Institute Coordinators, both the Louis
Gregory and Crimson Ark RTIs hold lively and effective periodic CIC gatherings that
include training and the sharing of learning. As a result, Cluster Institute Coordi-
nators are becoming more strategic and effective. Study circles including both new
believers and seekers have steadily increased in most priority clusters.

Stages of advancement in the Southeast Region as of 3/31/2009

‘A’-stage clusters ‘B’-stage clusters
Washington, D.C. Central Delaware
Metro Atlanta, GA Northern Delaware, DE/MD
Cobb/Douglas Cos., GA Greater Augusta, GA
Gwinnett/North Fulton Cos., GA Salisbury, MD
North of Atlanta, GA Central Mountains, NC
S. Fulton/Fayette/Clayton Cos., GA Triad, NC (Greensboro /
Savannah area, GA Winston-Salem)
Kentuckiana, KY/IN (Louisville area) Upstate foothills, SC
Baltimore, MD Charlottesville, VA
Howard Co./Laurel, MD South Hampton Roads, VA
Montgomery Co., MD
Prince Georges Co., MD
‘★C’-stage clusters
Charlotte area, NC/SC
Triangle, NC (Raleigh-Durham) Beaufort area, SC
Berkeley/Charleston Cos., SC Greater Orangeburg, SC
Greater Columbia area, SC
Georgetown/Horry Cos., SC
Greenville/Spartanburg, SC
Pee Dee, SC
Fairfax Co., VA
Loudoun Co., VA
NoVA East, VA (Arlington / Alex-
andria)
Richmond, VA
Roanoke, VA
 Regional Bahá’í Council of the Southwestern States
D uring 2008, the
region gained
1,649 new believers,
During 2008–09, the Southwestern region continued to advance systematically
toward achieving the goal of 60 intensive programs of growth before Riḍván 2011.
including adult and Movement of clusters
youth enrollments and A total of 33 clusters have developed to the point that intensive programs of growth
child registrations— either have been launched or stand ready to be initiated. Table 1 (below) shows the
about 6.6 times movement of the region’s clusters toward “A” stage in the past three years.
the number of new
Progress of the first movement of the plan
believers in 2006.
Advancement of the clusters has depended on the ongoing development of hu-
man resources through their engagement in the institute training process. Figure
1 (page 30) indicates the steady development of human resources in the region.
More than 8,000 people have completed Book 1 of the Ruhi curriculum and 2,700
have reached the level where they can serve as study circle tutors. More than
1,900 have completed the full sequence of courses, preparing them to be effective
resources on teaching teams.

Multiplication of core activities

Figure 2 (page 30) shows steady progress in all four core activities of the Five Year
Plan. The number of study circles has dramatically increased by 134 percent since
the start of the Plan; over 871 study circles are held in the region. In the same
period, the number of children’s classes increased by about 56 percent, devotional
gatherings increased by 30 percent, and junior youth spiritual empowerment
groups increased steadily.

Growth
The number of enrollments and the increase in the size of the community of
interest in the region since the start of the Plan is plotted in Figure 3 (page 30).
During 2008, the region gained 1,649 new believers, including adult and youth
enrollments and child
February February February February registrations—about 6.6
2006 2007 2008 2009 times the number of
new believers in 2006.
“A” stage 6 8 21 33
The size of the commu-
“B” stage 16 19 15 11 nity of interest has in-
creased by 124 percent
“C★” stage 32 31 22 13
in 2008 as compared
“C” stage 82 60 60 60 to 2006, with a total of
“D” stage 0 2 2 2 3,341 in 2008. Figure
3 indicates a direct re-
Table 1: Stages of advancement during the lationship between the
size of the community
Five Year Plan

Riḍván 2009
28
of interest and the number of enrollments.

Qualitative analysis
In large part, the focus of the cluster agencies since their study of the September
30, 2007 message from the International Teaching Center has been on the “di-
mension missing from the framework for action”—that is, “direct, collective teach-
ing.” Learning to recognize receptivity and identifying receptive neighborhoods in
clusters with established intensive programs of growth became an integral part of
the work of the cluster agencies since December 2007. Training and mobilizing
the friends to present the fundamental verities of the Cause in a straightforward,
forthcoming manner has been crucial to the effectiveness of the expansion phase
of intensive programs of growth. Critical to the success of consolidation efforts has
been the formation and training of teaching teams that focus on assigned homes
in receptive neighborhoods for more than one cycle.

Stages of advancement in the Southwest Region as of 3/31/2009

‘A’-stage clusters
AI-03 (Fort Defiance, AZ/NM)
AZ-07 (East Valley, AZ)
AZ-09 (Scottsdale, AZ)
AZ-11 (Greater Tuscon, AZ)
AZ-13 (Phoenix, AZ)
AZ-21 (West Valley, AZ)
CA-NC03 (Alameda Co. S., CA)
CA-NC04 (Santa Clara Co. W.,
CA)
CA-NC05 (San Jose, CA)
CA-NC08 (East Bay, CA)
CA-NC09 (San Francisco / San
Mateo, CA)
CA-NC15 (Santa Cruz Co., CA)
CA-NC16 (Contra Costa Co.
E., CA)
CA-NI04 (Fresno, CA)
CA-NI10 (Sacramento, CA)
CA-NI12 (Yolo Co., CA)
CA-SE08 (Laguna Niguel, CA)
CA-SE09 (Mission Viejo, CA)
CA-SE13 (Escondido, CA)
CA-SE14 (San Diego Co. E., CA)
CA-SE15 (Oceanside, CA)
CA-SE18 (San Diego, CA)
CA-SE20 (Anaheim, CA)
CA-SE22 (Irvine, CA)
CA-SW01 (Los Angeles, CA)
CA-SW02 (Santa Monica, CA)
CA-SW06 (San Gabriel Valley,
CA)
CA-SW08 (Glendale, CA)
CA-SW17 (Thousand Oaks, CA)
CA-SW28 (Ventura, CA)
CA-SW31 (South Bay, CA)
CA-SW32 (Long Beach, CA)
NM-29 (Los Alamos/Santa Fe,
NM)
NM-32 (Albuquerque Metro,
NM)
NV-01 (Nevada N.)
NV-S01 (Nevada S.)
‘B’-stage clusters
AI-02 (Chinle Agency, AZ/NM)
CA-NC14 (Sonoma Co., CA)
CA-NC18 (Solano Co., CA)
CA-NC23 (Monterey Co., CA)
CA-NI07 (Stanislaus County, CA)
CA-SE01 (Upland, CA)
CA-SE19 (Newport Beach, CA)
CA-SW29 (Santa Clarita, CA)
‘★C’-stage clusters
AZ-18 (Pinal Co., AZ)
CA-NC07 (Marin Co., CA)
CA-NI09 (Stockton, CA)
CA-NI16 (Chico, CA)
CA-SE02 (Coachella Valley, CA)
CA-SE04 (San Bernardino, CA)
CA-SE06 (Riverside, CA)
CA-SE07 (Temecula, CA)
CA-SE23 (Fullerton, CA)
CA-SW10 (Claremont, CA)
CA-SW27 (San Luis Obispo
Co., CA)
CA-SW30 (Whittier, CA)
NM-02 (Las Cruces, NM)
 The pattern of scouting a receptive neighbor-
Figure 1: Development of human resources hood, training teachers to engage in a spiritual
8000 encounter as they visit people at their homes,
8,281
7,915
forming teaching teams, dispatching teams into
7000 Book 1
selected neighborhoods, returning for reflection,
6000 6,373
and organizing for revisits and consolidation is
now a well-tested strategy. This pattern is imple-
5000 5,748 5,682
mented not only in the context of intensive pro-
5,188 Book 2
4000 grams of growth, but also in priority clusters at
4,131
3,978 earlier stages of development. Opening receptive
3000 3,628
3,392 Book 3 neighborhoods in priority clusters has made it
2000 Book 7
2,710 possible for believers who have completed their
2,301 2,293
1,705
1,901 training courses to arise to serve.
1000 1,429
1,717 1,552
987 Complete sequence Rapid expansion in such clusters as Phoenix and
0 630
East Valley, Arizona; Los Angeles and San Diego,
2006 2007 2008 2009 California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Albuquerque,
New Mexico; and many others has helped the
friends recognize many opportunities for teach-
ing the Faith. However, most clusters reduced
Figure 2: Progress in the core activities declaration goals in order to balance expansion
900 871 and consolidation for sustained growth.
800
Summer youth projects were initiated in four
700 “A” clusters in 2008. The projects combined
636
Study circles elements of training and immediate deployment
600 560
into the teaching field. The participants were
500 562 563
433 Devotional gatherings trained as animators of junior youth groups and
400 467
effective members of teaching teams. Sizable
300 372
350
370 numbers of youth participants came not only
Childrens classes from the four project clusters, but also from sur-
200 248
237 rounding clusters. Most of the participants have
100 remained engaged in the intensive programs of
108 113
0 0 61 Junior youth groups growth and as animators of the junior youth
2006 2007 2008 2009 groups throughout the year. The youth projects
will continue in summer 2009. As learning is
accumulating, more clusters with established
intensive programs of growth will initiate such
Figure 3: Growth: enrollments and projects this summer.
3500 community of interest 3,341
The Southwest was invigorated by the Los An-
geles regional conference in December called by
3000 the Universal House of Justice. The conference
2500 raised a new wave of fresh recruits of human re-
sources, especially from among the friends who
2000 1,937
Community of interest have been trying to find their place in the Plan.

1500 1,494
1,642 Experience in the region has shown that utiliz-
ing resource persons is extremely effective in
1000 assisting clusters to intensify teaching efforts,
Enrollments mobilize resources, and multiply core activities
500 409 in neighborhoods.
249

0 Establishing homefront pioneers in receptive

2006 2007 2008 neighborhoods has proved an effective strategy
in developing deeper roots of the Faith in many

Riḍván 2009
30
communities. Homefront pioneers were settled in three receptive neighborhoods
during 2008.
Learning sites for expansion and consolidation were established in the Phoenix,
East Valley, and San Diego clusters for training newly appointed cluster agencies.
These sites were valuable in providing a vision of how an intensive program of
growth operates.
The Council, in collaboration with Counselor Farzin Aghdasi, continued to develop
Local Spiritual Assemblies in relation to the teaching work by providing daylong
training sessions. Assembly members were given the opportunity to study the re-
cent guidance interactively and to have their questions and concerns addressed by
the Counselor. An increasing number of Assemblies are realizing the thrilling op-
portunities open to them by utilizing the energies and talents of human resources
E xpansion continues
throughout the
consolidation phase,
in their communities. as teaching teams visit
The number of Assemblies and individuals contributing directly to the Regional seekers or new believers
Fund has increased significantly since the start of the Plan. To support accelerated at their homes and
expansion and consolidation in the coming year, the Council has set a goal of 15 have the opportunity
more Assemblies contributing to the Regional Fund in addition to their support of
the National Fund.
to teach their family,
friends, and neighbors.
The friends’ ceaseless labor in the teaching field has generated new insights that
are instrumental in accelerating the growth process in clusters at earlier stages of
development. Among these valuable lessons:
• Accurately identifying a receptive neighborhood is a critical factor for the suc-
cess of a direct, collective teaching project. Some signs of a receptive neighbor-
hood include many children playing outside, the presence of new immigrants,
and people acknowledging each other with friendly faces.
• Parents in all types of neighborhoods enthusiastically welcome Bahá’í children’s
classes and often prefer classes held more than once a week.
• Establishing strong bonds of friendship between teaching teams and families
is essential to the sustainability and multiplication of neighborhood children’s
classes.
• Expansion and consolidation are not two distinct phases. Expansion continues
throughout the consolidation phase, as teaching teams visit seekers or new
believers at their homes and have the opportunity to teach their family, friends,
and neighbors.
• When seekers or new believers learn they can be trained to serve their neighbor-
hood as children’s class teachers or animators, their response is enthusiastic and
immediate.
• Seekers and new believers often are prepared to attend study circles several
times during the week, limited only by the availability of tutors.
None of these accomplishments could have been possible without the loving col-
laboration between the two arms of the administrative order in the region and the
support and encouragement of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Regional Bahá’í Councils

31
Contents
External Affairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Treasury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Financial highlights Statement of financial position
Statement of activities Notes to financial statements
Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
National Teaching Office
Office of International Pioneering Office of Communications
WLGI-FM Radio Bahá’í
Community Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Office of Assembly Development Office of Community Administration
Persian-American Affairs Office
Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Office of Education and Schools Bosch Bahá’í School
Green Acre Bahá’í School Louhelen Bahá’í School
Native American Bahá’í Institute Wilmette Institute
Bahá’í House of Worship, Wilmette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
House of Worship Activities Office House of Worship Choir
Publishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Bahá’í Publishing Trust and Distribution Service
Bahá’í Media Services The American Bahá’í
Brilliant Star World Order
Research Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
National Bahá’í Archives Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project
Office of Review
Logistical Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Conventions Office Bahá’í Center Assistance
Bahá’í Service for the Blind Human Resources
Information Technology Meetings and Hospitality
Public Safety
Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Properties Bahá’í House of Worship Restoration
Affiliated Organizations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Association for Bahá’í Studies—North America
Association of Friends of Persian Culture Bahá’í Association for Mental Health
Bahá’í International Radio Service Health for Humanity
Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Annual Report of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace, University of Maryland
Membership of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Regional Bahá’í Councils
Membership of key consultative and directorial bodies
 External
Events in Iran during the past year called to mind the words of Shoghi Effendi,
written in August 1955:
Affairs
A crisis in the fortunes of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, of exceptional
severity, extensive in its ramifications, unpredictable in its imme-
diate consequences, directly involving the overwhelming majority
of His flowers in the land of His birth … has plunged the Bahá’í
world, whilst engaged in the prosecution of a world-wide spiritual
crusade, into intense sorrow and anxiety.
External affairs activities during 2008–09 were dominated by the arrests and im-
prisonments on May 14, 2008 of six members of the Yaran, the “Friends in Iran,”
the national ad hoc coordinating group for the Iranian Bahá’í community. The
Bahá’í world also learned that Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, the secretary of the Yaran, had
been arrested and imprisoned in March 2008. The attorney for the Yaran, Nobel
Laureate Ms. Shirin Ebadi, was not given access to her clients or to their files.
On February 11, 2009, the deputy prosecutor in Tehran announced these seven
Bahá’ís would go on trial for “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities

T
and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” During the following weeks, the he External Affairs staff
Prosecutor General of Iran announced that the Friends in Iran were guilty of all
charges and that they had confessed to their “crimes.” The United States and other
began again to work with
governments, the European Union, worldwide media, and the global Bahá’í com- U.S. government agencies on
munity rose to condemn the baseless charges and to call for a fair trial and for projects dealing with women’s
their release from prison. rights, human rights, and
A new president and change in the U.S. administration in January 2009 brought climate change on which the
many opportunities to work with new government officials, many of whom were office had been working for
already well-known to the Office of External Affairs. They had held government years, but which had not been
positions in the past and were familiar with Bahá’í positions on several issues. dealt with by the previous
The External Affairs staff began again to work with U.S. government agencies on
projects dealing with women’s rights, human rights, and climate change on which
administration.
the office had been working for years, but which had not been dealt with by the
previous administration.
Office of External Affairs staff continued to defend the Bahá’ís in Iran with gov-
ernment officials, including Congress, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
“think tanks,” and the media. The staff also worked on other human rights issues,
the advancement of women, sustainable development, and climate change, as well
as representing the U.S. Bahá’í community at the UN.
There were staff changes during the year. The Office of External Affairs was asked
to cut staff, as were several other offices of the National Spiritual Assembly, in
response to the National Bahá’í Fund’s budget shortfall. Three staff positions were
eliminated, including the communications manager and the refugee desk officer.
The administrative director and the representative for the advancement of women
went from working full-time to working half-time.

External Affairs
35
 Defense of the Bahá’ís
Diplomatic work in defense of the Bahá’ís in Iran and Arab countries
The past year witnessed significant developments in the situation of the Bahá’ís in
countries where they are persecuted. As the Universal House of Justice explained in
a letter dated March 6, 2009, “the heroic steadfastness of the Bahá’ís in the Cradle
of the Faith has released mighty spiritual forces into the world.”
The National Spiritual Assembly’s representatives carried out the directives of the
Universal House of Justice in defense of the Bahá’ís in Iran, Egypt, and Yemen.

T he United Nations
General Assembly
adopted its 21st reso-
They worked closely with the White House, the Department of State, Congress, and
the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to keep the U.S. govern-
ment informed about the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran, where they suffered
lution on the human persecution.
rights situation in the The representatives also worked with NGOs, think tank experts, and the media
Islamic Republic of Iran leading to statements, media coverage, and other responses in support of the
in December 2008. In human rights of the Bahá’ís in Iran, Egypt, and Yemen, as well as for all religious
coordination with the minorities in Iran.
government of Canada, Iran
which introduced the Throughout the year, the Iranian government escalated its anti-Bahá’í rhetoric and
resolution, the U.S. activities implementing the official policies outlined in the 1991 Supreme Revolu-
government played a tionary Cultural Council document on “the Bahá’í question,” intended to serve as a
critical role in ensuring blueprint for the eradication of the Iranian Bahá’í community. A detailed summary
successful passage of of events, with governments’ and media responses to the Iranian government’s ac-
tions, may be found at http://iran.bahai.us.
the resolution.
Selected R esponses to the P ersecution by the UN, the U.S. Government and
Congress. The United Nations General Assembly adopted its 21st resolution on
the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran in December 2008.
In coordination with the government of Canada, which introduced the resolu-
tion, the U.S. government played a critical role in ensuring successful passage of
the resolution. The director of external affairs, Ms. Kit Bigelow, and the human
rights officer, Mr. Shastri Purushotma, participated in several meetings at the
State Department focused on coordinating strategies to ensure the passage of
the UN resolution on Iran.
The State Department released its 2008 International Religious Freedom and
Human Rights Reports on Iran, which provided a comprehensive overview of the
treatment of the Bahá’í community. Persecution of the Bahá’ís in Egypt and Ye-
men were also described in the State Department’s report, which is available at:
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/index.htm
U.S. Government Statements. The U.S. Government issued three statements
about the jailed leaders in Iran. The U.S. State Department condemned the Ira-
nian government for the arrests of the Bahá’í ad hoc leadership group in Iran on
May 15, 2008.
The White House National Security Council spokesman made a statement on
June 14, 2008 about the imprisoned national Bahá’í leaders in Iran: “The Iranian
regime’s human rights record is shameful. A month ago today, the regime arrested
six Bahá’í leaders solely on the grounds of their religion. They should be released
immediately. Iran should uphold the basic human right to practice religion and
should end its persecution of the Bahá’í community.”

Riḍván 2009
36
The State Department then issued a statement on February 13, 2009, “Persecu-
tion of Religious Minorities in Iran,” which “condemns the Iranian government’s
decision to level baseless charges of espionage against seven leaders of the
Iranian Bahá’í community.” The statement also said: “We join the international
community in urging the authorities to release all religious minorities who are
currently in detention for peacefully exercising their human rights and fundamen-
tal freedoms.”
U.S. Commission on I nternational R eligious Freedom Statements. The U.S. Com-
mission on International Religious Freedom called for strong international con-
demnation of the arrest of Bahá’í leaders in Iran on May 15, 2008.
It released a statement on September 17, expressing its “serious concern” regard-
ing possible Iranian parliamentary legislation of a penal code which could call for
N ews of the arrests
of seven Bahá’í
leaders in 2008 re-
the death penalty for acts of “apostasy” from Islam. sulted in substantial
The commission then wrote an open letter on September 19 to several organiza- media coverage on the
tions taking part in a “dialogue” with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad situation of the Bahá’ís
on “the significance of religious contributions to peace.” The letter mentioned the in Iran. Media coverage
persecution of Bahá’ís among numerous other human rights violations committed spiked again after the
by the Iranian government.
February 2009 an-
Regarding the trial of the Iranian Bahá’í leaders, the U.S. Commission made a nouncement by Teh-
statement on February 13, 2009, expressing its serious concern and labeling the ran’s deputy prosecutor
Iranian government’s accusations against them “contrived.”
of a possible trial.
Congressional R esolutions. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res.
1008 on August 1, the 10th Congressional resolution condemning the persecu-
tion of the Bahá’ís in Iran. H. Res. 1008 had been introduced by Representatives
Mark Kirk and Robert Andrews.
Representative Kirk also introduced H. Res. 175 in February 2009, “condemning
the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá’í minority
and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”  
Senator Ron Wyden introduced a concurrent Senate resolution, S. Res. 71, in
March 2009. The Senate version had similar language to H. Res. 175.
M edia R elations: I ran. News of the arrests of seven Bahá’í leaders in 2008
resulted in substantial media coverage on the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran.
Media coverage spiked again after the February 2009 announcement by Tehran’s
deputy prosecutor of a possible trial. News of the arrests and trial was covered
by CNN.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington
Times, World Focus on PBS, and other national media. External Affairs’ media
relations officer worked with these national outlets, sharing news of develop-
ments in Iran with key journalists, editors, and producers who cover Iran and
human rights issues. Media coverage on the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran
was available at http://iran.bahai.us.
Ms. Bigelow visited the studios of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague in
December, taping an interview on the Bahá’í situation in Iran that was later broad-
cast into Iran. She also gave presentations on external affairs and on the persecu-
tion of the Bahá’ís in Iran and Egypt at the annual Changing Times conference in
the Czech Republic.
Nongovernmental Organizations’ Support for I ranian Bahá’ís. The National Spiri-
tual Assembly worked with several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and
kept them informed about the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

External Affairs
37
 The Institute for Religion and Public Policy issued a statement condemning
the Iranian government on the charges and trial of the seven Bahá’í national
leaders in Iran. The President of the Institute said, “The charges, particularly
of espionage, are absurd.” Freedom House issued a strongly worded statement
condemning the Iranian government’s persecution of the Bahá’ís. The Simon
Wiesenthal Center condemned the “delusional” Iranian persecution of the Bahá’í
community.
Denial of H igher Education I nitiative. The campaign to draw attention to the
denial of access to higher education for Iranian Bahá’í students continued during

T he National Spiri-
tual Assembly
contacted all Bahá’í
the year. The National Spiritual Assembly contacted all Bahá’í Campus Asso-
ciations and university faculty who are Bahá’ís asking them to urge action by
their fellow students, faculty, and university administrators on behalf of Iranian
Bahá’ís who have been denied access to higher education since 1980. Actions
Campus Associations
taken included resolutions, public meetings, and letters to Iranian officials writ-
and university faculty ten by university presidents.
who are Bahá’ís asking
The National Assembly also sponsored an online video contest to encourage the
them to urge action by
production of short videos to draw attention to the denial of access to higher
their fellow students, education for Iranian Bahá’í students.
faculty, and univer-
sity administrators Egypt
on behalf of Iranian The Egyptian government continued to delay implementation of a January 2008
Bahá’ís who have been court verdict which granted Bahá’í plaintiffs in two separate cases the right to
receive their identification documents. All appeals were denied by the Supreme Ad-
denied access to higher ministrative Court in March 2009, clearing the way for eventual implementation of
education since 1980. the verdict. The National Assembly’s diplomatic representatives continued to work
Actions taken included with several government agencies and offices on the issue.
resolutions, public A Congressional resolution, H. Res. 200, was introduced by Representative Frank
meetings, and letters to Wolf, “calling on the Egyptian Government to respect human rights and freedoms
Iranian officials writ- of religion and expression in Egypt.” The resolution mentioned the situation of the
ten by university presi- Bahá’ís in Egypt and called for “a repeal of the 1960 presidential decree banning
dents. members of the Bahá’í community from practicing their faith.”

Yemen
After learning about the imprisonment and possible deportation of several Bahá’ís
in Yemen during the summer of 2008, representatives of the office worked with
the U.S. government to prevent the deportation to Iran of three long-term Bahá’í
pioneer families.

Diplomatic seminars and consultations

Through the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) UN Offices, the Office of Ex-
ternal Affairs continued to assist building the capacity of other National Spiritual
Assemblies’ external affairs officers. Ms. Bigelow assisted with diplomatic training
in the Pacific region in Fiji in June 2008.
In August, Mr. Kenneth E. Bowers, Secretary-General of the National Spiritual As-
sembly, Ms. Bigelow, and External Affairs’ human rights officer attended the 13th
annual diplomatic seminar in Europe, where Ms. Bigelow provided workshops to
the more than 70 participants from Europe, North America, Brazil, India, Australia,
and New Zealand.
Mr. Bowers and Ms. Bigelow attended the 13th annual consultations on external
affairs at the Bahá’í World Center in January 2009.

Riḍván 2009
38
Refugee desk
During 2008–09, the Office of External Affairs continued to strengthen relation-
ships among NGOs and U.S. government agencies that resettled Bahá’í refugees,
such as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Hebrew Immi-
grant Aid Society (HIAS), the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC),
and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Although the National
Assembly did not assist Bahá’í refugees with resettlement, it maintained a strong
working relationship with these organizations and agencies to ensure that Bahá’í
refugees were treated justly and in accordance with applicable legal standards.
The office also participated with several leading NGOs and like-minded organiza-
tions, including Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, Amnesty International,
the International Rescue Committee, and others in a variety of initiatives and proj-
T he National Spiri-
tual Assembly
joined two important
ects aimed at protecting and enhancing the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. human rights coali-
tions during the year:
General media relations
the Coalition to De-
The Office of External Affairs’ media relations officer, Ms. Kathleen Holmlund, was fend Free Speech and
vice-chair of the D.C. chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC), and
the National Religious
a part of the organizing committee for the national convention of the RCC held
in April 2008. She attended the Religion Newswriters Association Conference in Campaign Against
September and continued to strengthen relationships with national religion report- Torture.
ers throughout the year. In collaboration with the Office of Communications, she
assisted local public information officers and Local Spiritual Assemblies in their
efforts to gain media coverage on external affairs subjects.

Communications
As part of the National Spiritual Assembly’s Secretariat, the Office of External Af-
fairs provided guidance to Local Spiritual Assemblies and individuals on matters
related to external affairs, such as participation in political activities and vot-
ing; interfaith activity participation; Middle East issues; contacting government
officials, national organizations, and the media; involvement with the UN; and
responding to the National Assembly’s call to support the Bahá’ís in Iran.

Human rights
The 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
was on December 10, 2008. During the year, representatives of the office attended
a number of conferences in observance of the anniversary, including the UN De-
partment of Public Information/NGO (DPI/NGO) conference in Paris.
Several staff members attended the annual human rights luncheon on December
10 on Capitol Hill sponsored by the UN Association’s National Capital chapter. Ms.
Bigelow was asked to give the invocation.
The American Bar Association invited Ms. Bigelow to represent the Bahá’í Faith at
the opening forum in July of the World Justice Project in Vienna, Austria. It was
attended by more than 400 people worldwide from several disciplines to discuss
the rule of law and to design related projects.
The National Spiritual Assembly joined two important human rights coalitions dur-
ing the year. The Coalition to Defend Free Speech, chaired by the American Jewish
Congress, addressed the issue of defamation of religion and spoke out on relevant
resolutions passed at the UN. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture
worked with the U.S. government on the moral and legal consequences of torture.

External Affairs
39
 Religious freedom
The past year was the 10th anniversary of the passage by Congress of the Interna-
tional Religious Freedom Act. Representatives of the office attended several events
to commemorate this anniversary, including a conference at Georgetown University
entitled “The Future of U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy: Recommenda-
tions for the Next Administration” and an event held at the Library of Congress
hosted by the Congressional Human Rights Caucus Task Force for International
Religious Freedom entitled “Promoting Religious Freedom in Our Post-9/11
World.” The Bahá’ís in Iran were prominently mentioned at the conferences ob-

T he National Spiri-
tual Assembly’s
Secretary-General was
serving the anniversary of this legislation.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

Mr. Jeffery Huffines, the National Spiritual Assembly’s UN representative, contin-
among a small group of ued to serve on the American NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court
religious leaders invited (AMICC). As co-chair of the Faith & Ethics Network for the ICC, he represented the
to attend the White BIC at the annual meeting of the board of directors of the ICC Trust Fund for Vic-
House arrival ceremony tims and at the annual session of the ICC Assembly of States Parties at The Hague.
honoring His Holiness At the UN Commission on Social Development, in collaboration with the BIC UN
Pope Benedict XVI in Office, the Faith & Ethics Network and the Committee of Religious NGOs at the
April 2008. UN organized a seminar on the role of religion in transitional justice that included
Mr. Huffines and the executive director of the ICC Trust Fund for Victims as panel-
ists.
Representatives of the Office of External Affairs continued to participate in the ICC
Task Force, based in Washington, D.C.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Office of External Affairs continued its involvement in the Campaign for U.S.
Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a broad-based
coalition of child rights, religious, academic, and legal organizations. The office
hosted the meetings of the campaign and assisted with various events and activi-
ties to educate the public and lawmakers on the CRC and move ratification efforts
forward toward eventual adoption by the U.S. government.

Interfaith
National Spiritual Assembly Secretary-General Kenneth E. Bowers was among a
small group of religious leaders invited to attend the White House arrival ceremony
honoring His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in April 2008. Ms. Bigelow accompanied
Mr. Bowers.
On behalf of the National Assembly, Ms. Bigelow attended the Presidential Inau-
gural Prayer Service at the National Cathedral in January 2009.

United Nations
As chair of the NGO/DPI Executive Committee, Mr. Huffines helped organize and
spoke at the 61st annual UN DPI/NGO conference, “Human Rights for All: The
Universal Declaration at 60.” The conference was held outside of New York for
the first time at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. He also helped organize there
a preparatory seminar on NGOs and entrepreneurship, as well as a human rights
village and conference reception at the City Hall of Paris. In recognition for his
work, Mr. Huffines received the “2008 Friendship Award” hosted by the Friendship
Ambassadors Foundation at the UN.

Riḍván 2009
40
Mr. Huffines represented the DPI/NGO executive committee on a UN mission
hosted by the Foreign Ministry of Mexico, which agreed to host the 2009 DPI/NGO
conference on the theme of disarmament.
He also spoke at a national conference in Taiwan, where he had a private audience
with the Taiwanese President.
Mr. Carl Murrell, the National Assembly’s alternate representative to the UN, served
on the NGO planning committee for the 53rd UN Commission on the Status of
Women in March 2009, as well as on its violence against women subcommittee,
where he participated in programs throughout the year that promoted awareness
of violence against women in partnership with other UN agencies.
Mr. Murrell completed 15 years of service as co-chair of the UN Values Caucus,
B ahá’ís were part of
a coalition of more
than 50 organizations
which hosted regular meetings and off-the-record coffees for UN ambassadors. He
also completed his term as vice-chair of United Nations Association (UNA)-USA focused on legislation
New York Council of Organizations now that UNA-USA has merged the New York to eliminate interna-
and Washington Councils into one body. tional gender-based
The U.S. UN office also collaborated with the National Spiritual Assembly’s Educa- violence.
tion and Schools Office to encourage Bahá’í community participation in the an-
nual “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” program that this year included materials on the
right to education.

Women’s issues
The National Spiritual Assembly continued its more than two decades of involvement
in promoting U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The Office of External Affairs representa-
tive for the advancement of women, Ms. Gleibys Buchanan, served on the CEDAW
Working Group Steering Committee. Bahá’ís were part of a coalition of more than 50
organizations focused on legislation to eliminate international gender-based violence.
The Office of External Affairs also promoted the full participation of women in
international development assistance programs, with particular focus on the Mil-
lennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government entity that provided
funding to developing countries based on their ability to rule justly, invest in their
people, and encourage economic freedom.
Bahá’ís also continued involvement with the Women, Faith and Development
Alliance (WFDA), launched at the April 2008 “Breakthrough Summit,” which was
attended by Mrs. Juana Conrad, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Spiritual
Assembly; Ms. Fulya Vekiloglu, representative of the BIC; and Ms. Bigelow. The
WFDA joined together international religious women’s networks with international
development organizations to advocate for setting women’s empowerment as a
key priority for investment in development.
The National Spiritual Assembly also continued support of programs addressing
issues of domestic violence. Ms. Buchanan regularly attended meetings of the
Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition, a network of national faith-based orga-
nizations working together to support national legislation aimed at supporting
domestic violence survivors.
Ms. Bigelow completed her third term as co-chair of the Women in International
Law Interest Group (WILIG) of the American Society of International Law (ASIL)
and continued to serve on its steering committee. She chaired the annual WILIG
luncheon and introduced Judge Graciela Dixon of Panama at the April 2008 ASIL
annual meeting.

External Affairs
41
 Ms. Bigelow also attended the State Department’s Women of Courage Award cer-
emony in March 2009 at which the First Lady and the Secretary of State honored
seven women from around the world.

Sustainable development
Mr. Peter Adriance, the NGO liaison, continued to work with other organizations
on a broad range of issues related to sustainable development.
In May 2008, he co-led the delegation of the BIC to the 16th meeting of the UN
Commission on Sustainable Development, where he helped plan a side-event on

T he National Spiri-
tual Assembly’s
NGO liaison attended
the ethical dimensions of climate change. He also helped arrange a reception on
“urban-rural” linkages and sustainable food systems, held at the BIC UN Office,
attended by nearly 100 international, national, and local leaders.
the 14th Conference of At the invitation of Berkshire Publishing, he arranged for an article on “Sustain-
the Parties to the UN ability and the Bahá’í Faith” to be included in one of nine volumes comprising the
Framework Convention “Encyclopedia of Sustainability.”
on Climate Change in Mr. Adriance attended the 14th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework
Poznan, Poland, where Convention on Climate Change in Poznan, Poland, where he spoke on a panel
he spoke on a panel on on the ethical dimensions of climate change. In connection with this event, he
co-authored an essay, “Summoning the Courage: Arising to the Ethical Challenge
the ethical dimensions of Climate Change,” which was published on climateethics.org, listed by Time
of climate change. magazine and CNN as one of the “top 15 ‘green’ websites.”
He helped organize and facilitate a pre-conference seminar on the challenges and
opportunities related to sustainable development in a changing world at the Bahá’í
Conference on Social and Economic Development in Orlando, Florida. He also
organized and moderated a half-day plenary session on climate change, and co-
facilitated a workshop based on the outcomes of the pre-conference seminar.
Mr. Adriance also participated in a week-long Intergovernmental Preparatory
Meeting at the UN for the 17th meeting of the Commission on Sustainable De-
velopment, on the themes of agriculture, rural development, land, desertification,
drought and Africa.
He continued to serve as secretary of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sus-
tainable Development and co-chair of its Faith Sector team.

Riḍván 2009
42
External Affairs
43
As the year 2008–09 hastens to a close, we pause as a community to reflect on the
distance we have traveled and the lessons we can gain from the journey. Though it
Treasury
was a year filled with strenuous tests, unprecedented challenges, and occasional set- 50 ���Financial highlights
backs, it was also a year that presented abundant opportunities for learning and—es-
pecially—for deeply enriching and soul-satisfying victories. If such tests and challenges 51 ���Statement of financial
represent potential growth, we can surely anticipate unparalleled development ahead. position

The Universal House of Justice has expressed “heartfelt gratitude and admiration 52 ���Statement of activities
for the sacrificial manner in which they [the American believers] support the vari- 53 ���Notes to financial statements
ous funds—local, national, continental and international—to which they contribute
substantially in fat or lean times.”
After absorbing a $3 million shortfall from the previous year, the National Spiri-
tual Assembly, alert to the impending economic recession in the world, took major
cost-cutting and cost-containment decisions in the autumn of the year. These
actions were applied only to National Center operations. Budgets supporting the
teaching work on the regional level were spared, thereby supporting progress to-
ward achievement of the number of intensive programs of growth to be launched
by Riḍván 2009. These steps were taken in stages and with great care, reducing
the burden placed on the National Fund during this unpredictable period.
Contributions to the National Fund, notwithstanding the turmoil surrounding us,
were truly remarkable.
T he National Spiritual As-
sembly, alert to the im-
pending economic recession in
This year we witnessed a 22 percent increase in the number of contributors over the world, took major cost-
the previous year, a 4.5 percent increase in believers using the Automatic Contribu- cutting and cost-containment
tion System, and a 37 percent increase in believers sending traditional checks. decisions in the autumn of the
Mention must also be made of the enormous contributions-in-kind of goods and, year. These actions were ap-
especially, services given by individuals and Bahá’í-owned organizations—making plied only to National Center
possible innovations impossible to budget. operations. Budgets support-
We are grateful and celebrate all these acts of generosity. These signs demonstrate ing the teaching work on the
significant progress toward greater participation and direct support for the Na- regional level were spared.
tional Fund from across the nation.
Measured progress was charted in the support of special funds as well:
• Chilean Temple Initiative   $874,944
• Bahá’í House of Worship Visitors’ Center $586,300
• Kingdom Project / Temple Restoration   $40,926
As this report is being written, a month before the close of the fiscal year 2008–
09, contributions supporting the $25 million goal for the year total $19.8 million,
creating a $5.2 million shortfall. Yet, even when, in the larger society, doom is
predicted everywhere, the spirit within our ranks is optimistic, nay even resilient. In
spite of, and perhaps because of, the tests heroically faced by our fellow-believers
in Iran, we stand firm in faith, press forward with our mission, and support our

Treasury
45
 efforts financially to the best of our ability. “The worse world conditions become,
the more acute the need for such devoted acts of generosity.”  The flow of con-
tributions continues from far-flung places across the land where the dearly loved
believers are calling out, “We are the people of Bahá!” 
We pray each of you will be visited with “a destined recompense and sure reward!”

Fund development and education

“A corollary to the sacred obligation of the friends to contribute to the
Funds of the Faith, is the direct and unavoidable responsibility of each

I n spite of, and per-

haps because of, the
tests heroically faced
Local and National Assembly to educate them in the spiritual prin-
ciples related to Bahá’í contributions. Failure to educate the friends in
this aspect of the Faith is tantamount to consciously depriving them
by our fellow-believers of the spiritual benefits accruing from giving in the path of God.”
—Universal House of Justice
in Iran, we stand firm
in faith, press forward The Eighth Annual National Treasurers Forum:
with our mission, and “Sustaining Growth and Assuring its Spiritual and Material Needs”
support our efforts fi- The annual National Treasurers Forum was held in 2008 on the beautiful grounds
nancially to the best of of Louhelen Bahá’í School in Davison, Michigan. This year’s Forum was inspired
by the material realities of sustaining the unprecedented advancements in our
our ability. community as a result of service to the Five Year Plan and the vision of achieving
all of its goals. Each workshop derived its inspiration directly from statements and
quotes from the Riḍván 2008 message from the Universal House of Justice. Vol-
unteer facilitators, composed of a diverse and experienced panel of local treasurers
and their assistants, brought to the gathering forward and “outward-oriented”
thinking; learnings and explorations into the relationship between systematic
teaching, expansion, and consolidation; and fund education and development at
the local, cluster, and regional levels.
Forum participants experienced an elevating opportunity to spend the weekend
engaged in workshops, plenary sessions, and consultations alongside treasurers
from our Regional Bahá’í Councils, staff members from the Office of the Treasurer,
national Treasurer Dr. William Roberts, and special guests Counselor Alison Milston
and Mr. Douglas Henck, Chief Financial Officer at the Bahá’í World Center.
Other highlights included: a technology- and Internet-based workshop, which
encouraged and ensured that every attendant was “logged on” and comfortably
using the Internet as a resource and communication tool for their service to the
work; panel and Q&A discussions with our national Treasurer, Ms. Milston, and
Mr. Henck; and a plenary presentation by the National Spiritual Assembly’s Chief
Financial Officer Soheil Soheil, who also gave a seminar on Fund education and
development despite local and global economic challenges.

Resources
“The Bahá’ís should not always be the last to take up new and
obviously excellent methods, but rather the first, as this agrees
with the dynamic nature of the Faith which is not only progres-
sive, but holds within itself the seeds of an entirely new culture
and civilization.”
—on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
The FUNDcast Series. This year saw the launch of the Office of the Treasurer’s
FUNDcast video and audio podcast series. Every Monday, the Office of the
Treasurer distributes to the American Bahá’í community the latest online episode

Riḍván 2009
46
of the FUNDcast series. Each audio podcast offers information that helps our
community better align its spiritual and material resources with the challenges
and requirements of service as members of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and explains
how our contributions ensure the growth of the Faith and the work of the cur-
rent Plan. Video podcasts feature intimate conversations with Bahá’ís from all
walks of life on how they see their role as contributors to the Funds of the Faith
and how our collective efforts support the establishment of the Kingdom of God
on Earth.
The Treasurers C afé. The Treasurers Café, grown out of a discussion at the Na-
tional Treasurers Forum in 2007, now has over 400 members who engage weekly
in forum discussions and the sharing of resources. New members are joining
every day! The Café has revolutionized the manner in which local treasurers
T he Treasurers Café,
grown out of a dis-
cussion at the National
gather and share information and ideas, and continues to evolve as we meet the
demands of a changing, growing, learning, and advancing community. Treasurers Forum in
2007, now has over
The site has become a stable community for treasurers nationwide to participate in
forums on a number of topics such as Feast reports, audits, Bahá’í centers, invest- 400 members who
ments, planned giving, “in honor/in memory of” contributions, the Five Year Plan, engage weekly in forum
and Fund education. discussions and the
Weekly Fund updates are provided in this network, as well as the opportunity sharing of resources.
to receive text message updates, watch and download Fund-related videos and
FUNDcasts, and stay connected with the latest calendar of events.
Members of Local Spiritual Assemblies and treasurers and secretaries of registered
groups can become members of the Café: http://treasurerscafe.bahaitreasurer.us
The Bahá’í Treasurers Bulletin. Now in its seventh year in production, the Bahá’í
Treasurers Bulletin (BTB) is distributed every Bahá’í month and is designed to
build a bridge of communication between the Office of the Treasurer at the
Bahá’í National Center and local treasurers. The BTB continues to offer treasur-
ers of Local Spiritual Assemblies and registered groups monthly updates on the
National Fund, the Kingdom Project, the Temple Visitors’ Center, and the Chilean
Temple Initiative, along with articles on treasury resource management, Fund
education and development, and Fund-related activities for children and junior
youth.

Campaigns
“… [W]e must will to build it and then proceed with the construc-
tion.”
—‘Abdu’l-Bahá
K ingdom P roject. Work on the Mother Temple of the West continued with the
unyielding and generous support of the American Bahá’í community, bringing
completion of its restoration ever closer despite a year of complex and unfore-
seen challenges.
The renovation entered a significant phase this year, requiring the temporary closing
of the existing Visitors’ Center and three gardens in order to allow for the construc-
tion of the new reflecting pool and the reconstruction of the House of Worship’s
main entrance off Linden Avenue. The project also involved replacement of the
stairs and landings of the entryway, which were in an advanced state of deteriora-
tion. Other developments included the installation of beautiful new stainless steel
railings and a concrete retaining wall on Sheridan Road. The retaining wall, built by
the Village of Wilmette in conjunction with the renovation of scenic Sheridan Road,
was specifically designed to harmonize with the look and feel of the Temple.

Treasury
47
 Global economic conditions and inflation in construction costs were some of the
unexpected challenges, while others were literally uncovered during the restora-
tion work. Along with consequent delays and price increases, these challenges
forced a 25 percent increase in expenses to the $25 million projected at the start
of the project. The most significant of these challenges was the discovery of two
16,000-gallon tanks of oil beneath one of the gardens—part of the Temple’s old
heating system. It was found that one of the tanks had leaked its contents, which
required the removal of four semi-sized truckloads of contaminated soil from the
premises, a task costing over $300,000 alone. The discovery conclusively an-
swered a decades-old mystery as to why the garden above the contaminated area

S ince the last Annu-

al Report over $1
million has been con-
had never achieved a full and expected brilliance. This spring, with the reopen-
ing of the main entrance and the new reflecting pool, visitors will experience the
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár’s magnificent gardens and grounds in radiant bloom, enhancing
tributed to the Chilean its spiritual effect and inviting the diverse peoples of the world to mention of the
Name of God.
Temple Fund through
direct contributions, the Visitors’ Center. Nearly $6.2 million has been contributed toward the $6.5 mil-
lion goal for the new Visitors’ Center! With only $300,000 left to go, the Bahá’í
Automatic Contribution
community is well within reach of another momentous achievement. Designs and
System, pledges, and plans have been prepared and approved, and arrangements for its construction
“in honor” contribu- are under way. Plans for the Visitors’ Center, which will provide a reverent and
tions. befitting welcome to the holiest House of Worship, continue to receive praise
from members of the surrounding community, from village officials to residents,
Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike.
Chilean Temple I nitiative. The American Bahá’í community has, to date, contrib-
uted $12.7 million to the construction of the Mother Temple of South America.
It has passionately answered the call of the National Spiritual Assembly to
contribute the “lion’s share” of the $27 million projected cost of the last of the
continental Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs. Since the last Annual Report over $1 million has
been contributed to the Chilean Temple Fund through direct contributions, the
Automatic Contribution System, pledges, and “in honor” contributions.

Young Believers Programs

“It is essential that, from an early age, they learn to shoulder their
responsibilities, including their sacred duty to contribute gener-
ously to the funds of the Faith.”
—Universal House of Justice
The Liang’s Adventures activity booklet, mailed quarterly to registered Bahá’í
children ages 4–9, continues to provide education in the important relationships
between giving to the Funds, spiritual progress, and the Five Year Plan. In an ef-
fort to embrace and welcome a larger audience, the Office of the Treasurer also
began translating the feature story of the booklet into Spanish.
The Arise ’zine, mailed to young Bahá’ís ages 10–14, creates connections between
junior youth and the goals of the Funds and the Five Year Plan. The themes of the
publication engage and encourage junior youth to stay involved in establishing
and upholding Bahá’í principles and foster their spiritual development.
The FUNDamentals quarterly e-zine for young adults draws thousands of read-
ers from around the world. Themes explored during 2008–09 include the spiritual
and financial aspects of marriage; the relationship between happiness, money, and
contributing to the Funds; and budgeting to meet one’s spiritual and material
goals. A significant development this year was the use of a multimedia approach to
engage readers in learning about the Funds, the Five Year Plan, and the spiritual

Riḍván 2009
48
and material elements of money management. Multimedia presentations included
a slideshow about budgeting that incorporated selections from the Bahá’í writings,
a devotional slide show about the relationship between teaching and contributing
to the Funds, and a FUNDcast video featuring Counselor Alison Milston.

Volunteers
The Office of the Treasurer is blessed to have nearly two dozen volunteers who of-
fer their services regularly and lovingly. A number of publications and programs—
including Liang’s Adventures, Arise, FUNDamentals, and the FUNDcast series—
rely heavily on the precious work of volunteers whose talents range from graphic
design to writing and creative consultation. The Office of the Treasurer offers its
deep and enduring appreciation to these generous souls. A significant devel-
opment this year
was the use of a multi-
Financial Advisors media approach to en-
We offer our gratitude and respect to this team of selfless advisors who offer their gage readers in learn-
continuing advice, aiding the National Spiritual Assembly to steady its sails in ing about the Funds,
stormy financial weather such as that presently being experienced by the world.
the Five Year Plan, and
Each, with his or her own expertise, stands ready to provide counsel and assist in
the safeguarding of the financial resources of the Faith. the spiritual and mate-
rial elements of money
management.
With loving gratitude,

Dr. William Roberts

Treasurer

Treasury
49
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States
Financial highlights • February 29, 2009 (unaudited), April 30, 2008, and April 30, 2007

February 29,
Unrestricted and restricted contributions received 2009 April 30, 2008 April 30, 2007
by the National Spiritual Assembly unaudited actual actual

Unrestricted contributions $20,139,512 $26,338,465 $35,699,090

Restricted for the Kingdom Project 582,156 3,325,553 1,270,395
Restricted for the International Funds 320,685 783,762 831,013
Restricted for other Funds 357,359 2,899,497 2,802,711

Total contributions received $21,399,712 $33,347,277 $40,603,209

Contributions to other funds

International Funds $2,013,768 $2,616,915 $1,541,053

Expenses incurred on behalf of the International Fund 3,637,961 1,895,005 1,748,346
Continental Fund 195,074 218,360 260,804
Chile Temple 910,216 2,903,737 8,382,131
Other Bahá’í Funds and Deputization 59,855 82,929 50,082

Total contributions to other Funds $6,816,874 $7,716,946 $11,982,416

Kingdom Project, capital expenditures and depreciation

Kingdom Project expenditures $3,186,895 $4,948,198 $3,285,173
Other capital expenditures $1,893,257 $2,464,906 $3,161,581
Depreciation $3,218,996 $3,499,643 $2,973,229

Total unrestricted revenues $23,282,605 $36,246,031 $45,358,594

Total expenses $29,152,746 $36,992,962 $38,366,866

Net assets $41,508,800 $48,510,475 $52,412,870

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States
Combining and combined statements of financial position • February 28, 2009 (unaudited), and April 30, 2008

Combined total
National Publishing February 2009 April 2008
Assets Bahá’í Fund Trust unaudited actual
Current assets
Cash and investments $8,366,552 $62,865 $8,429,417 $13,819,602
Due (to)/from other Funds 6,544,126 (6,544,126) 0 0
Accounts and notes receivable 247,571 188,256 435,827 453,911
Inventories 383,378 320,364 703,742 776,817
Other current assets 459,229 17,777 477,006 510,068

Total current assets $16,000,856 ($5,954,864) $10,045,992 $15,560,398

Property and equipment net of

accumulated depreciation $40,992,301 $211,896 $41,204,197 $39,343,041
Investments 4,454,510 0 4,454,510 6,286,657
Endowed investments and other assets 3,937,307 0 3,937,307 4,767,633

Total assets $65,384,974 ($5,742,968) $59,642,006 $65,957,729

Liabilities and net assets

Liabilities
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and
accrued liabilities $1,086,202 $216,300 $1,302,502 $1,903,836
Demand notes and
current maturities of long term debt 9,391,585 0 9,391,585 9,183,633
Deferred revenues and
current portion of gift annuities 484,606 0 484,606 484,652

Total current liabilities $10,962,393 $216,300 $11,178,693 $11,572,121

Long term debt $2,193,964 $0 $2,193,964 1,102,420

Gift annuities long term portion 3,105,067 0 3,105,067 3,117,796
Other long term liabilities 1,655,482 0 1,655,482 1,654,917

Total liabilities $17,916,906 $216,300 $18,133,206 $17,447,254

Net assets
Unrestricted $33,355,021 ($5,959,268) $27,395,753 $33,355,894
Temporarily restricted 10,091,793 0 10,091,793 11,113,327
Permanently restricted 4,021,254 0 4,021,254 4,021,254

Total net assets $47,468,068 ($5,959,268) $41,508,800 $48,510,475

Total liabilities and net assets $65,384,974 ($5,742,968) $59,642,006 $69,957,729

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States
Combining and combined statements of activities • February 28, 2009 (unaudited), and April 30, 2008

Combined total
National Publishing February 2009 April 2008
Changes in unrestricted net assets Bahá’í Fund Trust unaudited actual
Unrestricted net assets
Contributions $20,139,512 $0 $20,139,512 $26,338,465
Contributed property 3,011 0 3,011 1,987
Estate bequests 1,486,104 0 1,486,104 980,219
Bahá’í school tuition 789,027 0 789,027 1,015,020
Sale of books and materials 247,496 836,705 1,084,201 1,868,194
Investment and other income 416,997 119,604 536,601 1,062,623
Investment gain (loss) (2,722,561) 0 (2,722,561) (247,997)
Assets released from restriction 1,966,710 0 1,966,710 5,227,520

Total unrestricted revenues $22,326,296 $956,309 $23,282,605 $36,246,031

Expenses
Contributions to International Funds $3,178,913 $0 $3,178,913 $5,821,941
Education and teaching activities 7,911,596 0 7,911,596 8,097,744
Properties operations and maintenance 3,976,930 0 3,976,930 4,463,493
Cost of books and special materials 479,079 484,407 963,486 1,123,750
General administration 12,165,611 956,210 13,121,821 16,201,055
Change in defined benefit plan 1 0 0 0 1,284,979

Total expenses $27,712,296 $1,440,617 $29,152,746 $36,992,962

Other changes in unrestricted net assets $0 $0 $0 (610,552)

Increase/(decrease) in unrestricted net assets ($5,385,833) ($484,308) ($5,870,141) ($1,357,483)

Changes in temporarily restricted net assets

Contributions $835,176 $0 $835,176 $2,682,608
Net assets released from restriction (1,966,710) 0 (1,966,710) (5,227,520)

Increase/(decrease) in temporarily restricted net assets ($1,131,534) $0 ($1,131,534) $2,872,276

Increase in permanently restricted net assets $0 $0 $0 $0

Increase/(decrease) in net assets ($6,517,367) ($484,308) ($7,001,675) ($3,902,395)

Net assets, beginning of year $53,985,435 ($5,474,960) $48,510,475 $52,412,870

Net assets, end of year $47,468,068 ($5,959,268) $41,508,800 $48,510,475

Change in defined benefit plan recorded annually based on investment values and acturial assuptions at fiscal year end
1 
Notes to Financial Statements • February 28, 2009, and April 30, 2008
Operations and accounting policies
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States (the Assembly) was established in 1927 as
a voluntary trust and subsequently incorporated in October 1994 as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation to
administer, teach, and further the Bahá’í Faith in the United States.
The accounts of the Assembly are maintained on the accrual basis. The financial statements of the Assembly
include the assets, liabilities, net assets (deficits), and financial activities of the National Bahá’í Fund and the
Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
The principal accounting policies used by the Assembly are as follows:

Contributions
All contributions from members of the Faith, unless specifically restricted by the donor, are considered to be
available for unrestricted use and are recorded as received. Contributions in kind are recorded at an amount
representing the estimated fair value of goods and services received during the year. Items received of artistic or
religious significance for which no value can be readily determined and which are not anticipated to be sold are
recorded at nominal value.
Contributions from nonmembers may not be used to support the Faith and, accordingly, such amounts received
are distributed for other humanitarian causes. Contributions restricted by the donor for particular programs and
projects, or for property and equipment acquisitions, are earned and reported as revenues when the Assembly
has incurred expenses for the purpose specified by the donor. Such amounts received, but not yet earned, are
reported as restricted deferred amounts. Estate bequests are recorded when the funds are received.

Tax-exempt status
The U.S. Treasury Department has held that the National Spiritual Assembly and all subordinate Local Spiritual
Assemblies are exempt from Federal income tax as organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code (I.R.C.) of 1986. Accordingly, contributions made to the National Spiritual Assembly and all of its
subordinate Local Spiritual Assemblies are deductible by the donors for Federal income tax purposes as provided
by I.R.C. Section 170.
Bequests, legacies, devises, transfers, or gifts to the National Spiritual Assembly or its subordinate Local Assem-
blies are deductible for Federal estate and gift tax purposes as provided by I.R.C. Sections 2055, 2106, and 2522.

Inventories
Inventories of books and special materials are recorded at the lower of cost, using the average cost method, or
market.

Investments
Investments are recorded at market value.

Property and equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost. The Assembly computes depreciation of fixed assets over their
estimated useful lives using the straight line method. The estimated lives used in computing depreciation are as
follows:

Asset description Asset life

Furniture/Equipment 3–10 years
Buildings/Improvements 5–40 years
Bahá’í House of Worship 75 years
National Teaching Office Teaching
The role of the office 55 ���National Teaching Office
The National Teaching Office (NTO) studies closely best practices related to the 58 ���Office of International
Five Year Plan, shares insights gained that lend impetus to the movement of clus- Pioneering
ters nationwide, and serves the National Spiritual Assembly and Regional Bahá’í 60 ���Office of Communications
Councils as they carry forward the work of teaching the Faith.
63 ���WLGI-FM Radio Bahá’í
Monitoring growth
Teaching in the United States increased significantly during 2008–09, as the
friends engaged in direct and collective teaching efforts in cluster after cluster
across the country. Overall, the number of new believers rose 72 percent from the
year ending at Riḍván 2008 to the year ending at Riḍván 2009 (see chart below).
This level of growth in the enrollment of new believers has not been witnessed in
T he friends at the cluster
level are becoming bolder,
more audacious, more confi-
the United States in more than 20 years. dent, and more open in teach-
One way the NTO helped support growth was in making teaching materials readily ing the Faith.
available to Regional Bahá’í Councils, Area Teaching Committees, and many Local
Spiritual Assemblies for use in their
direct outreach and expansion efforts. 3000
For example, more than 6,000 (2,300 Enrollments in the United States,
in Spanish) newly developed pamphlets 2750 2,756
were distributed to or by the Regional
First three years of Plan
Councils. These pamphlets (with con- 2500 (estimated as of 2/16/2009)
tent designed to be complementary 2250 Adult and youth enrollments
to “Anna’s presentation”) were made
Child and junior youth registrations
available free of charge, and include a 2000
brief introduction to the Bahá’í Faith, a
small gift prayer book, and a detachable 1750 1,733
declaration card. Use of these materials 1,581
1500
ultimately helped facilitate hundreds of
new declarations of faith. Other materi- 1250
als and resources made available by
the NTO included prayer cards (which 1000 1,003
feature sacred writings used in “Anna’s 794
presentation”) that were used in door- 750

to-door teaching, gift-giving after 500 514

home visits, and to invite communities
of interest to children’s classes. The 250
NTO posted these and other materials
on the national Administrative Website Year ending at Year ending at Year ending at
(www.usbnc.org), including an increas- Riḍván 2007 Riḍván 2008 Riḍván 2009
ing number of resources in multiple (estimate)

{Section Title}
Teaching
55
 languages, such as Ruhi course books and copies of “Anna’s presentation.”
Growth in the teaching work through the Seeker Response System (SRS) continues.
Since Riḍván, over 3,000 new seeker inquiries were directed to the appropriate
clusters. Enhancements to the SRS database moved a majority (73 percent) of the
inquiries arriving from the national (www.bahai.us) and international (www.bahai.
org) public websites directly to a regional level of response, and in 20 percent
of the cases, directly to the cluster level. Further, NTO staff continues to directly
offer—using “Anna’s presentation”—the message of Bahá’u’lláh to hundreds of
live 1-800-22UNITE callers, transcribing their inquiries into the SRS database for

F ull implementation
of the Statistical
Report Program (SRP)
regional and cluster-level follow-up, and following up on hundreds of declarations
gained through the process. To support the Councils, NTO staff provided ongoing
training and resources to a network of regional response “specialists” who connect
seekers at the cluster level with Bahá’ís trained in the Ruhi curriculum and able to
has resulted in im- offer fellowship through a complement of core activities. These specialists are also
proved collaboration at instrumental in channeling new seekers to Area Teaching Committees for follow-
the cluster level be- up, and in lending direct teaching assistance to hundreds of seekers residing
tween institute agencies within “B,“ “C,” and “D” clusters when other teaching resources are not accessible.
and local Assemblies, Supporting and stimulating the new culture of learning
and has provided a tool As evidenced by the growth in enrollments, the friends at the cluster level are
for planning for growth becoming bolder, more audacious, more confident, and more open in teaching
at all levels. the Faith. Whether they are learning how to systematically respond to individu-
als directed to their cluster from SRS, engaging in focused teaching among their
community of interest, or holding firesides organized around “Anna’s presenta-
tion,” more of the friends are increasing their capacity to invite people into the
Faith. Moreover, this spirit of teaching and consolidation is permeating clusters at
Inquiries to the Seeker all stages of growth and is increasingly inspired by stories shared by the friends
Response System engaged in the institute process.
(since Riḍván 2008) The teaching blog (http://teaching.bahai.us) coordi-
nated by the NTO has flourished over the past year
by meeting a need felt by the friends across
the country to share inspirational stories.
Individual Bahá’ís, Area Teaching Com-
mittees, and institutions shared close
to 300 stories on the site this year.
Stories covered a wide variety of
topics, such as collective teaching
experiences—including examples of
the involvement of Local Spiritual
Assemblies, creative consolidation
initiatives, and inspirational tes-
timonials from recently declared
believers. This unique and region-
wide resource articulates, in their
own words, the findings of those
directly engaged in action to fel-
low believers who are earnestly trying
to carry out the elements of the Plan.
It enables the friends to learn from each
other’s experiences and inspires others to arise
and serve. In the months since the historic re-
gional Bahá’í conferences, the blog posted numerous

Riḍván 2009
56
stories from those who offered individual pledges as a result of their participation.
New lines of actions taken by Local Spiritual Assemblies engaged in the Five Year
Plan were an important focus over the past year. In a letter dated August 14, 2007,
the National Assembly encouraged all local Assemblies to consider ways in which
they encouraged contributions to the progress of the Plan within their localities.
In the months following, numerous Assemblies shared what they learned with the
NTO, which compiled the learning and highlighted practical steps used by indi-
viduals and institutions into Learning about Growth in the United States, Vol. 7
(www.usbnc.org/comm/docs/bnc/ntc/2008_05_nto_IPG_NewsletterIssue7.pdf).

Collaboration and learning through sharing statistics

“One of the important accomplishments of the recent Plans,” reports the Univer-
H igh traffic on
bahaiyouth.com
indicates the site’s
sal House of Justice in its April 8, 2007 letter to National Assemblies around the
world, “is a heightened awareness among institutions and believers everywhere of growing potential to
the role statistical information can play in facilitating the planning process at the serve as an information
cluster level.” During the past year, the Statistical Report Program (SRP)—developed resource for youth. At
by the Bahá’í World Center for the gathering of information necessary to evalu- present, it is primarily
ate the progress of clusters—was fully implemented in the United States, fulfilling
in part the Universal House of Justice’s goal of implementing the program in all
used as a social net-
countries with a National Assembly. Implementation required the development of working site, and its
a network of “statistics officers” at national, regional, and local levels and was as- front page is increas-
signed to the NTO. Full implementation has resulted in improved collaboration at ingly being used by the
the cluster level between institute agencies and local Assemblies, and has provided NTO to disseminate
a tool for planning for growth at all levels.
urgent messages.
Bahaiyouth.com showed high use
The Bahá’í youth (www.bahaiyouth.com) website was visited by well over 1,900
people from all over the world, and its membership continues to increase. The high
traffic indicates the site’s growing potential to serve as an information resource
for youth. At present, it is primarily used as a social networking site, and its front
page is increasingly being used by the NTO to disseminate urgent messages, such
as the National Spiritual Assembly’s recent letters concerning the persecution of
the Bahá’ís in Iran and about the series of Regional Bahá’í Conferences held in
December 2008.
During the summer of 2008, the website was one of several sources used to com-
pile information on Bahá’ís attending universities and colleges in the U.S. and on
Bahá’í Campus Associations (BCAs). Through this process, some 300 colleges and
universities were identified and serve as a means for contacting youth today.

Teaching
57
T he most successful
pioneers are those
who are trained in the
full sequence of courses
in the Ruhi curriculum
before they leave, so
that they can offer their
services to the com-
munity wherever they
settle as tutors of study
circles.
Where did U.S. pioneers originate?
58
Office of International Pioneering
During 2008–09, the teaching work of the Faith continued at an increased pace
around the world, and pioneers from isolated locations as well as from established
clusters in the United States (see map) left their homes to assist in cluster and
community development in countries near and far. At present, the most successful
pioneers are those who are trained in the full sequence of courses in the Ruhi cur-
riculum before they leave, so that they can offer their services to the community
wherever they settle as tutors of study circles.
The American Bahá’í community’s response to the call of the Universal House of
Justice for 1,300 international pioneers to fulfill the goals for the current Five Year
Plan continued to unfold, and during 2008–09, nearly 200 pioneers left the Unit-
ed States to serve at international posts. (See chart on page 59 for goal status.)
Also during this period, nearly 350 individuals left the U.S. to complete traveling
teaching trips, making the total for the Plan thus far close to 1,300.
Furthering the cost-saving measures that had been taken the prior year, additional
actions to reduce expenditures were taken by the Office of International Pioneer-
ing during 2008–09. Notably, three of six salaried positions were eliminated,
volunteers served in place of staff whenever possible at off-site events, and most
printing was either donated or eliminated.
The office now has a volunteer supervising the work of the Pioneer
Resource Persons (PRPs) Network. This is a community of
volunteers that undertakes some functions of the Of-
fice of International Pioneering, helping to decen-
tralize the tasks involved in assisting prospective
international pioneers. Representation by staff
and PRP volunteers at numerous confer-
ences throughout the year continued to
facilitate community education and
pioneer recruitment. Staff members
again offered workshops at the Green
Lake Bahá’í Conference and the Bahá’í
Conference on Social and Economic
Development, and volunteer PRPs
made presentations at the Grand
Canyon Bahá’í Conference and many
summer and winter school programs.
The Pioneer Resource Persons have
begun to present a two-hour program
called “Global Positioning for Programs of
Growth” in their communities and reports
have begun to come in about their impact.
Riḍván 2009
How many goal countries have or have not received U.S. pioneers in this Plan?

Africa Americas Asia Australasia Europe

Have Have not Have Have not Have Have not Have Have not Have Have not

Category 1 10 5 16 0 6 7 3 1 2 2
Category 2 8 8 13 7 5 4 5 4 11 13
Category 3 3 2 12 8 2 0 2 0 0 1
Category 4 0 2 NA NA 2 4 0 1 NA NA

In addition to the services provided through the PRP Network, the office has
sought to keep the Bahá’í community informed of the needs for international
service through articles in The American Bahá’í, mailings to Bahá’í schools, and
other channels.
T he vast majority
of Bahá’í pioneers
in the field are self-
The electronic contact management system developed for the office at the Bahá’í supporting, though this
National Center has been successful throughout the first full year of its use. It en- office does continue to
ables the office’s staff consultants to monitor and track the progress of prospective deputize a handful of
pioneers from first contact through transfer of membership to another country, stalwart pioneers.
and assists them in transferring returning pioneers back into the U.S. The system
makes all related information immediately accessible to the consultants. Most
correspondence is handled electronically, with the exception of a few items that,
owing to protocol, require transmittal through the mails.
Work on the development of an online pioneer orientation course halted as a result of
the office’s downsizing, but plans are to
resume work on it as soon as possible.
The need for such an option seemed, dur-
1400
Pioneers since
1,300
ing much of the previous year, apparent, 1200 Riḍván 2006
as attendance at scheduled orientations (as of
declined. Attendance appears, however, 1000 3/30/2009)
to be on the upswing in early 2009.
800
The vast majority of Bahá’í pioneers in the 764
field are self-supporting, though this of- 600 614
fice does continue to deputize a handful
of stalwart pioneers. Continued appeals 400
have been made through The American
Bahá’í, through occasional Feast let- 200
ters, and through Pioneering Resource
Person channels to encourage the friends 0 Pioneers sent
since Riḍván
Amount that
should have
Goal for entire
Five Year Plan
to contribute to this fund, resulting in a 2006 been sent to
stay on pace
moderate response.

Teaching
59
 Office of Communications
The principal tasks of the Office of Communications include national media rela-
tions; training and support for the network of local public information officers;
development and management of the national Bahá’í presence on the Internet;
and crisis communications. Other important areas of the office’s work include
the development of identity and graphic design standards; encouragement and
support for individual, locality, and cluster initiatives on the Internet; and digital
media asset management.

T
National media relations
he most significant
national media During 2008–09, the office worked on a variety of initiatives to broaden media
exposure and coverage of the Faith, which resulted in an invitation being extended
coverage of the Faith to the Secretary-General of the National Spiritual Assembly to be a panelist on
came about because of the Washington Post/Newsweek “On Faith” blog; coverage of the 2008 Bahá’í
the persecution of the National Convention by Chicago Public Radio and Interfaith Voices, a national
Bahá’ís in Iran. public radio program; and feature stories about several National Assembly mem-
bers in their hometown media.

Riḍván 2009
60
The most significant national media coverage of the Faith came about because of
the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran and, specifically, the announcement in Feb-
ruary 2009 that the seven imprisoned members of the ad hoc committee oversee-
ing the affairs of the Iranian Bahá’í community would be tried on baseless charges
of espionage and insulting Islam (see the External Affairs section of this report for
more information). The office worked to mobilize the public information officer
network to generate coverage of prayer gatherings held across the country for the
imprisoned Bahá’ís. A follow-up press release about the Fast in early March gener-
ated additional coverage. In all, more than 60 news stories appeared in local media
in February and March.
In September, the Office of Communications had an information booth at the
Religion Newswriters Association (RNA) annual convention for the fifth consecutive
year. The convention continues to be an important avenue for the office to de-
T he office provided
targeted media
relations training to
velop relationships with key reporters and to expose them to the Faith. The office Public Information Of-
also worked with RNA on the publication of A Source Guide to the Bahá’í Faith, ficers (PIOs) in commu-
which was distributed to hundreds of religion reporters in early February and will
nities that are part of
also be included in the next edition of RNA’s Reporting on Religion primer, a
standard and well-respected guide to the religion reporting beat. “A” clusters (or clusters
soon to advance to the
The office continued to field requests and respond to misrepresentations, inaccura-
“A” stage) and are also
cies, and omissions about the Faith in the national media. The office responded
to general inquiries from national organizations and the general public and located in one of the
maintained the accuracy of entries about the Faith in reference works. The office major media markets in
participated in the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) and is on the planning the United States.
committee for the Religion Communicators Congress, a once-a-decade event that
will take place in Chicago in April 2010.

Training and support for the network of local Public Information Officers
The office provided targeted media relations training to Public Information Officers
(PIOs) in communities that are part of “A” clusters (or clusters soon to advance
to the “A” stage) and are also located in one of the major media markets in the
United States. These two factors create new and potentially valuable opportunities
to generate media coverage of the Faith.
One-day intensive workshops were held in the Central and Southwestern regions,
and more workshops are planned in other parts of the country during the coming
year. The workshops focused on applying the methodology of the Five Year Plan to
the public information work through focused consultation on the following ques-
tions:
• How can our sense of purpose, as builders of a new world civilization, affect
our interaction with the media?
• How can the core activities be presented to the media in ways that are news-
worthy and intriguing?
• How can we apply cycles of learning, action, and reflection to our public infor-
mation work?
• How can we create a culture of learning within the network of Public Informa-
tion Officers, so that successes and valuable insights can be disseminated and
applied in other areas?
To provide ongoing mentoring and support to the PIOs, the office created an on-
line social network for PIOs at www.bahaipio.net. PIOs are able to create a profile
and share news and information with each other and with the office. We hope this

Teaching
61
 tool will create a sense of support and mutual learning among the PIOs. The email
addresses used by the PIOs to create an account on the site are the same as those
used by the Office of Communications to send messages to the PIOs.

National Internet presence

The office developed a new web application framework for the Bahá’í National
Center that has entered the beta testing phase. The framework will add a new level
of functionality to national Bahá’í websites, including the authentication, role-
based delivery of content, and personal customization of web services. The office

T he office continues continues to explore the use of new online tools for social networking and promo-
tion of Bahá’í content. Electronic newsletters are now provided for all the perma-
to encourage indi-
nent Bahá’í schools, as well as for the Wilmette Institute and the Bahá’í House of
vidual initiative online Worship.
to create an accurate
reflection on the Inter- Support for cluster, locality, and individual web initiatives
net of the vibrant, dy- As a response to guidance from the Bahá’í Internet Agency, the office continues to
encourage individual initiative online to create an accurate reflection on the Inter-
namic, and “outward-
net of the vibrant, dynamic, and “outward-looking” culture of the Bahá’í commu-
looking” culture of the nity. We also support and encourage the creation of high-quality Bahá’í commu-
Bahá’í community. nity and cluster websites across the country. The office has designed a weekend
course on “Bahá’ís on the Internet” to be offered at the permanent schools; in
October, it was presented at Green Acre Bahá’í School. The office has also cre-
ated www.bahaiwebdev.net, an online social network for Bahá’ís to encourage
and learn from each other about using communications technology to serve the
Faith. At this writing, more than 500 people have joined the network, which is not
restricted to Bahá’ís or to residents of the United States.

Crisis communications
In November, the office hosted the annual meeting of the Bahá’í National Center
crisis communications team, which includes representatives from the Office of
the Secretary, Office of External Affairs, Office of Communications, Public Safety,
Information Technology, and Media Services. The team reviewed crisis communica-
tions “lessons learned” over the past year and consulted on the functional re-
quirements and potential uses of an emergency notification system for the Bahá’í
National Organization.

Digital asset management

The office has continued to develop the Bahá’í National Center‘s digital media
library, which contains photo, audio, and video assets. More than 10,000 assets
have been indexed on the media server. The office is working to add a web inter-
face to the media collection, so that different user groups—including Bahá’ís, media
outlets, and the general public—can keyword search and download selected assets.
We are also continuing the process of digitizing and cataloging existing assets and
identifying priorities for preserving older assets that may be deteriorating.

Riḍván 2009
62
WLGI-FM Radio Bahá’í
Over the past year, WLGI has maintained reasonable consistency in its operations
W LGI operates
with two full-
time staff members: the
despite challenging conditions.
general manager and
Technical and engineering the production man-
Many technical challenges faced in past years were rectified with the purchase of ager. In practice, titles
a new transmitter in 2007. Some components at the transmitter site had to be re- mean little as both
placed after a lightning strike. Beyond that, most technical and engineering issues staff persons perform
have been routine ones for a 24-hour broadcasting operation that puts consider-
all necessary jobs—pro-
able stress on equipment that is in use all the time. A contracted engineer travels
to Radio Bahá’í twice a year for routine maintenance checks and troubleshooting. gramming, production,
administrative, minor
The transmission tower was freshly painted during the year, in compliance with
FCC and FAA requirements for making a tower clearly visible to aircraft.
technical and engineer-
ing, and on-air duties.
Human resources
WLGI operates with two full-time staff members: the general manager and the
production manager. In practice, titles mean little as both staff persons perform all
necessary jobs—programming, production, administrative, minor technical and en-
gineering, and on-air duties. Some services are provided by independent contrac-
tors in the areas of voice tracking, programming, and production assistance.
Radio Bahá’í has collaborated with Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute personnel in
the areas of Bahá’í programming development and technical/engineering oversight.
To keep informed on relevant issues, WLGI personnel traveled during 2008–09 to
conferences of the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Federation
of Community Broadcasters, and the South Carolina Association of Broadcasters.

Programming
Listener feedback indicates the station’s programming has been well-received by
the Bahá’í community and the general public. Programming includes:
• Bahá’í-oriented programs including Bahá’í Bookshelf, interviews with Bahá’í au-
thors; Bahá’í Newsbeat, drawing news mostly from The American Bahá’í and
the Bahá’í e-newsletter; brief spots focusing on various aspects of the Faith;
and information about events at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute.
• Musical programming, mostly instrumental jazz, chosen to provide for reflection
on the spiritual messages that are broadcast. Vocal music is carefully screened
for positive, uplifting lyrics that reinforce Bahá’í themes such as love, peace,
unity of mankind, equality of women and men, etc.
• Public service: announcements from local churches; community organizations
and institutions; and spots that deal with issues such as health and well-being,
community service, poverty, aging, education, and literacy.

Teaching
63
 Community
Office of Assembly Development Development
During 2008–09, despite a 50 percent reduction in staff, the Office of Assembly 65 ���Office of Assembly
Development was able to make available to the Bahá’í community the same broad Development
range of resources for Local Spiritual Assemblies it had before offered, while focus-
67 ���Office of Community
ing on those that are most relevant to the current stage of Five Year Plan develop-
Administration
ment and working to enhance the ability of remaining resources to more directly
answer current needs. 68 ���Persian-American Affairs
Office
For much of the year, the office’s primary focus has been on revising the essen-
tial Assembly manual Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities: Guidelines
for Spiritual Assemblies. Efforts were continued to keep the most recent edi-
tion of the manual as current as possible. In June 2008, a third set of updates to
the manual was published in the form of insert pages; this enabled communities
and individuals who had previously purchased the 2007 edition to easily bring it
current. For those who did not yet have the 2007 edition in any of its versions, a
complete manual containing the updates was also published. Further, also in June,
a bookmarked and searchable electronic copy (on CD-ROM) of this latest edition of
the manual—as well as revised versions of the supplements on “Domestic Violence”
and “Protection of Children and Youth” and a revised Secretary’s Toolbox—was
sent to all Local Spiritual Assemblies. All these documents were also posted on
I t was determined that a
major revision of Develop-
ing Distinctive Bahá’í Commu-
the national Administrative Website. The office is exploring ways to enhance the
electronic version of the manual, as, due to budget constraints, a hard copy will no nities: Guidelines for Spiritual
longer be published. Assemblies was in order to
In addition, a survey of local Assembly members was conducted to investigate eliminate information that was
usage of the manual. It was determined that a major revision was in order to available elsewhere, especially
eliminate information that was available elsewhere, especially in those sections in those sections requiring
requiring frequent updates. The outcome is a new, 50 percent smaller manual. A frequent updates. The outcome
complete review of the manual’s content was also carried out, new guidance was
is a new, 50 percent smaller
added, and the text was reorganized to enhance its flow.
manual.
The office is working on reinvigorating the Web-based forum for Assemblies,
Reflecting Pool: A Forum on Assemblies and the Plan (www.assemblyforum.
usbnc.org). After opening access to the forum to the wider Bahá’í community
and expanding its range of topics—particularly with more focus on the sharing of
learnings on the Assembly’s role in the Five Year Plan—individuals were solicited
to seed the posts with comments. Promotional materials to stimulate awareness of
this resource and specific training on its use at the Skill Building Conference for
Assembly Members were added.
The past year has seen a continued expansion of Assembly Development confer-
ences to serve a broader range of Assembly members. The office offered a three-
day conference serving 62 participants from 28 Assemblies—with 42 percent being
Secretaries, 19 percent Chairpersons, and 38 percent other members. Participants
represented a wide range of experience levels, community sizes, and cluster desig-

Community Development
65
 nations. The conference was well received, with participants rating its usefulness at
4.9 out of 5.
The three-day conference included plenary sessions featuring talks by a member
of the National Spiritual Assembly. The office added a segment allowing partici-
pants to share what they have learned locally, particularly in relation to their work
in advancing the current Plan. Workshop topics focused on practical day-to-day
Assembly functioning, though broader topics—such as the role of Local Spiritual
Assemblies in the Plan—were also offered. Additional conferences—as well as online
workshops on select topics—are being planned for the coming year.

T he three-day As-
sembly Develop-
ment conference in-
Existing materials, including Guidance for Bahá’í Groups and the Assembly
Development Module Workshops, were also reviewed during 2008–09 to assess the
degree of revision required to enhance their relevance to the needs of Assemblies
cluded plenary sessions at this stage in the Faith’s global Plans for development. Work on these revisions
will continue into the new administrative year. These revised materials will also be
featuring talks by a
produced in electronic form only.
member of the National
Spiritual Assembly. The The office put its well-rated Spiritual Assembly Special Visit program on hold for
the year while the Visitors’ Center at the Bahá’í House of Worship was closed.
office added a segment This program brings members of local Assemblies to the Bahá’í National Center,
allowing participants to enabling them to familiarize themselves with the resources available and providing
share what they have them with an opportunity to share questions, comments, or suggestions directly
learned locally, particu- with the National Assembly and its offices. Before its temporary halt, the program
larly in relation to their had focused on assisting local Assemblies to better understand their role in the
Five Year Plan. It will resume when the House of Worship Visitors’ Center is once
work in advancing the again open.
current Plan.

Riḍván 2009
66
Office of Community Administration
The Office of Community Administration provides administrative support to the
National Spiritual Assembly by offering guidance to Local Spiritual Assemblies and
O ver the past year,
the office received
approximately 900
individual believers concerning issues of community functioning and the appli- letters (300 less than
cation of Bahá’í laws and principles. In cooperation with the Office of Assembly
Development, Community Administration plays a key role in training Assemblies the previous year) and
through the continuing program of Assembly visits to the Bahá’í National Center 4,672 emails (1,072
and through skill-building conferences for Assembly members, assisting them to more than the previous
better understand and address issues pertaining to Bahá’í law and Bahá’í adminis- year).
tration.
It is a continuing challenge for the Office of Community Administration to pro-
vide timely responses to the many telephone calls, letters, and email messages it
receives each year. Over the past year, the office received approximately 900 letters
(300 less than the previous year) and 4,672 emails (1,072 more than the previous
year). These figures, however, do not include the many additional emails that go
directly to the office manager and five administrative consultants.
During 2008-09, the National Spiritual Assembly removed the administrative rights
of 24 believers and restored the administrative rights of 20 believers. The majority
of cases resulting in deprivation involved knowing violations of the Bahá’í mar-
riage laws and immorality (primarily, couples choosing to live together without the
benefit of marriage). Last year, the office began to track the number of divorces
reported in the Bahá’í community during the span of a year: from January 1 to
December 31, 2008, there were 63 Bahá’í divorces reported (14 more than the
previous year). The number includes divorces where both parties are Bahá’ís and
where only one party is a Bahá’í. In addition, there were, during the same period,
322 withdrawals (26 less than in the previous year) and 35 reinstatements to
Bahá’í membership (three less than in the previous year). There are a number of
reasons why people withdraw their membership in the Faith. In many cases, they
are believers who have not been active in the Faith for many years and have finally
decided to write and say that they never really considered themselves to be Bahá’ís.
Some state that they have returned to their former Christian churches. Others ex-
press the view that they love Bahá’u’lláh but cannot accept His teachings on such
matters as homosexuality or the requirement to have the consent of one’s parents
to marry. Still others decline to give a reason.

Community Development
67
T hroughout the year,
it became increas-
ingly clear that, if we
Persian-American Affairs Office
The Persian-American Affairs Office (PAAO) continued during 2008–09 to monitor
and promote the integration of Persian-American members of the United States
are to fulfill the desire Bahá’í community in various areas of the country. Over 12 percent of the total
of the beloved Master membership of the U.S. Bahá’í community is of Persian descent. The number of
to see the East and the Bahá’ís arriving from Iran has continuously increased owing to the intensification
West in close embrace, of the persecution of the believers in that country. To facilitate the integration of
newly-arrived Bahá’ís from Iran, the PAAO collaborates with other Bahá’í agencies
integration requires the both by advising those agencies and by producing various publications in Persian
active engagement of as well as study guides on integration and race relations in the U.S.
all Bahá’ís and the full
support of every Local Integration of Persian believers
Spiritual Assembly. In addition to its continuing response to the numerous requests it receives for
assistance with the transfer of the Bahá’í membership of Persian believers, a
significant portion of the PAAO’s efforts this year were devoted to integration
issues—particularly with advising specific Bahá’í communities on the integration
challenges they are facing. The PAAO also invested many hours of its time during
2008–09 in consultation with individual Bahá’ís throughout the U.S., helping them
with personal issues and with the promotion of integration and unity.
Individual Bahá’ís volunteered to form local task forces to promote the integra-
tion of the Persian friends into their new Bahá’í communities. In July, the San Jose
focus group delegated the organizing of a picnic to youth who earlier had not
been actively and dynamically engaged in the life of the community, and the event
was a great success. In Contra Costa County, a town hall integration meeting was
organized, with more than 150 Bahá’ís attending. A dramatic/comedic play was
presented to illustrate the life of a Bahá’í child growing into youth and adulthood.
The story underscored how our lives are intertwined with the Bahá’í community
in which we live and with the Bahá’ís with whom we are related. Throughout the
year, it became increasingly clear that, if we are to fulfill the desire of the beloved
Master to see the East and the West in close embrace, integration requires the
active engagement of all Bahá’ís and the full support of every Local Spiritual As-
sembly.
Other integration-related activities on which the PAAO focused its energies in-
cluded providing support to the Board of Directors of the Association of Friends
of Persian Culture, responding to requests from various government and refugee
organizations about refugee and asylum cases, and organizing two quarterly
meetings of the Persian-American friends residing in the immediate vicinity of the
Bahá’í House of Worship.
All these efforts were made parallel to encouraging the Persian friends to fully en-
gage in the institute training process and become active participants in advancing
the process of entry by troops.

Riḍván 2009
68
Other activities
The PAAO translates the National Spiritual Assembly’s Feast letter into Persian and
facilitates the surface mailing of copies of the translation to some 500 localities,
as well as its regular posting on the national Bahá’í Administrative Website. The
office also translates various documents and pieces of correspondence either from
or into Persian for other national offices. Additional translations completed during
2008–09 included the provisional translations of several messages from the Univer-
sal House of Justice.

T
The office also certifies the transcripts of former students of the Bahá’í Institute
o promote Bahá’í
for Higher Education (BIHE). To date, 104 BIHE graduates in the U.S. have been
identified. These friends can greatly assist the integration process, as they are studies in Per-
thoroughly familiar with the Persian language and culture and are active in the life sian, the PAAO helps
of the Bahá’í community. organize the Persian
To promote Bahá’í studies in Persian, the PAAO helps organize the Persian sessions sessions of the ‘Ir-
of the ‘Irfán Colloquium in the U.S. and assists with the preparation of colloquia fán Colloquium in
proceedings (Safíniy-i-‘Irfán) and colloquia program booklets for publication. The the U.S. and assists
office is also one of the sponsors of the Wilmette Institute. with the preparation
In the area of publications, the PAAO prepares six pages in Persian for each issue of colloquia proceed-
of The American Bahá’í. These pages are intended to inform Persian believers in ings (Safíniy-i-‘Irfán)
the U.S. of Bahá’í news, messages from institutions of the Faith, and forthcoming
and colloquia program
events, as well as to encourage them to become fully engaged in activities directly
connected with the Five Year Plan. Further, this office has produced the bilingual booklets for publica-
quarterly publication Tabernacle of Unity, which was reconstituted in a new form tion.
in April 2007. Various other tasks were undertaken to assist in the publication of
books, manuscripts, and articles, and in rendering translation assistance for certain
Bahá’í publications.
The PAAO continued to function—until the end of July 2008—as the secretariat of
the Persian Reviewing Panel, appointed by the Universal House of Justice to review
manuscripts in Persian before their publication.
The Persian-American Affairs Office extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Manuchehr
Derakhshani, who, having directed the office for more than 25 years, retired in
2008. Throughout his tenure, which coincided with one of the most turbulent
periods in their history, Dr. Derakhshani rendered invaluable assistance to Persian
Bahá’ís.

Community Development
69
Office of Education and Schools Education
The Office of Education and Schools (OES) coordinates and supervises the work 71 ���Office of Education and Schools
of the three permanent Bahá’í schools—Bosch, Green Acre, and Louhelen Bahá’í
75 ���Bosch Bahá’í School
Schools—29 Bahá’í school committees, the Wilmette Institute, and the Native American
Bahá’í Institute (NABI). In addition, the OES coordinates recruitment and application 77 ���Green Acre Bahá’í School
processes for the Bahá’í Youth Service Corps at the permanent schools and at NABI.
79 ���Louhelen Bahá’í School
National Bahá’í schools supporting the Five Year Plan 81 ���Native American Bahá’í
During the year 2008–09, Bosch, Green Acre, and Louhelen Bahá’í Schools rolled Institute
out a schedule of programs that were primarily focused on addressing strategic 83 ���Wilmette Institute
regional needs and priorities in relation to the Plan. These programs were the first
fruits of collaborative program design engaging Bahá’í school staff in consultation
with their respective Regional Bahá’í Councils, Regional Training Institute (RTI) co-
ordinators, and Auxiliary Board members. Recognizing the distinct roles of Bahá’í
schools and training institutes as mutually complementary, program goals were
identified for the schools that seek to:
• Develop an integrated vision of the Plan among participants.
• Inspire a sense of urgency and focus to arise to meet the goals of the Plan. T he schools have begun to
learn how to capitalize on
the distinct features of school
• Attract seekers and new believers.
sessions in order to take
• Include strategic programs that meet specific regional goals, such as intensive unique approaches to study
trainings for targeted areas. of the Plan, contributing to a
Some 29 school committees across the country also worked in close collabora- powerful impact on “deepen-
tion with Auxiliary Board members and RTI coordinators, and offered 30 Bahá’í ing the knowledge” and “stim-
school programs in 25 states aimed at accelerating progress toward achieving the
ulating the zeal” for the Plan
goals of the Plan in the communities they served. Membership on these commit-
tees had been significantly reduced from the traditional nine members to five, in among attendees.
order to free up human resources across the country to serve their clusters. Despite
the challenges resulting from changes in organizational structure and traditional
processes of program planning, the staff and volunteers serving the national Bahá’í
schools approached their work with that spirit of faith, determination, and com-
mitment to unity and sacrifice called for by the Universal House of Justice.

Integration and coherence

Bosch, Green Acre, and Louhelen Bahá’í Schools. At the outset of this process,
it was largely unknown how Bahá’í schools could add value to the processes
of growth and development taking place at the grass roots of the Bahá’í com-
munity, and few had any clear conception as to what sorts of programs would
be most effective. The learning process so characteristic of the Plan itself was
readily adopted by all and communications throughout the year were universally
characterized by a spirit of openness, respect, and humility.

Education
71
 Program ideas were initially drawn from Part II of Turning Point: Selected
Messages of the Universal House of Justice and Supplementary Material
1996–2006—which addresses fundamental concepts of global plans—and the Sep-
tember 30, 2007, letter from the International Teaching Center. Strategic priorities
identified in each region tended to emphasize:
• Building enthusiasm among youth for engagement in the institute process and
taking junior youth animator training.
• Building understanding and capacity for direct teaching and collective teaching
projects.

M ost of these
school sessions
included opportunities
• Building understanding and enthusiasm for the Plan and its core activities gen-
erally.

to experience elements • Supporting consolidation through deepening courses on the writings, history,
of the sequence of and administrative order of the Faith.
courses through “re- • Attracting growing numbers of seekers.
freshers” or introduc- The schools have begun to learn how to capitalize on the distinct features of
tions to one or more school sessions in order to take unique approaches to study of the Plan. These
Ruhi courses, with a unique approaches, combined with the value of bringing participants together
focus on practicing the from different localities to interact with each other in a focused, spiritual environ-
ment, can have a powerful impact on “deepening the knowledge” and “stimulat-
skills of service associ- ing the zeal” for the Plan among attendees.
ated with each course
While each of the permanent schools received early feedback from the friends stat-
directly at the school.
ing their preference for deepening courses on more traditional subjects, it was also
reported that those who participated in courses on the Plan found them “enlight-
ening and stimulating” in ways that they had not previously experienced. In fact,
feedback from course participants has been overwhelmingly positive.
Not surprisingly, seekers love the Bahá’í schools for many of the same reasons
Bahá’ís do. While there is much to learn to be able to serve their needs and in-
terests most effectively, seekers and new believers responded very positively to a
range of courses, including those addressing the Plan. Perhaps the greatest current
barrier to seeker participation in Bahá’í school sessions is a tendency not to invite
them. This seems to be changing, as the numbers of seekers attending Bahá’í
school sessions is gradually growing.
Institutional collaboration has been critical to advancing the understanding of how
school programs can most effectively complement the institute process. One of
the fruits of this effort has been the forging of stronger relationships between the
schools and institutions serving at the regional level. The opportunity for develop-
ing greater coherence between the educative programs of Bahá’í schools and the
institute process is rich.
The experience of this year suggests that the schools can continue to play a more
vital role in advancing the goals of the Plan. It is also becoming more widely ac-
knowledged that the schools should continue to provide deepening courses on im-
portant subjects not addressed by the institute process. There is still much to learn
about finding the right balance between programs designed to lend direct support
to prosecution of the Plan and those designed to meet the broader educational
needs of an expanding community.
School Committees and Seasonal Bahá’í School Sessions. Seasonal Bahá’í schools
draw attendance from smaller geographic areas than the permanent schools, of-
ten serving believers in more remote communities. All but three committees plan

Riḍván 2009
72
only one Bahá’í school session a year. Perhaps for these reasons, there seemed to
be greater clarity of vision as to how these school sessions could lend direct sup-
port to winning the goals of the Plan in the areas they serve.
Close collaboration with Auxiliary Board members and RTI coordinators has been
fruitful, as they have provided valuable insights into committee appointments,
helped committees identify strategic regional priorities for program planning,
and supported school sessions with their presence and full participation. As one
RTI coordinator described the experience, “This was the first year that institu-
tions were trying to work closely for planning, implementing the new format for
the summer schools in our region. All of us tried to work closely. … We com-
municated, shared our concerns, consulted lovingly and frankly, stayed united
and focused, shared our resources and knowledge as members of institutions for
almost seven months.”
Most of these school sessions included opportunities to experience elements of
the sequence of courses through “refreshers” or introductions to one or more Ruhi
courses, with a focus on practicing the skills of service associated with each course
directly at the school. There was frequent emphasis on a review of Ruhi Book 6
and direct teaching using “Anna’s presentation.” Three school committees orga-
nized door-to-door teaching opportunities in collaboration with cluster agencies,
D uring 2008–09,
youth volunteers
at Bosch, Green Acre,
allowing school participants to build confidence through practice and adding
impetus to the teaching work in those clusters. and Louhelen partici-
pated more than ever
Feedback from attendees was largely positive, and there is some indication that
the school sessions had the desired long-term impact. As an Auxiliary Board
in teaching neighbor-
member in Florida reported, “This year’s school not only helped with the aware- hood children’s classes,
ness of the Five Year Plan but gave tremendous impetus to ‘Anna’s presentation’ tutoring study circles
being given on the local level. Not only did the participants have a positive and off campus, and carry-
unifying experience, they translated their learning into action. Two of the clusters ing out home visits and
that I work with most closely have been directly impacted through their learning direct teaching cam-
at this year’s school. I witnessed an upsurge in learning and a renewed interest in
direct teaching. In both of these clusters they have initiated teaching projects and
paigns.

Education
73
 core activities that were not present prior to the school. It must be mentioned that
youth have been leading the way and pushing parents as well!”

Bahá’í Youth Service Corps

Hundreds of volunteers serve the national schools in a variety of capacities. Among
these are the young adults of the Bahá’í Youth Service Corps, without whose
contributions the operations of Bosch, Green Acre, and Louhelen Bahá’í Schools
and the Native American Bahá’í Institute would be severely hindered. This year, the
Office of Education and Schools processed 125 inquiries from youths considering
service, and over 111 offered service for terms varying from a few weeks to a full
year. The service teams at each school and institute were enriched this year by the
participation of 15 youth volunteers from 14 different countries: Austria, Brazil,
Cameroon, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, England, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Germany,
Ghana, Hawaii, Liechtenstein, and South Africa.
Largely as a result of the increased collaboration between schools and cluster
agencies, more opportunities were provided for youth volunteers at the schools
to engage directly and more regularly in the learning processes taking place in
the clusters surrounding the schools. During 2008–09, youth volunteers at Bosch,
Green Acre, and Louhelen participated more than ever in teaching neighborhood
children’s classes, tutoring study circles off campus, and carrying out home visits
and direct teaching campaigns. The exposure of youth volunteers to education
programs centered on the Plan this past year helped them understand it more
deeply. Growing opportunities for them to engage in core activities in the clus-
ters surrounding the schools ensured that they developed the necessary skills and
confidence to support cluster development when they returned to their home
communities.

Riḍván 2009
74
Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California
In pursuit of the Plan I n “Developing a
Family Approach,”
the goal was to break
The new paradigm Bosch Bahá’í School has been following since late 2007—focus-
ing its program offerings on topics directly related to the promotion of the goals away from the typical
of the Five-Year Plan—was implemented still further during 2008–09. This year summer program that
Bosch developed a schedule of sessions that, with the guidance and consultation addresses the family
of the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Southwestern States, sought to comple-
as a set of individuals
ment the work of the Regional Training Institute; supported the teaching work, by
working toward teacher and seeker/new believer education; and provided practical and to examine how a
assistance to the ranks of Bahá’ís striving to be of service to the Plan. family can be awak-
ened to its potential as
At the outset, Bosch staff felt some concern that the shift in programming toward
a Five Year Plan orientation would have a detrimental impact on attendance. This a collaborative unit of
was clearly not so (see charts on next page). Compared with previous years, aver- service.
age attendance for Plan-related courses rose dramatically.
After a full year of promoting a schedule under the new paradigm, it became obvi-
ous that there is a strong desire in the Bahá’í community for programs that address
the many facets of serving the Plan, whether it be to develop better core activi-
ties, to effectively speak to the questions and concerns of seekers, to better train
door-to-door teachers, or to investigate the means by which family members can
support and complement each other’s service.
Many sessions at Bosch during 2008–09 sought to accomplish these aims, but
three especially represent the school’s commitment to developing and reflect-
ing on new approaches to assist individuals and communities in their efforts to
achieve a sustainable pattern of expansion and consolidation: “Developing a Fam-
ily Approach to the Five Year Plan,” “Congress of Spanish-Speaking Bahá’ís,” and
“Exploring the Bahá’í Writings for New Believers and Seekers.”
In “Developing a Family Approach,” the goal was to break away from the typical
summer program that addresses the family as a set of individuals and to examine
how a family can be awakened to its potential as a collaborative unit of service.
In the words of the presenters, “families had never considered sitting together and
formulating a collective, or ‘family’ plan for meeting the challenges of the Five
Year Plan. … In this Family session, we were able to present the concept of finding
harmony between the needs of the family and needs of the Faith in this day.”
“Congress of Spanish-Speaking Bahá’ís” tackled a particular need in the con-
solidation work in California—that of assisting new Bahá’ís of Spanish-speaking
backgrounds to be integrated into the wider Bahá’í community and to become
engaged with the core activities. Another goal of this session was to help this
distinct group of new Bahá’ís feel more connected with other Bahá’ís of a similar
background across the southwestern states and remove the sense of isolation that
is so prevalent among monolingual Spanish-speaking families.

Education
75
 “Exploring the Bahá’í Writings” was developed as a means to introduce seekers to
the Bahá’í Faith by using the successful training institute prototype. The course
consisted of small discussion groups studying the Bahá’í writings on an array of
contemporary topics, as opposed to the classroom/lecture setting of previous seek-
ers’ sessions. In all, 83 new believers, seekers, and their Bahá’í friends attended this
weekend program—three times the number of participants at any seekers’ weekend
in the previous two years. The fundamental reason this course was so success-
ful and well-attended apparently lies in its design and facilitation by an outside
committee of Bahá’ís and seekers; they also collaboratively developed the course
materials. In addition, the Bahá’ís involved in facilitation of the class personally

B osch is continually
seeking ways to
promote its activities
invited most of the seekers who attended. This direct approach to publicizing this
course, as well as the style of the class itself, created a new model for future seek-
ers’ sessions—a model Bosch is confident will yield greater numbers of attendees
to the ever-increasing and declarations of faith.
numbers of Bahá’ís and Beyond their everyday service to Bosch, youth service volunteers continued their
seekers in the south- dedicated work with the core activities. They are actively pursuing completion of
western states. the sequence of courses and, in a landmark for the school, have started a weekly
children’s class at a low-income housing project that had been the target of a
successful teaching campaign by the cluster surrounding Bosch. It is the first of its
Number of Courses kind in the cluster and the devotion of youth to its success has opened up further
related to the Five Year avenues for teaching in the area. The project has been praised by the Auxiliary
Board and the Cluster Institute Coordinator and receives their warm support.
Plan at Bosch
40 Other achievements
35 Every year, Bosch makes various improvements to its facilities to achieve the dual
30 purposes of lowering long-term maintenance costs and enhancing the quality of
25 the school’s services and aesthetic appeal for guests. Perhaps more so than in any
20 23 other year, the improvements during 2008–09 mark a renewed commitment to
15 19 these goals. Over the course of the year, all cabin porches, steps, and decks were
10 replaced with a quality wood-composite material ensuring their rot-proof durabil-
5 8 ity for years. Large kitchen appliances were replaced with high-efficiency stoves
and ovens. All guest accommodations were painted and stained to protect against
2006– 2007– 2008– degradation. Tankless water heaters were installed in a number of buildings to in-
2007 2008 2009
crease the overall efficiency of propane use. Finally, thanks to generous earmarked
contributions, all guest cabins were refurnished with high-quality, beautiful, robust
furnishings.

Average attendance at Lastly, Bosch is continually seeking ways to promote its activities to the ever-
Five Year Plan-related increasing numbers of Bahá’ís and seekers in the southwestern states. One of the
most recent innovations was to enlist the volunteer assistance of friends of the
courses at Bosch school who would travel to their home communities to deliver a presentation
40 about upcoming programs at Bosch at Nineteen Day Feasts and answer questions
35 38 about Bosch’s role in the Five Year Plan. After the first round of presentations, the
30 school received offers from over 20 volunteers to participate in the project.
25
20 Through a unified vision and the devoted endeavors of each member of the out-
21 22 standing staff, it remains the aim of Bosch Bahá’í School to dedicate the pre-
15
10 ponderating share of its efforts to supporting the work of the Five Year Plan. By
5 providing opportunities for the development and deepening of the greater Bahá’í
community and by being supportive of each individual’s desire to improve her or
his service to the Plan, now, more than ever, the results of this vision are beginning
2006– 2007– 2008–
2007 2008 2009 to match the intensity of action demanded by the Universal House of Justice.

Riḍván 2009
76
Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine
Green Acre Bahá’í School continued, during 2008–09, to align its programs and
activities ever more closely with the goals of the Five Year Plan, experiencing a
O ne visitor from the
Vedanta Society
wrote: “We were over-
number of positive developments and significant confirmations. whelmed by the loving
Expanding an outward-looking orientation kindness we experi-
At Green Acre’s annual Race Unity banquet, 30 leaders in race relations enthusias- enced during our stay
tically received a modified “Anna’s presentation” highlighting oneness, resulting in … we want to come
a standing ovation and requests for home visits. back next year.”
Peace-loving groups and individuals have also been very receptive. In collaboration
with the Spiritual Assembly of Eliot, the Annual Sarah Farmer Peace Award was
given to a local nonprofit organization named Friends Forever. Its director was so
impressed on visiting Green Acre and learning of the teachings on peace that he
asked if the school would help host a group of Arab and Jewish Israeli teens who
would soon be visiting the area. Youth Service Corps volunteers prepared a devo-
tional program, a PowerPoint presentation, and a unity rap for the occasion. The
Israelis also shared presentations, songs, and dances. The entire gathering enjoyed
an Israeli-style lunch, warm fellowship—even a soccer game!
Green Acre’s Youth Service Corps also participated in an interfaith discussion at
the University of New Hampshire on gender equality, resulting in two youths be-
ing invited to make a presentation on the Faith in a women’s studies class. They
also took part in the Martin Luther King Jr. Spiritual Celebration at the university,
where they offered Bahá’í prayers and writings on the subject of equality, justice,
and unity. Afterwards they taught the Faith to a hospice chaplain who gratefully
accepted a Bahá’í prayer book and a copy of the writings used in the program.
The various groups renting Green Acre facilities continue to learn about the Faith
during their stays here. One example during 2008–09 was the Hindu-based Ve-
danta Society. Two swamis, wanting to honor one of their founders, Swami Vive-
kananda, who visited Green Acre in the 1890s, brought 22 followers for a weekend
retreat. All asked many questions about the Faith and rejoiced in the spirit of
Green Acre. One swami wrote: “We were overwhelmed by the loving kindness we
experienced during our stay … we want to come back next year.”
The school also hosted a banquet for the local Methodist Church in honor of one
of their members. One Eliot resident in attendance was so impressed by the quality
of the school’s services and facilities that she has now invited Green Acre to host
the kick-off event for the Town of Eliot Bicentennial celebration in 2010!

Educating children, junior youth, and youth

Green Acre focused much attention during 2008–09 on empowering young people
to be active participants in the Plan. Using the Teacher’s Toolbox curriculum,
children created teaching booklets, learned how to do home visits, and gained

Education
77
 confidence practicing home visits and presentations on the Faith. At one open
house, the son of a seeker astounded onlookers by very ably and naturally deliver-
ing “Anna’s presentation” to a classmate!
Some 55 children participated in Green Acre’s annual full-scholarship weekend fo-
cused on devotional gatherings and how children can take more initiative in creat-
ing them with families and communities. They presented inspirational prayer-raps
and systematically developed devotional plans. One young teacher, a newly-trained
animator who has been a Bahá’í for only two months, said, “It was an experience I
will never forget!”

C hildren created
teaching booklets,
learned how to do home
Youth classes studied the Universal House of Justice’s Riḍván 2008 message,
reflecting on the needs of the Plan and how the core activities in each cluster
create a framework for growth. They assessed their personal responsibilities in this
visits, and gained con- process, and many sent pledges of service to their clusters.
fidence practicing home Junior youth have had the opportunity to prepare to become “spiritual descen-
visits and presentations dants of the Dawn-Breakers” in fall and spring weekend institutes. Their summer
on the Faith. At one institute focused on spiritual transformation and the integration of the arts into
teaching and proclamation. With the aim of mobilizing resources for the clusters,
open house, the son the school also offered two Ruhi Book 5 animator trainings, to youths and young
of a seeker astounded adults and to parents.
onlookers by very ably
Perhaps one of Green Acre’s greatest successes has been empowering Youth Service
and naturally delivering Corps volunteers to support the goals of the Plan. Besides their regular deepenings
“Anna’s presentation” on various themes of their choice, they have received Youth Empowerment training
to a classmate! and animator training, and are participating in other community activities, includ-
ing door-to-door teaching, home visits, devotional gatherings, firesides, traveling
teaching, and proclaiming the Faith boldly and creatively in many venues and in
many ways. Their unity raps and poetry have received standing ovations, and one
activity was covered in the local news. Youth Service Corps members also privi-
leged to participate, in December 2008, in the Regional Bahá’í Conference held in
Stamford, Connecticut, and attended the annual Northeast Bahá’í Youth (NEBY)
conference to learn about contributing to cluster advancement, as well as to pro-
mote the Youth Service Corps program and urge others to join in this remarkable
experience.
Green Acre has embarked on another major construction project, which involves
an apartment building for staff (projected for July 2009), a guest housing facility
with 12 rooms and two dormitories (December 2009), an office building, a youth
center, and a library/archives building (2010).
Working with the National Spiritual Assembly’s Office of Communications, Green
Acre has developed a monthly e-newsletter. The color photos, news and notes, and
upcoming course announcements have served to strengthen Green Acre’s bonds
with the national community.
As the school looks ahead to the coming year, its principal goal will be to prepare
for entry by troops. To further build capacity to offer distinctive spiritual educa-
tion, Green Acre will be actively seeking to enlist more Youth Service Corps volun-
teers and more children’s class teachers.

Riḍván 2009
78
Louhelen Bahá’í School, Davison, Michigan
Drawing from lessons learned in previous years, Louhelen Bahá’í School during
2008–09 made a significant shift in programming that underscored the impor-
I t was learned that
when the school
offers intensive Ruhi
tance of furthering the two essential movements of the Five Year Plan. This shift training, the most ef-
signaled the school’s desire to achieve greater coherence with the institutions of
fective book in the cur-
the Faith and required a redoubling of efforts to systematize its programs and
activities to meet the growing needs of the individual and community. In the fore- riculum is Book 5,
front of efforts were the school’s youth volunteers, whose excitement for involve- Raising up Anima-
ment in the Plan strongly motivated them to arise to play their part and assist with tors of Junior Youth
cluster development. Groups.
Systematic efforts
At the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly, the preponderating share of
Louhelen’s programs throughout 2008–09 focused on development of knowledge
and skills necessary to achieve the goals of the Five Year Plan. As their offerings are
considered for inclusion in a particular season’s program, presenters are requested
to identify key elements in their course outlines that apply to the Plan. Presenters
must emphasize themes that promote a greater understanding of the Plan and the
application of learning in the field. Children’s and junior youth classes continue
to employ a systematic approach to education through the Teacher’s Toolbox, in
which the content addresses themes central to the Plan. Parents frequently remark
that they bring their children to Louhelen for children’s classes as a means of fos-
tering their Bahá’í identity.
Through action and reflection, it was learned that when the school offers inten-
sive Ruhi training, the most effective book in the curriculum is Book 5, Raising
up Animators of Junior Youth Groups. Enrollments increase when these inten-
sives run concurrently with other programs. Through these offerings, the school
can meet the needs of more than one family member; it can also extend special
invitations to individuals in clusters that lack sufficient human resources to hold a
study circle. During 2008–09, eight staff members completed Ruhi Book 7 over the
course of three such weekend intensives—doubling the number of people active as
tutors in the surrounding “C” cluster.
Consultations with members of the Continental Board of Counselors and their
Auxiliary Boards, with the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Central States and the
Regional Training Institute, and with the Regional Cluster Coordinator resulted
in a closer and deeper collaboration. One outcome of this collaboration is a new
program brought to Louhelen by a member of the Regional Bahá’í Council of the
Central States. Called “A Coherent Approach to Growth,” the program focuses on
the interactive role of cluster agencies, Local Spiritual Assemblies, and a statistical
process from the Universal House of Justice. Some 30 attendees from Assemblies
and cluster agencies commented favorably on the usefulness of the content, re-
questing expansion of the program from a one-day workshop to weekend sessions.

Education
79
 Youth volunteers
The Bahá’í Youth Service Corps’ education program at Louhelen was organized to
include participation in the institute training process. In collaboration with the lo-
cal Cluster Institute Coordinator, a weekly “study-circle-within-a-study-circle” was
established. Youth Service Corps volunteers, staff, and other community members
gather to simultaneously participate in several study circles or as tutors. This strat-
egy increases participant movement through the sequence of courses and requisite
practices. Youth Service Corps volunteers are in the forefront of Louhelen’s Five
Year Plan work, sponsoring devotional meetings, tutoring study circles, teaching

Y outh Service Corps

volunteers, staff,
and other commu-
children’s classes, serving as youth animators, and participating in direct teaching
projects off the school’s campus. Youth tutors have been instrumental in advanc-
ing the surrounding cluster’s engagement in the institute process.
nity members gather to The coordinators of the summer Youth Eagle program experimented this year with
simultaneously par- a new format combining the study of the sequence of Ruhi courses with interac-
tions with artists in various media—watercolors, photography, instrumental and
ticipate in several study
vocal music, and poetry. Through this creative agenda, the arts were incorporated
circles or as tutors. into the Ruhi program’s practices. For example, participants in a Book 6 study
This strategy increases circle invited a religion class in the area to hear “Anna’s presentation”; a Book
participant movement 3 study circle taught children’s classes. Youths wrote original poetry and music,
through the sequence created watercolor paintings and collages of photos as outward expressions of the
sacred writings, and presented their artistic endeavors at two public programs. A
of courses and requisite
declaration of faith resulted from the inspiration, excitement, and high energy that
practices. only youth can bring to a campus.
During a family session, a youth class and its teachers traveled to a neighboring
cluster and participated in its intensive program of growth. The cluster’s Auxiliary
Board member and members of its various communities welcomed the contri-
butions of the youth to a direct teaching project that resulted in a declaration.
Members of the youth class enthusiastically returned to reflect on their experience
and carry their learning back to their own clusters.

Advancement of geographic clusters

Louhelen provides a model for Bahá’í community life that includes welcoming
seekers to its programs. This year, seekers attended numerous sessions—many ac-
companied by their primary teachers. Six declarations of faith occurred as a result
of their experiencing the loving atmosphere of Bahá’í community life.
The Spiritual Assembly of Yellow Springs, Ohio, plans an annual retreat to Louhel-
en to build a spirit of love and unity within the cluster. Seekers, new believers,
family and friends, and children and youth gather for a weekend of education on
a theme that builds vibrant communities. This session develops a greater coher-
ence among individuals, the institution, and community members, through study
of the sacred writings and living the life. As the friends return home, the common
language of encouragement, love, and unity brings them closer together.

Farewell reception
During the summer, a farewell reception was hosted in honor of Drs. Rick and
Barbara Johnson for their 17 years of selfless service as Co-Administrators at
Louhelen. Their invaluable contributions to the growth and development of this
institution are deeply appreciated and their radiant hearts, nurturing spirits, and
wealth of stories are missed by everyone. The staff’s prayers are with them as they
begin this new chapter in their lives.

Riḍván 2009
80
Native American Bahá’í Institute, Houck, Arizona
As the Regional Training Institute for the Navajo and Hopi Indian reservations,
the Native American Bahá’í Institute (NABI) finds itself engaged in learning about
W hether in the
“A,” “B,” or
several “C” clusters the
growth at the same time it is experiencing growth. Whether in the “A,” “B,” or institute serves, 2008–
several “C” clusters the institute serves, 2008–09 has seen growth in nearly every
09 has seen growth
aspect of the framework for action described by the Five Year Plan. Core activities,
home visits, and teaching initiatives are steadily growing in more than 20 native in nearly every aspect
communities in five of the six clusters. And enrollments, which used to average of the framework for
about six per year, are now approaching six per month! action described by the
Facilitating training, establishing core activities, stimulating teaching, and raising Five Year Plan.
institutional capacity continue to be NABI’s primary responsibilities. As elsewhere,
both Bahá’ís and supporters in the community of interest are learning how to do
it. The institute has had a rich year in learning how to train, carry out the practices
required in the Ruhi curriculum, initiate core activities, conduct regular home vis-
its, collaborate, plan, teach the Faith and invite others to join, reflect, deepen new
believers, and, especially, serve the community.
These experiences have underscored the interdependence of the institute train-
ing process and the advancement of clusters—the two essential movements of
the Plan. Also evident is the value of collaboration among individuals, institu-
tions of the Faith, and the community—the three constituents of the Plan. NABI
has learned the importance of incorporating what junior youth and youth like
to do as they initiate programs of service to others; that it is better for home
visits to follow a regular pattern; that since each cycle in a program of intensive
growth brings new learning, it is critical for NABI and the friends in general to
become more systematic in their work; and, at least in NABI’s case, that a nearly
200-members-strong community of interest represents a most fertile field for
direct teaching efforts.
About 75 of the friends in the area are involved in teaching activities, and many
now feel confident enough to engage in direct or “heart-to-heart” teaching. In
White Cone, after completing Ruhi Book 1 (in Navajo), the friends wanted to carry
out the requisite practice by teaching the Faith to their neighbors and relatives.
When a declarant in Fort Defiance was told of the return of Christ, he exclaimed:
“Why wasn’t I told of this before?” In Wide Ruins, a whole family is studying
Book 2, while the local junior youth are busily studying Book 3 and pursuing ser-
vice activities. The same is true for Houck, Tsaile, Tuba City, Pine Springs, Mexican
Springs, and other communities.
All involved are learning that sustainable growth isn’t about numbers, it’s about
transformation, teaching together, and serving others. It is a spiritual enterprise.
And systematization makes the Bahá’ís dependable. People know they can rely on
the Bahá’ís. Initiatives are not canceled or dropped: they are adjusted or changed
as needed. The institute has learned about flexibility!

Education
81
 NABI’s five youth and junior youth programs incorporate not only study, but also
service, recreation, socialization, and team-building skills. These programs stimu-
late initiative and teach youth not to rely on the historical or government pattern
of waiting for top-down direction. They are learning to serve others, which brings
joy to their parents, grandparents, and themselves! One youth couldn’t stop chop-
ping wood for an elder—the wood would have filled the hogan if the Grandma
hadn’t told him to stop!
Not surprisingly, the community of interest NABI serves has steadily increased
from 100 at the beginning of 2008 to 200 at year’s end. It may be because over
65 percent of Ruhi Book 7 trainees are active in tutoring and accompanying their
collaborators, and because everyone associated with the training institute is also
engaged in building social skills. Beyond teaching initiatives, many friends are in-
terested in community improvement—for example, tutoring after school, assisting
with college applications, teaching behavioral skills, or bringing paved roads to the
region. NABI’s engagement in all these serves as a natural springboard for investi-
gation of the Faith for such service-minded friends.
Poor roads and long distances require making the most of home visits, particularly
as NABI concentrates its efforts in “A” and “B” clusters. Indeed, home visits pro-

T
vide the greatest successes; the families who are visited say they look forward to
hese programs the visits and the core activities of Bahá’ís. They say they love their Bahá’í visitors
stimulate initiative because they are of service and do not disparage other religions. Home visits have
and teach youth not to really become a natural fit with the culture. Both for those making the visits and
rely on the historical or those receiving them, they have acquired the quality of a hand-in-glove relation-
government pattern of ship: both are happy and both are engaged in the same thing. The families being
visited often invite the friends to stay and teach more, while a meal is prepared to
waiting for top-down show appreciation and esteem. This same teamwork is then directed into accompa-
direction. They are niment as teaching and outreach is extended to others.
learning to serve oth-
Being in the midst of native communities, the friends see that the Bahá’í culture
ers, which brings joy to is consistent with the Navajo culture, and respect for it abounds. This leads to
their parents, grand- family transformation and cluster advancement. One Navajo grandmother told her
parents, and them- children and grandchildren: “I don’t know much about the Bahá’í Faith, but what
selves! I know is it fits with our traditional ways. Your child’s and your future lies in this
Faith. It is the only way for you and my grandchildren.”

Riḍván 2009
82
Wilmette Institute
Mission
D uring 2008–09,
the Wilmette Insti-
tute offered 19 online
The Wilmette Institute was established in 1995 to offer quality e-learning courses courses, five more than
and applied courses on the Bahá’í Faith. The institute is committed to engaging a the previous year, con-
broad and diverse community of learners in deep study of the Faith and to foster- stituting a new record.
ing love for study of the Faith.
The institute is financially self-suffi-
cient and receives no direct financial Wilmette Institute online
support from the National Bahá’í course offerings, 2008–09
Fund, though it does receive support Basics Students Groups
services from offices and agencies Kitáb-i-Íqán and Gems of Divine Mysteries 26 4
of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Staff costs are covered by tuition The Promised Day Is Come 18 1
fees and donations. The Writings of the Báb 23 1

Online courses Creating a Nonprofit Organization 17 2

During 2008–09, the Wilmette Insti- Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation: A Systematic Survey 12 1
tute offered 19 online courses, five
Exploring The Tanakh/Christian Old Testament 13 0
more than the previous year, consti-
tuting a new record. Attracting 359 Arise for the Triumph of the Cause:
✓ 33 4
students, the courses reflected some The New Five Year Plan
of the following characteristics:
What is Religion? 17 0
Courses focused on priorities related
The Summons of the Lord of Hosts 6 0
to the Five Year Plan (“Arise for the
Triumph of the Cause,” “The New `Abdu’l-Bahá: His Life and Writings 20 1
Five Year Plan”), strengthening Local Introduction to Archives for Bahá’í Archivists 15 0
Spiritual Assemblies (“Introduction
to Archives for Bahá’í Archivists”), Bahá’í History, 1844-53: Rediscovering the
18 2
and continuing priorities of the Faith Dawn-breakers
(social and economic development: Hinduism for Deepening and Dialogue 14 0
“Creating a Nonprofit Organiza-
tion”). Six courses focused on the The Life of Bahá’u’lláh ✓ 9 0
writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, The Ministry of Shoghi Effendi 19 0
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, or Shoghi Effendi,
Bahá’í Theology: Concepts of God, Revelation,
strengthening the ability of Bahá’ís Manifestation, Humanity, Creation, Afterlife, 20 0
to study the authoritative texts. and Covenant
Four courses helped Bahá’ís to study
other religions and relate them to Health and Spirituality 24 0
the Faith. All courses are designed to Kitáb-i-Aqdas 15 0
develop a culture of learning in the
Exploring the Christian New Testament 40 4
Bahá’í community. Many students
report using insights from Wilmette

Education
83
 Institute courses in teaching the Faith to inquirers and giving classes to children,
youth, and adults.
Courses attracted an average of 19 students, compared to averages of 25 in
2007–08, 23 in 2006–07, and 18 in 2005–06. The decrease probably reflects the
drop in the number of local study groups. The average course had only one local
study group; the average was two per course in both the previous years.
Students came from 28 countries outside the United States (one more than both
previous years): Australia (8), Belgium (1), Brazil (2), Canada (37), China (2), Cyprus
(1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (1), Finland (1), Gambia (1), Germany (2), Iran (1),

T he effectiveness of
courses steadily
improved during the
Ireland (1), Jamaica (4), Luxembourg (1), Malaysia (1), New Zealand (2), Northern
Mariana Islands (1), Samoa (1) Singapore (1), Solomon Islands (1), South Africa
(13), Spain (1), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1), Taiwan (1), United Kingdom (21), and
year, as measured by Zambia (1). Canada remains the chief source of foreign students (38), followed by
the rising volume of Europe (31), Africa (15), and Australasia (11).
postings to the courses’ Students from outside the United States—including some pioneers—totaled 110
discussion forums. (101 in 2007–08, 84 in 2006–07, 90 in 2005–06) and accounted for 31 percent of
all students.
Course completion
rates increased and While statistics have not been collected, a significant percentage of institute
have, perhaps, doubled students often serve as Ruhi course tutors or have taken numerous Ruhi courses.
Many are using Wilmette Institute information in their study circles.
compared to previous
years. Upgrading quality
The year 2008–09 represented a turning point in course quality, as the institute
launched Moodle, its new course management system, on January 28, 2008. The
effectiveness of courses steadily improved during the year, as measured by the
rising volume of postings to the courses’ discussion forums. Students familiar with
the old and new systems all said they preferred Moodle. Course completion rates
increased and have, perhaps, doubled compared to previous years.
A faculty training course, under development for nearly two years, was inaugu-
rated in March–April 2008 and has been repeated quarterly since. Each repetition
of the course has brought improvements in its quality. As faculty are trained to use
Moodle, the Wilmette Institute staff have less secretarial work to do and can focus
on increasing the number of courses and further improving their quality. Over the
next year, all courses will add automated final quizzes to measure student learn-
ing.
As the year drew to a close, plans to switch the registration system to Cvent soft-
ware were far advanced. Cvent will make registration much smoother, will stream-
line the providing of scholarships, and will allow the institute to survey customers
to collect marketing data.
Moodle, faculty training, and Cvent will greatly professionalize the institute’s
services. This will allow the institute to pursue two goals it has set for itself in the
Five Year Plan:
1. Collaboration with Bahá’í campus associations in creating courses accreditable
through their universities.
2. Creation of courses designed for and marketed to inquirers.

Publicity and marketing

The Lamp, the institute’s newsletter, was replaced by a monthly e-newsletter
starting in June. It was prepared and distributed by the Office of Communica-

Riḍván 2009
84
tions using Constant Contact software. The format is quick and easy to edit and
is probably more effective. Publicity information was distributed at the annual
Association for Bahá’í Studies conference, the Association of Friends of Persian
Culture conference, and the Rabbani Trust conference. In most cases, the public-
ity included a display as well as fliers. Monthly email notices to several thousand
people attracted the majority of students.

Service to the Five Year Plan and the Bahá’í community

In a letter written on his behalf, Shoghi Effendi noted, “The Cause needs more
… people who not only are devoted to it and believe in it and are anxious to tell
others about it, but also who have a deep grasp of the Teachings and their signifi-
cance, and who can correlate its beliefs with the current thoughts and problems
of the people of the world.” This statement captures the purpose of the Wilmette
B ahá’í academics
and researchers
have felt encouraged
Institute. and empowered by the
Bahá’ís take Wilmette Institute courses to: opportunity to serve
• Enrich their presentations to study circles. as Wilmette Institute
faculty; for some, it
• Assist them in preparing children’s and youth classes.
has been an important
• Enhance their devotional programs. confirmation that their
• Improve their artistic skills (students are linked to mentors who are professional specialized education is
artists). valuable to the Faith.
• Develop their scholarship (several students, mentored by published Bahá’í au-
thors, have produced publishable works).
• Acquire knowledge in order to explain the Faith more effectively (to such
groups as Jews, Christians, Muslims).
• Foster regular study of the Word of God (through courses on Bahá’u’lláh’s writ-
ings).
Bahá’í academics and researchers have felt encouraged and empowered by the op-
portunity to serve as Wilmette Institute faculty; for some, it has been an important
confirmation that their specialized education is valuable to the Faith. Students and
faculty alike are acquiring a deeper grasp of the Bahá’í teachings, a greater eager-
ness to take the Faith to others, and an enhanced ability to relate the Bahá’í Faith
to the world.

Education
85
 Bahá’í House of
House of Worship Activities Office Worship, Wilmette
During 2008–09, the Bahá’í House of Worship Activities Office faced a challenge 87 ���House of Worship Activities
unprecedented since the Temple’s dedication and formal opening to the public Office
in 1953. Due to the House of Worship restoration work, the Visitors’ Center was
89 ���House of Worship Choir
closed to the public and will remain closed until after Bahá’í National Conven-
tion 2009. The closing affected many aspects of the Activities Office’s day-to-day
operations, including teaching the Faith, guiding and interacting with visitors, and
planning and coordinating Holy Day commemorations.
First and foremost, the Visitors’ Center functions as a welcoming center where
staff, volunteer guides, and Bahá’ís from neighboring communities can talk with
people who are interested in finding out more about the Bahá’í Faith and the
House of Worship. Closing the Visitors’ Center meant not having a space to con-
tinue doing this. The Activities Office staff understood it would have to adapt to
circumstances as they stood. Despite this temporary loss of a valuable resource, the
Temple itself, the American Bahá’í community’s most precious asset, would remain
open, fulfilling its role, in Shoghi Effendi’s words, as the “great ‘Silent Teacher’
of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.” In fact, the Temple became the focus of subsequent
teaching efforts and has been the starting point for many wonderful conversations
with visitors about the Faith.
S taff have developed greater
familiarity with the most
common questions visitors
Because of the low number of volunteers available since the Visitors’ Center’s ask about the Temple and the
closing in May 2008, each staff member in the Activities Office has been required
Bahá’í Faith, have learned
to spend a portion of the workday guiding. All have realized the importance and
necessity of having guides present at the entrance to the Temple’s auditorium to from each other how to ad-
welcome visitors to this holiest House of Worship. Through spending more time dress visitors’ most difficult
upstairs, staff have developed greater familiarity with the most common questions questions, and have gotten a
visitors ask about the Temple and the Bahá’í Faith, have learned from each other better sense of who the people
how to address visitors’ most difficult questions, and have gotten a better sense of
are that visit.
who the people are that visit.
Notwithstanding the challenges of the last year, the Activities Office continued to
receive support from a few stalwart volunteers, whose service at the Temple has
been invaluable. Without the service of these committed and selfless believers, the
office staff would not have been able to maintain the level of productivity and ef-
ficiency necessary to execute all of its various duties.
Also affected by the closing of the Visitors’ Center was the House of Worship
bookshop. The Activities Office saw in this extended closure a unique opportunity
to examine the bookshop’s inventory in detail—with an eye to downsizing it in
preparation for the bookshop’s transition to the new Visitors’ Center. The book-
shop envisioned for the new Visitors’ Center will be more like a reading room and
less like a souvenir shop. The office has assisted the bookshop manager in sorting
through books, peeling labels, counting pamphlets and postcards, updating the
Booklog inventory control and point-of-sale software program, and creating a new

Bahá’í House of Worship

87
 store layout. The new layout will be easier to navigate, with less inventory out on
the floor—enabling visitors to walk in without feeling overwhelmed, with too much
to look at.
Finally, the displays that had been on the walls of the Visitors’ Center for nearly
two decades were taken down and will be replaced. Displays based on the content
anticipated for the new Visitors’ Center displays are being created by the design
team. Over the next few years, visitors will provide the team with opinion on what
is effective and what is not, what they want to know more about, what they like
and what they do not like. The new displays, it is expected, will provide people

T he new displays,
it is expected, will
provide people who
who have been to the Visitors’ Center many times with information about the
Bahá’í Faith and the Temple that they never knew before.
Though achieving an exact count was impossible—owing to the closing of the
have been to the Visi- Linden Avenue entrance to the auditorium and the resultant unavailability of the
counting device used to record their entry—a rough estimate of the number of
tors’ Center many times
visitors to the House of Worship during 2008–09 is 128,000, with some 9,900
with information about attending the 618 regular devotional programs that were held. Some 56 student
the Bahá’í Faith and interviews and 98 tours of the House of Worship were conducted by Activities Of-
the Temple that they fice staff and by volunteers—who contributed 3,860 hours of valued service. The
never knew before. closing of the Visitors’ Center diminished the number of weddings held, but some
13 took place on the Temple’s grounds nonetheless.
The year 2008–09 has been one of great transition, pointing up a need to change
the way the community thinks about how things are done at the Bahá’í House of
Worship. It has also marked the office’s entrance into a new phase in its opera-
tions, symbolic and reflective of changes occurring in the worldwide Bahá’í com-
munity and in the greater community. Surprisingly, the Visitors’ Center closure did
not appear to affect the majority of people visiting the House of Worship. On the
contrary, the most prevalent question asked by visitors was, “How can we get to
the Visitors’ Center?” Most did not seem aware before they came that the Visitors’
Center was closed. This may suggest that most visitors do not look at the House of
Worship website before coming but are, instead, coming based on a past experi-
ence or through hearing about someone else’s experience—in other words, through
word of mouth.

Riḍván 2009
88
House of Worship Choir
The year 2008–09 has been unique for the Bahá’í House of Worship Choir, ow-
ing to the closing of the Temple’s Visitors’ Center. The choir’s Sunday morning
T he choir has moved
out into the com-
munity—on the average,
rehearsals were relocated to the loft of the auditorium, where the choir is usually singing at one program
stationed as it sings on the first three Sundays of each month. These rehearsals—
which are mainly held to prepare the choir for singing for the regular Sunday
per month in the local
morning devotions at 12:30 p.m.—have attracted many visitors who sit down to community since Sep-
listen and meditate while the quiet singing wafts down from above. Some visitors tember 2008.
sit through the entire hour-long rehearsals. This is a new experience for the choir,
which has been accustomed to rehearsing downstairs in the Visitors’ Center on
Sunday mornings, with few or no visitors standing by.
With the Visitors’ Center closed and little programming being held in the House of
Worship that the choir would normally support, the choir has moved out into the
community—on the average, singing at one program per month in the local com-
munity since September 2008. This outreach program has further drawn attention
to the House of Worship and the Bahá’í Faith, as the public has learned that a
choir exists that sings at the Temple three Sundays of each month. As a result, the
choir has received more invitations this past year to sing at various venues in the
larger community and has met many people in the Temple’s neighboring commu-
nities. The choir has developed a repertoire using instruments, which is combined
with their a cappella repertoire in these performances for the larger community.
Most memorable of these outside performances was the choir’s participation in a
service at the North Shore Unitarian Church in Deerfield, Illinois, where the min-
ister’s sermon was about the Bahá’í Faith. The House of Worship Choir provided
the main music and was joined by the church’s choir to sing two combined choir
pieces. The church posted a video of the service on its website, and a member of
the church posted on YouTube a video clip of the combined choirs singing under
the direction of House of Worship Choir Director Van Gilmer.
The House of Worship choir increased its membership this year and has experi-
enced greater participation by its members by an average of four more singers.
Since rehearsals in the main are held in the Choir Director’s home, no further
impact was felt as a result of the closing of the House of Worship Visitors’ Center.
The past two Choral Music Festivals at the House of Worship have gained support
from a large and diverse number of singers throughout North America. A third an-
nual festival is being planned for 2009 during Memorial Day weekend. The festi-
vals have given singers an opportunity to sing in the holiest Bahá’í House of Wor-
ship in the world. It has also focused attention on the importance of using music
and the arts to attract a community of interest to the Faith. Over the past two
years, at least six persons are known to have declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh as
a direct result of participating in or attending the Choral Music Festivals. Numer-
ous other people from neighboring communities—who were among the approxi-
mately 1,000 individuals attending the culminating concert of the festivals each

Bahá’í House of Worship

89
 year—have become friends of the Faith, with some now participating in core activi-
ties. For the first time ever, the choir hosted a Release and Signing Meeting at the
Wilmette Public Library for the newly released CD Sacred Songs II Recorded Live
at the Bahá’í House of Worship for the North American Continent.
The choir’s participation as the only non-Unitarian Church choir in the church’s
annual concert in Evanston, Illinois, has influenced an obvious change in the attire
and repertoire of their fellow performers. The first year, the House of Worship choir
was the only choir dressed in black and wearing shawls. This year all the choirs
were dressed in black and one also wore shawls! The choice of music was also

O ver the past two

years, at least six
persons are known to
influenced and all the choirs showed more variety in their selection of songs.
In all, during 2008–09, the choir has sung for nine services outside of the House
of Worship. It has sung for approximately 30 regular devotional services in the
have declared their House of Worship, five Holy Day observances, and one memorial devotional. Dur-
belief in Bahá’u’lláh as ing August, the choir is generally off for vacation.
a direct result of par- Support of special devotional services
ticipating in or attend- During the past year, the choir provided music for the following Holy Day com-
ing the Choral Music memorations and special memorial services at the House of Worship:
Festivals.
• Declaration of the Báb
• Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh
• Martyrdom of the Báb
• Birth of the Báb
• Birth of Bahá’u’lláh
• Memorial Service for Mrs. Charlayna (Cookie) Gilmer

Riḍván 2009
90
Reaching out to the community of interest
During 2008–09, the choir performed at the following local community venues
and events:
• Interfaith Choral Festival, Jewish Constructionist Congregation, Evanston, Il-
linois (The House of Worship Choir was the only choir featured in the Interfaith
Agency newsletter)
• Second Annual Choral Music Festival at the Bahá’í House of Worship
• 100th Bahá’í National Convention (four programs)
• Family Focus of Evanston Gospel Fest, Evanston, Illinois
• North Shore Unitarian Church, Deerfield, Illinois
A new CD entitled
Sacred Songs II
Recorded Live at the
• Release and signing of new Choral Music Festival CD, Wilmette Public Library, Bahá’í House of Wor-
Wilmette, Illinois ship for the North
• Family Focus West End Market Event, Evanston, Illinois American Continent
• Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, Illinois was recorded during
the Second Choral Mu-
• Winnetka Interfaith Council Thanksgiving Devotional Service at Winnetka Con-
sic Festival.
gregational Church, Winnetka, Illinois
• Interfaith Sunday Service, “Paths Toward Peace,” Glenview Community Church,
Glenview, Illinois
In addition, the choir was the recipient, in March 2009, of an Imani Award from
Family Focus of Evanston, Illinois.

Activities of the Choir Director

• Participated in One Human Family 10th Anniversary Celebration, Durham, North
Carolina
• Spoke at Winnetka Interfaith Council Presentation, New Trier High School, Win-
netka, Illinois
• Performed for the 2008 Bahá’í Social and Economic Development Conference,
Orlando, Florida
• Performed—with 43 singers, mostly from North America—at Diamond Jubilee
Celebration of 75 Years of Bahá’í Faith in Ethiopia
A new CD entitled Sacred Songs II Recorded Live at the Bahá’í House of Wor-
ship for the North American Continent was recorded during the Second Choral
Music Festival.

Bahá’í House of Worship

91
Bahá’í Publishing Trust and Distribution Service Publishing
The Bahá’í Publishing Trust and Distribution Service set out on a new organi- 93 ���Bahá’í Publishing Trust and
zational path during 2008–09. In the months leading to Riḍván 2008, with the Distribution Service
guidance and approval of the National Spiritual Assembly, the Publishing Trust
95 ���Bahá’í Media Services
and Distribution Service combined offices in Wilmette, hired and trained new staff,
and outsourced warehousing and fulfillment services while preparing to meet the 97 ���The American Bahá’í
challenges and goals of the coming year. Entering this fiscal year, the organization
99 ���Brilliant Star
faced the two central challenges of:
101 ���World Order
1. Balancing the editorial calendar for all imprints and better serving the objec-
tives of the Five Year Plan.
2. Reducing the annual subvention to the Publishing Trust by $500,000.
A total of 18 new works or new editions were issued by the Publishing Trust under
its three imprints.
The Bahá’í Publishing Trust (BPT) imprint released seven new titles: Bahá’í Wall
Calendar, 166 B.E.; Bahá’í Datebook, 166 B.E.; Family Life: A Compilation;
Unrestrained as the Wind: Releasing the Spirit of Youth (new expanded edition);
Palabras Ocultas (The Hidden Words, Spanish edition); Pasajes de los Escritos
de Bahá’u’lláh (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Spanish edition);
A total of 18 new works or
new editions were is-
sued under the three imprints
and Oraciones Bahá’ís (Bahá’í Prayers, Spanish edition). Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
The Bahá’í Publishing (BP) imprint released nine new titles: From a Gnat to an Bahá’í Publishing and Bell-
Eagle: The Story of Nathan Rutstein by Nathan Rutstein; Illumine My Heart: wood Press.
Bahá’í Prayers for Every Occasion, prepared by staff; Remembering 1969:
Searching for the Eternal in Changing Times by Robert Atkinson; Waiting for
the Sunrise: One Family’s Struggle against Genocide and Racism by Elizabeth
Gatorano; Meditations: Selections from Bahá’í Scripture, prepared by staff;
Adam’s Wish: The Unknown Poems of Ṭáhirih, by John S. Hatcher and Amrollah
Hemmat; In the Glory of the Father: The Bahá’í Faith and Christianity, by Brian
D. Lepard; The Pen of Glory: Selected Works of Bahá’u’lláh; and Illumine My
Spirit: Bahá’í Prayers and Meditations for Women, prepared by staff.
In addition, downloadable teacher’s guides were prepared to assist teachers wish-
ing to use Waiting for the Sunrise and Remembering 1969 in the classroom.
The Bellwood Press imprint for children, junior youth, and youth released two new
titles: The First Gift, written by Judith A. Cobb and illustrated by Wendy Cowper-
Thomas; and How Riley Tamed the Invisible Monster, written by Dawn E. Garrott
and illustrated by Luthando Mazibuko.
Some 20 reprints were completed this year: six BPT titles, 12 BP titles, and three
Bellwood Press titles. BPT titles that were reprinted include Communion with God
(booklet); Huqúqu’lláh: The Right of God; The Kitáb-i-Aqdas (pocket-size edi-
tion); The Kitáb-i-Íqán (pocket-size edition); Prayers and Meditations (pocket-

Publishing
93
 size edition); and Some Answered Questions (pocket-size edition). BP titles that
were reprinted include Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era; From a Gnat to an Eagle;
God Speaks Again; Hidden Gifts (reprinted twice); Illumine My Heart; Medi-
tations: Selections from Bahá’í Scripture; The Purpose of Physical Reality;
Religion on the Healing Edge; The Secret of Divine Civilization; Waiting for the
Sunrise; and A Way Out of the Trap. Bellwood Press titles that were reprinted
include The First Gift; O God, Guide Me!; and Wave Watcher.
At the direction of the National Assembly, the Publishing Trust designed and pro-
duced flip chart teaching aids of “Anna’s presentation” from Book 6 of the Ruhi

A cquisitions ac-
tivities continue
to focus on developing
curriculum in English and Spanish, along with a teacher training booklet. These
were offered free of charge by the Assembly to clusters throughout the country to
support intensive programs of growth and direct teaching efforts.

materials that support The Publishing Trust has 28 new projects in development under the Bahá’í
Publishing Trust and Bahá’í Publishing imprints and six new projects under the
the goals of the Five
Bellwood Press imprint. Some 15 reprint projects are also under way.
Year Plan and par-
ticularly on materials Acquisitions activities continue to focus on developing materials that support the
goals of the Five Year Plan and particularly on materials that directly support the
that directly support teaching work and the four core activities. Promising, appropriate manuscript pro-
the teaching work and posals that are closely aligned with the goals are coming in for all imprints.
the four core activities.
The Bahá’í Distribution Service (BDS) continued to serve as the distribution arm
Promising, appropriate of the Publishing Trust and as the primary distributor for Bahá’í World Center
manuscript proposals publications. BDS also provides the majority of product fulfillment to the national
that are closely aligned Bahá’í schools and provides subscriber services for Brilliant Star, World Or-
with the goals are com- der, One Country, U.S. Bahá’í Newsreel, and international subscriptions to The
American Bahá’í.
ing in for all imprints.
As of this writing, the Publishing Trust and Distribution Service expects to easily
exceed the goal of reducing the annual subvention by $500,000.
It is clear that the Publishing Trust and the Distribution Service will be challenged
in the coming year by the dim economic outlook facing this country and the rest
of the world. Controlling costs and improving efficiency in all areas will remain
a principal focus. On the revenue side of the equation, this challenge will be met
in large part by the reopening of the Bahá’í House of Worship bookshop and by
providing a Bahá’í bookstore to at least one additional conference in 2009. The
Publishing Trust also hopes to expand its market presence by introducing down-
loadable e-books and audio books in the coming year.

Riḍván 2009
94
Bahá’í Media Services
The mission of U.S. Bahá’í Media Services is to work in partnership with National
Spiritual Assembly offices and agencies, with regional and local Bahá’í institutions,
M edia Services
provided coor-
dination and produc-
and with individual believers to create a more informed American Bahá’í commu- tion support for video
nity—one that is continually challenged and invigorated by a deep understand-
coverage of all six of
ing and appreciation of the global plans of the Universal House of Justice for the
growth and development of the Faith.
the regional Bahá’í
conferences held in the
To carry out its mission, Media Services produces and distributes multimedia
United States in De-
products that express the ideals, relevance, momentum, vitality, and cultures of the
American Bahá’í community.
cember 2008.
Having begun the year with a staff of seven, Media Services was among the many
offices at the Bahá’í National Center that was required to cut back staff, and, since
December, has continued to provide services with a staff of three.

Bahá’í International Convention

Media Services participated in the 2008 International Convention at the Bahá’í
World Center in Haifa, Israel, serving as consultants and coordinators for various
aspects of the convention, including: video production, lighting, technical support
for language translation, and audio production.

Regional conferences
Media Services provided coordination and production support for video coverage
of all six of the regional Bahá’í conferences held in the United States in December
2008. Among services provided were:
• Editing of video for three of the conferences and coordination of Web postings.
• Coordination of volunteer efforts to edit video for three conferences eventually
to be posted in the online edition of The American Bahá’í.
• Collaboration with Bahá’í World News Service to produce video segments of the
conferences for Web posting.

U.S. Bahá’í Newsreel

During 2008–09, Media Services released three Newsreel DVDs, which contained a
total of 10 stories covering a number of topics directly related to the work of the
Five Year Plan, including direct teaching, consolidation, Local Spiritual Assembly
and community development, children’s classes, junior youth, home visits, indi-
vidual initiative, youth in action, and the Bahá’í Fund.

Collaborations
Throughout the past year, Media Services joined with sister offices and agencies at
the Bahá’í National Center in a series of collaborative projects, including:

Publishing
95
 • For the Office of Communications: Technical and strategic resourcing, content

M edia Services has

begun efforts to
develop a cadre of in-
provision for various websites, staff development efforts, and staffing resourc-
ing.
• For The American Bahá’í: Editorial and story resourcing, content provision for
dependent Bahá’í pro- the journal’s online edition, and staff development efforts.
ducers that the Nation-
• For the Conventions Office: Planning and execution of all audiovisual services
al Spiritual Assembly connected with 2008 Bahá’í National Convention.
can call on to meet the
communications needs In addition, Media Services worked in close partnership with the National Teach-
ing Office and the Office of the Treasurer on content for the U.S. Bahá’í Newsreel
of a growing American and received continuous editorial guidance and support from the Office of the
Bahá’í community. Secretary.

Special Projects
• Memorial video for the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Muḥammad Varqá—
worked with the Office of Ḥuqúqu’lláh to modify this memorial video for use by
the Trustees of Ḥuqúqu’lláh as an educational tool
• Memorial video for Counselor Rebequa Murphy (currently in production)
• Choral Music Festival at the Bahá’í House of Worship (video/audio production
only)
• U.S. Bahá’í National Convention—ongoing audiovisual support
• U.S. Bahá’í National Convention—production editing and Web postings
• U.S. Bahá’í National Convention delegates’ highlights—audio production
• The Divine Plan—produced and edited motivational video designed for Bahá’í
National Convention

New initiatives
Media Services has begun efforts to develop a cadre of independent Bahá’í pro-
ducers that the National Spiritual Assembly can call on to meet the communica-
tions needs of a growing American Bahá’í community.

Riḍván 2009
96
The American Bahá’í
The year 2008–09 was the first of an audacious enterprise for The American
Bahá’í: publication of its printed edition as a full-color news magazine six times
S everal issues have
been organized
around such themes as
per year, after 38 years in tabloid newspaper format. intensive growth ac-
Introduced at the 100th Bahá’í National Convention in May 2008, the magazine tivities, consolidation
continues to feature dignified presentations of guidance from the senior institu- of communities, youth
tions of the Faith; reports of cluster-level achievements and learning by Bahá’ís
and junior youth, and
across the country and beyond; news of the Bahá’í community’s response to
persecutions in Iran and elsewhere; several pages of articles in Persian; and helpful living the Bahá’í life.
items such as the calendar of events, classified notices, and the “In Memoriam”
listing. New elements include a greater space in the center of the magazine for
in-depth features, a page on the theme of Ḥuqúqu’lláh, a revamped section on
the National Bahá’í Fund, and pages in Spanish. The front covers of each issue are
especially intended to convey the rich diversity of the Bahá’í community in action.
The magazine has covered such large-scale events as the six regional conferences
held in the United States in December 2008 and last year’s Bahá’í National Con-
vention with vivid images and in-person reports. Several issues have been orga-
nized around such themes as intensive growth activities, consolidation of commu-
nities, youth and junior youth, and living the Bahá’í life.
This bold transition, taken at the direction of the National Spiri-
tual Assembly, was accompanied by a new, “cleaner”
redesign of The American Bahá’í online
edition, which also gained
its own Web

Publishing
97
 address (http://tab.usbnc.org). The online edition is home to numerous Web-only
articles, more in-depth and feature-added versions of many magazine articles, full-
length obituaries, and the popular “Excellence in All Things” feature.
Together the two editions represent a step forward in carrying out the central mis-
sions of The American Bahá’í: to disseminate guidance providing focus and di-
rection for our activities, to inspire and encourage the national Bahá’í community
to carry forward the Divine Plan, and to share news of how the friends are acting
to further the Cause and to benefit their local communities.
Dozens of readers have offered encouraging feedback since the magazine was

D ozens of read-
ers have offered
encouraging feedback
launched, praising its readability, ease of use, and attractiveness. They have also
sent suggestions for refinement, and staff of The American Bahá’í has imple-
mented several of these.
since the magazine In the coming year, The American Bahá’í aims to collaborate with the U.S.
was launched, praising Bahá’í Newsreel team and the Office of Communications to make more audio and
its readability, ease of video content available on the Web, both as standalone features and to comple-
use, and attractiveness. ment written and photographic content. The staff cherishes its continued col-
laboration with agencies and institutions including the National Teaching Office,
They have also sent the Office of the Treasurer, the Office of International Pioneering, the Office of
suggestions for refine- Education and Schools, the Persian-American Affairs Office, the Bahá’í Publishing
ment, and staff of The Trust, Brilliant Star, the Board of Trustees of Ḥuqúqu’lláh, and the Bahá’í World
American Bahá’í has News Service. The magazine is also grateful for the contributions of the highly
implemented several of skilled professionals who offer it expert consultation on visual design and Spanish
translation services, as well as the dozens of writing and photography volunteers
these. who made coverage of the December regional conferences possible.

Riḍván 2009
98
Brilliant Star
During 2008–09, Brilliant Star steadily progressed in its mission to achieve
excellence in children’s publishing, pursue innovation and learning, and develop a
A n 11-year-old
reader wrote, “I
love the purpose of the
global community of readers and contributors. The National Spiritual Assembly’s magazine, to give a
complimentary subscription program for registered children in the United States
promotes the magazine’s increasing receipt of helpful comments and opinions. A chance for kids to learn
parent recently wrote, “What an absolutely superb children’s magazine … the love about the Bahá’í Faith
and dedication, work and collaboration truly shows on each page. To anyone who in a fun manner, and
opens that magazine, it is clear that great love, care and creativity is put into it.” to teach kids how to
An 11-year-old reader wrote, “I love the purpose of the magazine, to give a chance be a better person! We
for kids to learn about the Bahá’í Faith in a fun manner, and to teach kids how to love you guys!”
be a better person! We love you guys!”
“I like every single page and I read them over and over again!” said another
11-year-old subscriber.
One reader noted, “What I like best … is the beautiful artwork put into it. Every
page is filled with … pictures to match the theme of the page and the overall
theme of the magazine. A ton of pure thought is put into that.”
Brilliant Star benefits from the insights of its young advisory group, the Trailblaz-
ers, with representatives from each continent. One 10-year-old Trailblazer reported,
“I love reading about … [Bahá’í] biographies, because I learn about … how they
grew up and the good work they did. …
Lightning and Luna [the
comic series]

Publishing
99
 are like my best friends and I love that they have superpowers to help the world
and defeat the Erasers! The [comic] is fun to read in both pictures and words. … I
like that each magazine has a theme (health, justice, … environment) … that I can
understand and learn about through the whole magazine. … I like the quotation
on the back. I read it over and over to learn it by heart.”
With reader encouragement like this informing its work, Brilliant Star supports the
Five Year Plan on many fronts. The magazine’s content inspires and educates Bahá’í
children with stories, activities, and resources that are fun, engaging, informative,
timely, and suited to multiple learning styles. Communities are assisted in their

O ne of the key goals

of Brilliant Star is
to provide children and
spiritual nurturing of children, and Bahá’í children around the world feel connected.
Six issues of Brilliant Star were released during the year, with the following
themes: “True Wealth” (May/June 2008), “Flow of Creativity” (July/August 2008),
their parents—as well “A World Connected” (September/October 2008), “Seekers of the Light” (Novem-
as Bahá’í communi- ber/December 2008), “Noble Journey” (January/February 2009), and “Caring for
Our Planet” (March/April 2009).
ties—with a highly ef-
fective tool for sharing One of the key goals of Brilliant Star is to provide children and their parents—as
the Bahá’í Faith. well as Bahá’í communities—with a highly effective tool for sharing the Bahá’í
Faith. The magazine strives to develop content that is accessible to readers of all
faiths and backgrounds. Focusing on progressive revelation and interfaith unity,
the November/December 2008 issue served as a companion to the 2006 issue,
“We Are One,” which received a DeRose-Hinkhouse “Best of Class” award from the
Religion Communicators Council.
Brilliant Star’s staff continues to refine the magazine’s editorial and visual ap-
proaches and to advance its high production values. Efforts in recent years have
led to enhanced public awareness of the magazine and a constant stream of
honors in publishing industry competitions. In 2008, Brilliant Star was awarded
its second APEX “Award of Excellence” for graphic design, editorial content, and
overall communication effectiveness and excellence. The magazine’s most out-
ward-reaching initiative is Brilliant Star Online, currently under construction (at
www.brilliantstarmagazine.org). As a result of the current Fund deficit, the web-
site has been on hold, but staff is prepared to regain momentum. The interactive
website will be an educational, entertaining, and visually engaging environment
that complements and reinforces its print counterpart. It will feature resources
for parents and teachers—carefully defined through collaboration with teachers,
parents, and others with expertise or interest in child development.
The website will also improve marketing and distribution of the magazine and will
increase awareness of Brilliant Star’s value as a teaching tool. There is vast poten-
tial for widely expanding Brilliant Star’s application among Bahá’ís, as well as
communities of interest around the world. An example of this potential is a recent
subscription from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United
Arab Emirates, which sends Brilliant Star to all Bahá’í children in the country.
Even with limited promotional activity in recent years, the magazine has reached
subscribers in over 80 countries. Efforts continue to significantly improve the sub-
scription fulfillment system, which includes online ordering, subscription renewals,
and bulk ordering.
The Brilliant Star staff is “conscious of the magnitude of the spiritual forces” at
its disposition and deeply grateful for the opportunity to help children develop
their spiritual perception, vitality of faith, and commitment to service. Continuously
inspired by the children the magazine serves, the staff looks forward to supporting
their endeavors as Bahá’í world citizens throughout the Five Year Plan and beyond.

Riḍván 2009
100
World Order
World Order publishes on “issues of broad social concern from a Bahá’í per-
spective,” thereby fulfilling its mandate from the National Spiritual Assembly. It
D uring the past
year, World Order
has published remark-
continues to make significant contributions to a body of literature that supports ably varied content
the national teaching plan and external-affairs activities; fosters the development
of spiritually distinctive communities; provides materials for individual and group on a number of issues
deepening; develops and enhances the intellectual and cultural life of the com- central to the current
munity; and seeks to correlate, as Shoghi Effendi has encouraged Bahá’í scholars Five Year Plan.
to do, the beliefs of the Bahá’í Faith “with the current thoughts and problems of
the world” in the areas of religion, society, polity, and the arts. During the past
year, World Order has published remarkably varied content on a number of issues
central to the current Five Year Plan. Some examples are listed below, including
the volume and issue number in which each example appeared:

Community building, past and present: The effects of persecution, prejudice, and war
• 38.3: Letters about the 1952 and 1954 trials of the Bahá’ís from Yazd, Iran,
written by the lead attorney Kazem Kazemzadeh and translated and introduced
by Firuz Kazemzadeh.

Community building: What Bahá’ís are doing and

what they can do
• 38.1: A poem commemorating the 75th an-
niversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy
Leaf.
• 38.1: “The Bahá’ís as a Mystic Community: A
Forum,” by Jack McLean and Moojan Momen,
discussing Momen’s article in 37.4.
• 38.2: An editorial on travel as an element open-
ing human beings to immersing themselves in
the vast spiritual ecosystem that is the human
family.
• 38.2: Excerpts from a journal kept by a Canadian
artist about how his art also served as an entree
to teaching the Faith in Salvador, Brazil.
• 38.2: A creative nonfiction piece, based on a trip
to Central America, containing reflections on travel
and comments on poverty and sexuality.

Community building through the arts

• 38.1: An anthology of poems that help us to repair
our damaged spirits.

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101
 • 38.2: An interview with Mark Bamford about his award-winning film Cape of
Good Hope, which examines a variety of prejudices and the healing power of
love.

Solving humanity’s problems

• 38.1: An editorial on consultation as the new vocabulary of communication
that encourages us to look at our troubled world and at some of the qualities
needed for bringing unity of thought and action to problems facing human-
kind.

T he National Spiri-
tual Assembly has
asked World Order to
• 38.1: An interview with the holder of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace about
the challenges and opportunities it faces as it moves into its second phase of
development at the University of Maryland.

cease publishing as • 38.3: An editorial on achieving a new level of universal consciousness, char-
acterized by a new level of social maturity, that would facilitate governments,
a subscription print
nongovernmental organizations, and individuals linking together in service to
magazine and to effect their suffering brothers and sisters.
a transition to a new,
• 38.3: Four talks by Alain Locke redefining democracy, education, and world citi-
free online magazine zenship.
that will be available
on the Web. Other highlights
External Outreach.
• The National Spiritual Assembly’s Office of External Affairs and U.S. UN Office:
Distribute several hundred copies of each issue to contacts.
• The National Spiritual Assembly’s Office of Communication: Regularly posts on
its public e-newsletter stories on new issues of the magazine.
• Local Spiritual Assemblies: Use World Order in their external-affairs activities.
I mproving Service to Subscribers.
• Consulted with the Bahá’í Distribution Service, Subscriber Service, Media
Services, and Brilliant Star about streamlining and improving the quality of
service provided by Subscriber Service.
Transition to a New Online M agazine. The National Spiritual Assembly has asked
World Order to cease publishing as a subscription print magazine and to effect a
transition to a new, free online magazine that will be available on the Web. The
current Editorial Board has been dissolved and an interim task force has been ap-
pointed to think through the nature of a new Editorial Board and of the website
needed for the new online magazine and to recommend editorial and marketing
goals. The hope is to have the online magazine operational by November 2009.

Riḍván 2009
102
Publishing
103
 Research
National Bahá'í Archives Services
In keeping with the Five Year Plan’s emphasis on being more open and involved 105 ���National Bahá’í Archives
with the larger society, the National Bahá'í Archives has long welcomed non-Bahá'í
107 ���Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project
researchers. Two graduate students who are not Bahá'ís visited the Archives this
year to conduct research for their dissertations. Partly to make information about 109 ���Office of Review
the holdings of the Archives more widely available to the public, the Archives staff
has begun working with the Bahá'í National Center’s Information Technology
department on an Archives public website. Most archives and libraries now have
websites, which allow the public to easily access information about their location,
hours, and collections. Often the websites will also have available digital displays of
archival or library material.
An important function of the Archives is to assist other offices of the Bahá'í
National Center. Of the 459 reference requests handled by the Archives staff dur-
ing 2008–09, 255 came from National Center offices. About 60 percent of these
requests were for biographical and historical information. Another 15 percent were
for information on archival holdings, copies of documents, and the retrieval of
files. National Center staff also checked out 147 books from the National Bahá'í
Library and 76 photographs from the Archives Photograph Collection. The online
catalog for the National Bahá'í Library was upgraded to a web-based program.
T he Archives staff has
begun working with the
Bahá’í National Center’s Infor-
This allows all National Center staff with access to the Internet to view the cata- mation Technology department
log.
on an Archives public website.
The Archives staff also assisted Bahá'í scholarship by answering 191 reference
requests from individuals and assisting 15 researchers who visited the Archives in
person. During the year, the Archives supplied a total of 10,209 photocopies of
archival and library material, 349 digital copies of photographs, and 132 digital
copies of documents or library material.
Another responsibility of the Archives staff is to provide technical advice on ques-
tions of archival preservation and arrangement. The Archives answered 46 such
questions from National Center offices, local communities, and individuals. The
Archivist was lead faculty for the 2008 Wilmette Institute course “Introduction to
Archives for Bahá'í Archivists,” which is given every other year. Taking the course
were Bahá'ís working in four local Bahá'í archives (Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles;
Peoria, Illinois; and Wichita, Kansas), four National Bahá'í Archives (Cyprus, El Sal-
vador, Spain, and Samoa) and the Green Acre Bahá'í School archives. The Archives
was also visited by the archivist of the National Bahá'í Archives of the Netherlands
for a week-long training program.
Due to continuing restoration work at the Bahá'í House of Worship, the Archives
displays were closed to visitors for much of the year. Only 387 visitors toured the
displays, down from the 882 of the previous year. One group that did view the
displays was a local Ruhi Book 4 study circle.

Research Services
105
 The services provided by the Archives are made possible by the work of the Ar-
chives staff in acquiring, processing, and preserving archival and library material.
The Archives continues to struggle with the acquisition of significant volumes of
new material, which creates space problems. During 2008–09, the Archives staff
processed 141 new accessions, totaling 134 linear feet, including nine original let-
ters from the Guardian, two works of art, one artifact, files from two former Coun-
selors, and 50 boxes of Bahá'í National Center records. The Archives also received
eight new collections of personal papers and additional material for nine existing
collections, including the Alice Dudley Papers, Sarah Farmer Papers, Jacqueline Left
Hand Bull Papers, Barbara Bray West Papers, and Gayle Woolson Papers.

D uring 2008–09,
the Archives staff
processed 141 new ac-
Some 53 boxes of National Center files were processed, including records of the
Office of the Secretary, National Teaching Committee, National Youth Committee/
Office, Office of International Pioneering, and Legal Affairs Office. The Archives
cessions, including nine also processed 21 collections of personal papers, including the Antoinette Ed-
original letters from the monds Papers, Susan Engle Papers, Glenford Mitchell Papers, Ruth Moffett Papers,
Guardian, two works of and Rexford and Sylvia Parmelee Papers. Among the material processed by the
art, one artifact, files Archives staff was an artifact belonging to Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, one
drawing by Mark Tobey, 431 photographs, 70 CDs, 13 DVDs, 181 audiotapes, six
from two former Coun- posters, and two architectural drawings. The Archives had 16 audiotapes digi-
selors, and 50 boxes of tized and transferred to CDs. The staff added 1,079 items to the National Bahá'í
Bahá’í National Center Library—including local bulletins from 47 communities in 27 states—and cataloged
records. The Archives 2,019 periodicals.
also received eight new
collections of personal
papers.

Riḍván 2009
106
Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project
The Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project achieved a major milestone in early 2009 with its
launching of a website featuring a gradually expanding selection of articles for the
T he Bahá’í Ency-
clopedia Project
achieved a major
study of the Bahá’í Faith. milestone in early 2009
The Universal House of Justice has recently underscored the importance of such with its launching of
study in the context of the Five Year Plan: a website featuring a
The House of Justice is fully committed to fostering the develop- gradually expanding
ment of Bahá’í scholarly activity in all parts of the Bahá’í world. selection of articles for
Through their scholarly endeavours believers are able to enrich the the study of the Bahá’í
intellectual life of the Bahá’í community, to explore new insights
into the Bahá’í teachings and their relevance to the needs of Faith.
society, and to attract the investigation of the Faith by thoughtful
people from all backgrounds. Far from being a diversion from the
worldwide effort to advance the
process of entry by troops, Bahá’í
scholarship can be a powerful re-
inforcement to that endeavour and
a valuable source of new enquir-
ers.
—Written on behalf of the Uni-
versal House of Justice, April 24,
2008
The Encyclopedia Project was initiated in the
mid-1980s in response to the growing need
for a comprehensive and accurate reference
work on the Bahá’í Faith. The vision for
this reference work has evolved since then
through a continual process of consultation,
action, reflection, and adjustment. Concep-
tions of the final product have ranged from
a one-volume dictionary with brief entries,
to a wide-ranging, multivolume work, to an
online (and constantly changing) multimedia
publication. Developments in the world at
large have radically altered the nature of ref-
erence works, further challenging the vision
for a Bahá’í Encyclopedia as well as creating
exciting new prospects for its development.
Throughout this lengthy process, the
National Spiritual Assembly has provided
unfailing encouragement and financial sup-

Research Services
107
 port. In late 2008, however, cost considerations resulting from the world economic
crisis led the National Assembly to seek ways to reorganize the Project in order
to maintain momentum in its online publishing while reducing expenditures. The
Encyclopedia Editorial Board was released from service, and the Encyclopedia
Project’s two-person staff was immediately halved. After several months spent
on preparations for launching the website, the coordinating editor’s tenure as a
full-time staff member also ended. The Project is currently being restructured on
the basis of volunteer service and earmarked contributions to support part-time
editorial work (on articles already approved by the Editorial Board) and website
maintenance and development, as resources permit.

T he Encyclopedia
Project website will
offer a groundbreaking
The Encyclopedia Project now holds a vast store of material, contributed by au-
thors from around the world, in various stages of assessment and editorial prog-
ress. While work on the Encyclopedia as a whole will be limited by the currently
selection of articles, available resources, the Encyclopedia Project website will offer a groundbreak-
though modest in num- ing selection of articles, though modest in number, that will become a point of
ber, that will become a reference for a variety of users, facilitating learning and discussion on a range of
point of reference for a topics: Bahá’í history, biography, laws, institutions, teachings, and literature. This
pioneering effort, rather than being an end in itself, will serve as a stimulus to the
variety of users, fa- expansion and refinement of Bahá’í studies in the 21st century.
cilitating learning and
The members of the Encyclopedia Editorial Board, many of whom have served for
discussion on a range
all or much of the life of the Project, deserve special thanks. They are: Larry Buck-
of topics. nell, Betty J. Fisher, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Todd Lawson, Heshmat Moayyad, Gayle
Morrison, Sholeh A. Quinn, Martha L. Schweitz, Robert H. Stockman, and Will C.
van den Hoonaard. The Project’s administrative assistant for over ten years, Sharon
Bakula, also merits gratitude for her hard work and steadfastness.
The Encyclopedia Project welcomes inquiries, which may be sent to:
encyclopedia@usbnc.org. Please visit the new website
(www.bahai-encyclopedia-project.org).

Riḍván 2009
108
Office of Review
The review of literature, audiovisual materials, and music is carried out by the
Office of Review, in collaboration with a Review Task Force appointed by the
O ne of the aims
of the office is to
educate authors and
National Spiritual Assembly and with a small but growing network of reviewers artists new to the pro-
around the country. Local Spiritual Assemblies are responsible for reviewing litera-
ture that is for local use only, as well as all “special materials” (such as artwork and
cess about the stan-
graphic creations, greeting cards, jewelry, and T-shirts) produced by individuals in dards and purposes of
their jurisdiction, whether intended for local or national distribution. The purpose review, by fostering a
of review is to assist authors and artists in ensuring that what they publish and spirit of collaboration
produce represents the Bahá’í Faith accurately and with dignity. A third criterion among all involved.
is timeliness—for example, whether there is anything about the publication of the
work at this time that might increase the danger to which the Bahá’í community is
exposed in sensitive locations.
Anything that is published or disseminated only electronically via the Internet is
not subject to review. Questions regarding use of the Web may be directed to the
Office of Communications or to the Bahá’í Internet Agency.
The Office of Review was restructured and reorganized in 2005, when it was sepa-
rated from what was previously the Office of Research and Review. Developments
since then have focused on instilling a consultative approach to review, creating
accessible resources for education on review standards, and increasing efficiency in
management and organization of the work.

A learning process
One of the aims of the office is to educate authors and artists new to the process
about the standards and purposes of review, by fostering a spirit of collaboration
among all involved. As the Universal House of Justice has written—in a letter dated
December 10, 1992—Bahá’ís should look upon review “in this early stage in the
development of the Faith [as] a species of peer review which they welcome, since it
is primarily among their fellow Bahá’ís that they would find at this time those who
would have sufficiently wide and deep understanding of the Faith and its Teachings
to raise issues of importance which they would want to consider before publication.”
In addition to consulting with authors and artists as the need arises, steps are be-
ing taken to gradually cultivate an expanding network of Bahá’ís who can review
manuscripts and other materials. This open-ended network consists primarily
of authors and artists who have themselves submitted materials for review, thus
continually building our collective capacity as a community to uphold the review
standards for accuracy and dignity across a wide diversity of fields. The Office
of Review is continually learning, as it faces new questions and resolves them
through consultation with authors, reviewers, and the Review Task Force.

Tools for education

Both the day-to-day work of the office and its educational functions have been

Research Services
109
 well served by the creation of an extensive compilation of the guidance on review.
Increasingly this information is being made available on the national Administra-
tive Website. The forthcoming edition of Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Commu-
nities will include a revised section on review, primarily for the guidance of Local
Spiritual Assemblies reviewing special materials.

Systems and statistics

Nearly all submissions are now received in electronic form, be they Word docu-
ments or MP3 files, which has enhanced efficiency of the workflow and allowed
for electronic filing and archiving. The system for monitoring the progress of cases

I n the diversity, range,

and depth of materi-
als being created by
is functioning well. Further advances at the Bahá’í National Center in content
management systems will be of great assistance.
During 2008–09, the Office of Review received approximately 180 submissions, up
Bahá’í authors and from a previous annual average of about 160. The wide variety of items reviewed
artists may be seen includes books, articles, chapters, songs, deepening materials, DVDs, CDs, children’s
not only work that can materials, study guides, magazines, scripts, pamphlets, sheet music, and Power-
contribute directly to Point presentations. Some submissions are received from other agencies of the
National Assembly. Authors and artists are generally asked to allow about 12 weeks
the expansion, consoli- for the review of a book, eight weeks for an article, and four weeks for a CD. Many
dation, and spiritual reviews are completed more quickly than this, while a handful require an extended
transformation of the process of consultation. The office continues to work to shorten the average time
Bahá’í community, but required for review of all submissions.
also early efforts to In the diversity, range, and depth of materials being created by Bahá’í authors and
stimulate a new public artists may be seen not only work that can contribute directly to the expansion,
discourse on issues of consolidation, and spiritual transformation of the Bahá’í community, but also early
efforts to stimulate a new public discourse on issues of our day and to motivate
our day and to moti-
new approaches to social action. It is a privilege to witness the devotion and cre-
vate new approaches to ativity inspired by the message of Bahá’u’lláh, as expressed by the talented friends
social action. with whom the United States Bahá’í community is blessed.

Riḍván 2009
110
Research Services
111
 Logistical
Conventions Office Services
The mandate for the Conventions Office, a part of the Secretariat, is to plan, coor- 113 ���Conventions Office
dinate, and direct the implementation of national and electoral unit conventions
115 ���Bahá’í Center Assistance
and to plan and coordinate any necessary boundary changes for electoral units.
116 ���Bahá’í Service for the Blind
Boundary changes approved in 2007 have been implemented, and the Conven-
tions Office continues to offer support to Assemblies affected by the changes. The 117 ���Human Resources
changes altered to some degree the majority of the 161 electoral units throughout
119 ���Information Technology
the 48 contiguous states of the United States, particularly South Carolina, a state
with a large number of electoral units that historically experienced low participa- 121 ���Meetings and Hospitality
tion in Bahá’í elections. 121 ���Public Safety
Also completed within the first year of the current Five Year Plan was an extensive
reorganization of electoral unit boundaries in California necessitated by the state’s
decision to eliminate judicial district boundaries.
With the assistance of the Membership and Records Office, the Conventions Of-
fice gave notification in writing to each community in the United States that was
affected by these boundary changes. Each letter provided a brief explanation of
the reason for the changes and included information on where individuals could
search online to find the localities included in their redrawn electoral units. The
E lectoral unit boundary
changes approved in 2007
have been implemented, and
Unit Convention website (http://unitconvention.usbnc.org) continues to be a
helpful resource throughout the year for Local Assemblies and individuals needing
the Conventions Office contin-
information about the unit conventions in their area or to learn about the Bahá’í ues to offer support to Assem-
electoral process. blies affected by the changes.
Since 2002, when the National Spiritual Assembly took the decision to relieve the
Regional Bahá’í Councils of responsibility for coordinating unit conventions, the
Conventions Office has taken on the task of coordinating all 161 unit conven-
tion elections. Regional Bahá’í Councils now provide the Conventions Office with
guidance and recommendations regarding Local Spiritual Assemblies that would be
suitable choices to serve as unit convention hosts.
In 2006, the National Assembly requested that a task force be coordinated by
the Conventions Office to help to increase participation at unit conventions, held
every October in all 161 electoral units. To this end, the task force implemented
a number of exciting “firsts” including: creation of the first stand-alone Unit
Convention website, where the friends can find valuable resources all year long
pertaining to unit convention; production of three “viral videos,” 30-second to
one-minute video shorts about the nature and purpose of the unit convention;
and the publishing of a special brochure sent to all adult believers in the United
States, encouraging them to attend unit convention, to invite their Bahá’í friends,
and to partake in the sacred nature of the electoral process. Lastly, as a follow-up
to the unit conventions held in October 2006, the National Assembly requested
that a summary of recommendations and suggestions from unit conventions be

Logistical Services
113
 shared with the rest of the Bahá’í community. These summaries appeared in the
March 2007 issue of The American Bahá’í and in the journal’s online edition. The
office hopes to maintain this special focus on the sacredness of the Bahá’í electoral
process every year prior to unit convention and to reinforce the message through-
out the remainder of the year.
In 2007, a secure online program for registration was made available to delegates
to Bahá’í National Convention. This newly created program has the potential for
many more uses, including the registration of agencies and committees. The Con-
ventions Office continues to use the online registration form for delegates and, in

I n the years ahead,

the Conventions
Office hopes to make
conjunction with the Information Technology office, hopes to make improvements
to it on a yearly basis.
In the years ahead, the Conventions Office hopes to make more multimedia op-
more multimedia op- tions available, enabling delegates and all participants to experience Bahá’í Na-
tional Convention on a multitude of levels.
tions available, en-
abling delegates and all By communicating with host Assemblies and delegates by email as often as pos-
participants to experi- sible, the Conventions Office strives every year—mindful of continuing challenges
facing the National Bahá’í Fund—to conserve paper. As advances are made in
ence Bahá’í National keeping electronic communications secure, the office hopes to make further strides
Convention on a multi- in minimizing the use of paper.
tude of levels.

Riḍván 2009
114
Bahá’í Center Assistance
Bahá’í Center Assistance (BCA) was created to support the growth and develop-
ment of the Faith by providing a systematic program of education, training, and
B CA made avail-
able to communi-
ties three new types of
technical assistance to communities whose goal is to lease, purchase, and main- loans for Bahá’í Center
tain Bahá’í Center properties. BCA is a financially self-supporting agency of the
National Spiritual Assembly. properties—specifically,
loans for energy-related
During 2008–09, BCA continued to emphasize the use of Centers to support the
improvements, renova-
goals of the Five Year Plan and advance the process of entry by troops. It also car-
ried on programs begun in previous years. tions, and construction
shortfalls due to un-
The organization made available to communities three new types of loans for
Bahá’í Center properties—specifically, loans for energy-related improvements, foreseen conditions.
renovations, and construction shortfalls due to unforeseen conditions. It continues
to offer loans for first center acquisitions—loans to help convince a bank to extend
a first mortgage to the community. BCA also established a program to enable
individuals to support Bahá’í Center loans and invest in the future of the national
community. Individuals can now loan a minimum of $5,000 to support the work
of BCA.
With “101 Uses for Bahá’í Centers,” BCA published a statement describing a
multitude of creative ways to use a Bahá’í Center. Tax, zoning, and insurance
issues when receiving rents for the use of a Center were the subject of a similar
statement, “Rental of a Bahá’í Facility.” BCA also made available—as samples of
various approaches to issues concerning Bahá’í Center acquisition and use—a series
of documents created and used by Bahá’í communities around the country. The
documents include mandates for Center committees and describe operations poli-
cies, employment/contractor issues, endowment funds, and rental/use agreements.
Improvements to the BCA website www.bahaicenterassistance.org during the
year were the addition of “Frequently Answered Questions,” “101 Uses for Bahá’í
Centers,” “Lessons Learned,” and a question box. The “Local Bahá’í Centers Tech-
nical Assistance Manual,” also available on the website, continued to be a popular
source of information about the acquisition and operation of Centers.
As of this writing, during 2008–09, BCA responded to inquiries from 26 communi-
ties and consulted in depth with more than seven of them. BCA also toured seven
Bahá’í Centers to increase its understanding of opportunities and challenges com-
munities have encountered in acquiring and operating a Center.
More information is available on BCA’s website (www.bahaicenterassistance.org).
BCA can also be contacted via email (info@bahaicenterassistance.org), telephone
(847-425-7940), fax (847-425-7941), or surface mail: Bahá’í Center Assistance,
1233 Central St., Evanston IL 60201-1611.

Logistical Services
115
 Bahá’í Service for the Blind
T his year, 10 new
items in Braille
were added—equaling
The Bahá’í Service for the Blind continued during 2008–09 to pursue its mission
to provide the literature of the Faith in various media to those who are unable to
more than 4,500 use normal print due to a disability. The three media currently available are Braille,
cassette tape recordings, and Large Print. The Service makes a lending library of
pages—as were 13 these materials available to Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike. The Service also ensures
new titles on cassette that The American Bahá’í is regularly available on cassette tape, free of charge.
tape. The Service also
Through the efforts of the Service’s all-volunteer staff, the number of titles avail-
continued to increase able in the three media has been steadily increasing. This year, 10 new items in
its collection of Large Braille were added—equaling more than 4,500 pages—as were 13 new titles on
Print titles, which now cassette tape. The Service also continued to increase its collection of Large Print
includes all but one of titles, which now includes all but one of the books in the curriculum of the Ruhi
Institute. Ruhi Book 7 will soon be added to complete the collection.
the books in the cur-
riculum of the Ruhi Demand for the Service’s materials remained steady. During 2008–09, 119 books
Institute. were sold: 35 in Braille, 70 on tape, and 14 in Large Print. An average of 40
people receive The American Bahá’í on cassette tape. The Service’s website (www.
BahaiServiceForTheBlind.org) provides information about its work and an up-to-
date listing of all its materials.

Riḍván 2009
116
Human Resources
The Office of Human Resources (HR) continued during the past year to welcome
to its offices many new applicants for service at the Bahá’í National Center. Tele-
D uring summer
2008, two high
school interns served
phone and email contact with applicants seeking employment at the three perma- in the National Teach-
nent Bahá’í schools and at satellite offices of the National Center in New York City
ing Office. Similarly,
and in Washington, D.C. also continued to be a part of the services HR offers. The
Director of Human Resources further provides recruiting assistance to the Bahá’í a number of college
World Center’s Personnel Office. students from across
During 2008–09, 283 applications were received, and of that number, 41 new
the country traveled
staff members were hired. The Regional Bahá’í Councils added another 55 to their to Evanston to serve
respective staffs, bringing to a total of 96 the number of new hires that were as interns, making a
added to all offices and agencies serving the National Spiritual Assembly. The valuable contribution to
Bahá’í National Center was pleased during the year to participate in the Mayor the National Center’s
of Evanston’s Summer Youth Program. During summer 2008, two high school
work and adding to its
interns served in the National Teaching Office and were able to gain some practi-
cal experience while offering their skills to a dynamic nonprofit organization in productivity.
their hometown! Similarly, a number of college students from across the country
traveled to Evanston to serve as interns, making a valuable contribution to the
National Center’s work and adding to its productivity.
Human Resources staff made a recruiting trip to the annual Green Lake Bahá’í
Conference and was provided an opportunity to host a seminar as well as to talk
to individuals about the current and future needs of both the Bahá’í World Center
and the National Center. Further recruiting trips were made to Indiana, Kentucky,
and Tennessee. Recruiting efforts included the posting of both paid and volunteer
positions in the online and print editions of The American Bahá’í and in special
flyers that were periodically designed and sent to communities throughout the
United States.
In April 2008, the HR Benefits Administrator and the Treasurer’s Office Payroll
Specialist assumed management of the payroll and benefits plans for the Regional
Bahá’í Councils. The National Assembly invited representatives from the Coun-
cils, the Treasurer’s Office, and the Office of Human Resources to meet with it to
ensure as smooth a transition as possible to the new platform.
In addition, two meetings with the National Center’s carrier for retirement benefits
were held to answer any questions staff might have regarding their benefits and to
share information regarding new developments in the retirement industry.
In October, the National Center’s Internet-based payroll system was upgraded, pro-
viding opportunities to enhance the management of payroll data for all employees.
The Bahá’í National Center’s Reception Desk and Switchboard comes under the
supervision of the Office of Human Resources. The building’s reception area was
recently refurbished to make it more aesthetically pleasing to visitors and staff

Logistical Services
117
 alike. Throughout 2008–09, hosting of visitors and tour groups in the National
Center building has been a pleasant result of the closing of the Visitors’ Center at
the Bahá’í House of Worship during extensive reconstruction on Temple grounds.
The Bahá’í National Center Mailroom welcomed a new supervisor and a new staff
member this year. With an outstanding staff of three and one regular volunteer,
the Mailroom handles an enormous amount of work, sending and receiving tens
of thousands of pieces of mail each month. When a project involves more volume
and complexity or requires more speed than the Mailroom can itself provide, a
request for assistance is made throughout the Bahá’í National Center and many

W ith an outstand-
ing staff of three
and one regular vol-
staff members put their own work aside for a time to ensure that the project is
completed efficiently and in timely fashion. The work is done with a generous and
cooperative spirit that continually inspires this office’s deepest gratitude.

unteer, the Mailroom

handles an enormous
amount of work, send-
ing and receiving tens
of thousands of pieces
of mail each month.

Riḍván 2009
118
Information Technology
Information Technology (IT) provides email, file, and print services, local and
long distance telephone services, helpdesk support, enterprise applications, and
D uring 2008–09,
89 percent of lo-
cal Assemblies and 22
reporting services to the offices and agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly. percent of registered
Helpdesk support related to the eMembership application is provided to Local
Spiritual Assemblies and registered Bahá’í groups, and helpdesk support related to
groups used eMember-
the Statistical Report Program (SRP) is also provided to cluster statistics officers. ship to maintain their
The Membership and Records Office maintains the national membership database, community member-
processing enrollments, international transfers, address changes, and local Assem- ship information, and,
bly formations and elections. for the first time, the
While IT does not perform tasks directly related to the goals of the Five Year Plan, number of enrollments
enterprise applications such as UnityWeb, RTI Tracker, SRP, and eMembership pro- processed by local As-
vide timely information to assist those serving at the national, regional, cluster, or semblies using eMem-
community level in their efforts to achieve the goals of the Five Year Plan.
bership surpassed that
During 2008–09, 89 percent of local Assemblies and 22 percent of registered of the Membership Of-
groups used eMembership to maintain their community membership information,
fice (56 percent to 44
and, for the first time, the number of enrollments processed by local Assemblies
using eMembership surpassed that of the Membership Office (56 percent to 44 percent).
percent). At Riḍván 2008, 64 percent of Assemblies reported their elections using
eMembership rather than mailing or faxing forms to the Membership Office. While
enrollments have virtually doubled this year, the increased use of eMembership has
resulted in the gathering of more accurate and timely information and has avoided
unwanted delays or the need to add additional staff in the Membership Office.
In response to the Universal House of Justice’s call for six regional conferences to
be held in the United States in December 2008, online regional conference regis-
tration was launched in early November. The user-friendly form for the friends to
register online for their specific conference provided crucial attendance projections
for each site necessary to the planning efforts of the National Spiritual Assembly
and Regional Bahá’í Councils.
The address list for The American Bahá’í was streamlined during the year, reduc-
ing the number of copies printed and mailed by approximately 9,500 and saving
about $6,000 in printing and postage for every issue.
The LSAi system email accounts provided some years ago to every Local Spiritual
Assembly and registered group were discontinued in 2008 due to low usage and
increased cost. Instead, Assemblies and groups were asked to establish official
email accounts for their communities with one of the many “free” email providers.
To date, 88 percent of all local Assemblies and 46 percent of all registered groups
are receiving email correspondence from the National Spiritual Assembly and other
national offices. Email is now the predominant form of communication, further re-
ducing printing and postage expenses while enabling local communities to receive
more information with greater speed and efficiency.

Logistical Services
119
 An Internet-based Event Registration service now provides integrated and secure
online registration and payment processing for sessions at Bosch, Green Acre,
and Louhelen Bahá’í Schools. The Wilmette Institute and seasonal schools will be
added in the coming months.
My Page Personal Online Services, which provides “self-service” options to indi-
vidual Bahá’ís from the national Administrative Website, was launched in early
January 2009. The initial offering, My Personal Information, allows individuals
to update their contact information. Additional services coming in 2009 include
online contributions and online orders for marriage certificates, birth certificates,

M y Page Personal
Online Services,
which provides “self-
and replacement Bahá’í ID cards.
By Riḍván 2009, new believers will be able to declare their belief in Bahá’u’lláh
and register online to become a Bahá’í from the national public website. IT has
service” options to worked closely with the National Teaching Office and regional Seeker Response
individual Bahá’ís from Specialists in the development of a new online registration system to provide an
the national Admin- Internet-based portal of entry into the Faith.
istrative Website, was Determining the correct Bahá’í locality for new believers has always been a chal-
launched in early Janu- lenge, but is made easier with the automated use of nine-digit zip codes and
ary 2009. The initial geocodes from the U.S. Postal Service. Efforts to correct existing Bahá’í locality
assignments are under way. Affected local Assemblies and registered groups are
offering, My Personal notified by email as these membership changes occur.
Information, allows
Other projects completed during 2008–09 include:
individuals to update
their contact informa- • Launching, in April, of the Encyclopedia Project website with 18 comprehensive
tion. articles.
• Beginning development of a new public National Bahá’í Archives website now
that new software to catalog the extensive book inventory in the National Ar-
chives has been implemented.
• Continuation of work assisting the Office of International Pioneering to track
the Bahá’í pioneers serving around the world.
• Computerization of a long-standing manual process using index cards to re-
cord, in Persian, names and other information of the friends leaving Iran.
• Virtual completion (99.7 percent complete) of a two-year effort to map the
boundaries of more than 31,000 Bahá’í localities in the U.S.
Pending availability of funds, goals for the coming year include:
• Providing boundary maps for electoral units, clusters, and localities on the Ad-
ministrative Website.
• Redesigning the Administrative Website.
• Providing “single sign-on” capability for all My Page applications.
• Providing electronic document management to the offices of the Bahá’í Nation-
al Center.
• Capturing and electronically maintaining youth and volunteer service activities.
• Evaluating the Bahá’í National Center’s compliance with the current payment
card industry (PCI) data security standards.

Riḍván 2009
120
Meetings and Hospitality
The Meetings and Hospitality Office provides on-site and off-site meeting plan-
A t the Bahá’í House
of Worship, heavy
equipment traffic,
ning services for the National Spiritual Assembly and its offices and agencies, at-
tending to meals and the provision of hospitality for all regular and special meet- deliveries to work sites,
ings of the National Spiritual Assembly, special programs at the Bahá’í House of and interruptions in
Worship, meetings at the Bahá’í National Center with members of the Continental the normal operation of
Board of Counselors, Auxiliary Board members, the Regional Bahá’í Councils, and
other special guests, including those participating in special visitors’ programs. The
the parking lot required
office also assists with arrangements for Bahá’í National Convention. In all these officers to spend much
efforts, the office strives to provide high quality, loving, and caring support while time directing traffic
managing in an efficient and cost effective manner to protect the interests of the and controlling en-
National Fund. trance to the House of
Public Safety Worship’s grounds.

The Department of Public Safety provides safety and security services to the Na-
tional Spiritual Assembly, the staff of the Bahá’í National Center, and Bahá’í and
non-Bahá’í guests who visit National Center facilities throughout the year. These
services are provided by nine public safety officers who patrol on foot and by
vehicle, and through physical and electronic security systems.
In addition, Public Safety provides transport and courier services for the National
Spiritual Assembly and for the offices and agencies of the Bahá’í National Center.
During 2008–09, construction at the Bahá’í House of Worship presented Public
Safety with a new set of challenges. Heavy equipment traffic, deliveries to work
sites, and interruptions in the normal operation of the parking lot required officers
to spend much time directing traffic and controlling entrance to the House of
Worship’s grounds.
As they make their rounds, officers also provide a wide variety of services to the
many thousands of visitors to the House of Worship, talking with them, directing
them to the appropriate entrance, and sharing information with them about the
Temple, its gardens, and its grounds.

Logistical Services
121
Properties Office Properties
Bahá’í National Center facilities 123 ���Properties
The Properties Office is responsible for oversight of all Bahá’í National Center 126 ���Bahá’í House of Worship
facilities in Evanston and WIlmette, Illinois, including routine and special mainte- Restoration
nance, repairs and alterations, custodial services, grounds and gardening, purchas-
ing and budgeting for facilities, remodeling and new construction. The following
are highlights of services the office provided during 2008–09.
Bahá’í House of Worship. The Properties Office has taken advantage of the
temporary closing of the Visitors’ Center to refresh all paint and carpeting and to
make necessary repairs. Work was completed this year on the Temple’s new heat-
ing and air conditioning system. Caulking, sealing, and painting of windows on
the Temple’s upper levels was also completed.
The Properties Office is also responsible for the Temple Concrete Studio in Wheel-
ing, Illinois, which supports work on the Kingdom Project. The Concrete Studio
painstakingly molds the necessary ornamental concrete replacements for the House
of Worship Restoration Project and the new Visitors’ Center. Hundreds of pieces of
ornamental concrete were cast during 2008–09.
Special P roject. A large model of the Bahá’í House of Worship as originally de-
T he Properties Office has
taken advantage of the
temporary closing of the
signed by Architect Louis Bourgeois has long been located in the Temple’s lower Bahá’í House of Worship
level. The model had deteriorated over the years and needed extensive repairs. Visitors’ Center to refresh all
These repairs were completed during 2008–09 by the Properties Office’s master paint and carpeting and to
carpenter Eric Nelson, and the model is now on display.
make necessary repairs. Work
Ḥ aẓ íratu’l-Quds. Sealing and caulking of the Ḥaẓíra’s exterior was completed was completed this year on the
and work toward stabilization of the roof parapet was started. New balustrades
Temple’s new heating and air
were purchased and will be installed during the summer of 2009.
conditioning system.
Bahá’í National Center Building. The parking area at the Bahá’í National Center
was resurfaced and the building’s reception area, which had remained un-
changed since 1963, was remodeled.

National properties
In addition to the facilities located at the Bahá’í National Center, the Properties
Office provides oversight, assistance, and contract management for maintenance,
repair, and capital improvements for the three permanent Bahá’í schools, training
institutes, and historic properties managed by the National Spiritual Assembly. All
this work is coordinated with the administrators and facilities coordinators at the
individual properties. Accomplishments during 2008–09 included the following.
Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, C alifornia. All cabin decks, porches, and stairs
at Bosch were completely rebuilt. New cabin furniture (beds, dressers, window
coverings, bedspreads) was purchased. New stainless steel kitchen tables, sinks,

Properties
123
 and a stove were purchased and several new tankless water heaters were in-
stalled. The Staff Lounge was refurbished and the Lodge fireplace was repaired
with a new stainless chimney liner and is now usable. Some new carpeting and
vinyl floors were installed, and significant tree and brush trimming was com-
pleted to reduce fire danger.
Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, M aine. Remodeling of the school’s main kitchen
was completed. A new roof was installed on Ole Bull Cottage. The Schopflocher
Residence housing for Youth Service Corps volunteers and the Facilities Coordi-
nator’s apartment were remodeled. A new roof was installed on Lucas Cottage,

T he Properties Office
provides oversight,
assistance, and contract
as was new carpeting in the Sarah Farmer Inn Music Room. Thanks to earmarked
contributions, construction is well under way for a new four-apartment staff
housing building. Construction on a new guest housing building has also begun,
management for main- and plans to rebuild the three cottages near Sarah Farmer Inn are completed.
Construction, it is hoped, will begin during the next fiscal year.
tenance, repair, and
capital improvements Louhelen Bahá’í School, Davison, M ichigan. The third phase of replacing Louhel-
for the three permanent en’s exterior cedar siding was completed. New fire alarm wiring was installed in
the dormitory building. Electrical upgrades to lighting in the classroom building
Bahá’í schools, training were completed, and new heaters were installed in the gym. Bath counters and
institutes, and historic sinks in dormitory rooms for the disabled were replaced. A new roof was in-
properties managed by stalled on the maintenance barn, and a new garden tractor with snow brush was
the National Spiritual purchased.
Assembly. Native A merican Bahá’í I nstitute (NABI), Houck, A rizona. A major renovation of
NABI’s dorm building was completed, including installation of new bunk beds,
dressers, and other furnishings. New deck/porches were installed on mobile
homes serving as staff housing. For safety, new concrete walkways were in-
stalled, as were emergency generators.
Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í I nstitute,
H emingway, South C arolina. The
Facilities Coordinator at Louis Gregory
Institute keeps all the buildings and
vehicles clean and properly main-
tained. Dorm building siding was
replaced during the year and painted.
The cottage was remodeled, including
installation of new kitchen cabinets
and stove. New vinyl floors and car-
peting were also installed, and interior
walls and trim received fresh paint.
New insulated windows replaced old.
WLGI R adio, Hemingway, South Caroli-
na. The transmitter tower was repainted
with FCC mandated materials.
Wilhelm P roperties, Teaneck, New
Jersey. The caretaker tirelessly at-
tends to the tasks of keeping the three
buildings clean, neatly mowing lawns
and trimming shrubbery, maintain-
ing annual flowers, shoveling snow,
and keeping heating systems in proper
Wilson House, Malden, Massachusetts
order.

Riḍván 2009
124
Wilson House, M alden, M assachusetts. A major renovation requiring two years’
work was completed on the home’s entire exterior and interior, including new
hardwood floors, new insulated windows, window coverings, a rear yard fence
and a retaining wall. Caretakers are now in place to greet the occasional Bahá’í
visitor and to ensure a continued superb quality of maintenance.
Dublin I nn, Dublin, New H ampshire. The caretaker carries out the regular clean-
ing and other maintenance of this large inn with professional attentiveness and
care. The sweeping grounds are landscaped with great expertise, and, in winter,
formidable accumulations of snow are cleaned from the driveways, walkways,
and porches. Interior painting and plaster repairs necessitated by water damage
were completed. The meeting and dining room walls were repaired and painted.
A new snow blower was purchased and a new equipment enclosure was erected.
T he Properties Office
is also researching
and gradually imple-
New lock hardware was installed on all exterior doors. menting measures to
The Properties Office is also researching and gradually implementing measures make all facilities as
to make all facilities as ecologically sustainable as feasible. Some of these efforts ecologically sustainable
include caulking, sealing, or replacing windows, replacing old HVAC systems with as feasible.
newer, low-energy systems, reducing building temperatures in the winter and rais-
ing them in the summer, implementing an extensive recycling program, reducing
paper use through various conservation methods, reducing the amount of salt and
ice melt by 50 percent and significantly reducing the amount of chemicals used in
facilities’ gardens—replacing them with more environmentally friendly products.

Properties
125
 Bahá’í House of Worship Restoration
The Bahá’í House of Worship Restoration Office met two objectives during 2008–
09. The first objective was to complete the restoration of the terrace and stairs at
the garden entrance to the Temple opening off Linden Avenue. The second objec-
tive was to complete preparations for construction of the new Visitors’ Center.
Immediately following the 2008 Bahá’í National Convention, the old Visitors’ Cen-
ter was closed so that the exit from the lower level, the terrace, and monumental

T he Linden Avenue
entrance pool has
an additional feature
stairs at the main entry could be rebuilt. The auditorium of the House of Worship
remained open. Visitors used the grand entrance at Sheridan Road instead of the
more familiar entrance at Linden Avenue.
through which water During demolition of the old terrace, two abandoned heating oil tanks were dis-
will gently cascade over covered in reinforced concrete vaults below the terrace’s foundations. Both these
a sculpted spillway urn sizeable tanks—which were nine feet in diameter by 22 feet in length—were still
into a lower pool. filled with old heating oil. One tank had been leaking for decades and had spread
oil into the surrounding soil below one of the gardens. The oil and contaminated

Riḍván 2009
126
soil were taken to a hazardous waste disposal site. Clean soil was hauled back to
the Temple to fill in the hole below the garden.
To remove the abandoned fuel tanks and contaminated soil, it was necessary to
relocate the large gas and water pipes between Linden Avenue and the Temple.
The 90-year-old sewer pipe from the Temple to Linden Avenue was also rebuilt.
The main electrical-service cable and ducts were uncovered and examined; they
remain in very good condition and spare ducts exist for future needs.
The beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, approved a plan for the Temple gardens
that included reflecting pools, but the Bahá’í community of that era could not
afford to build them. Now, as one facet of the Kingdom Project, the Bahá’í com-
munity of our time is completing Shoghi Effendi’s vision by building the reflecting
pools. One is along the new entrance from Linden Avenue. The pool’s pebble-
A team of consul-
tants has pre-
pared more than 120
colored coping stones and glass mosaic tiles are the same as those used for the construction drawings
reflecting pool in the Sheridan Road approach through the gardens. The Linden for the new Visitors’
Avenue entrance pool has an additional feature through which water will gently
cascade over a sculpted spillway urn into a lower pool. Center building and
site. Numerous review
To meet the National Spiritual Assembly’s goal of opening the Linden Avenue ap-
proach in time for the 2009 Bahá’í National Convention, construction continued
meetings have been
during winter under heated tents. In one of the coldest and snowiest Decembers held with the Village
in Chicago’s history, craftsmen completed the structural concrete, tile, plumbing, of Wilmette building
electrical, fountain feature, and ornamental precast concrete. department, Fire De-
Another enhancement at the Linden Avenue garden entrance is a new set of steps partment, and utility
leading up from the Linden Avenue sidewalk. The new stairway has graceful curv- agencies.
ing steps, a landscaped planter, and a welcoming ornamental wall. Upon reaching
the top of the stairs, the spillway of the new reflecting pool comes into view.
The Restoration Office’s second objective during 2008–09 was to prepare for the
start of construction on the new Visitors’ Center building. This required zoning
variations and special use approval from the Village of Wilmette, construction
plans and specifications, building permits, utility agencies’ review, preparation of
the site itself, and selection of key contractors.
In May 2008, the plans for the Visitors’ Center were presented at a public hearing
with the Village of Wilmette Zoning Board of Appeals. The new Visitors’ Center
required a special use approval and 17 zoning variations. The Zoning Board unani-
mously approved all the variations and recommended that the Wilmette Village
Board approve the plans. Three weeks later, the Wilmette Village Board of Trustees
unanimously approved the project.
A team of consultants has prepared more than 120 construction drawings for the
new Visitors’ Center building and site. Numerous review meetings have been held
with the Wilmette building department, Fire Department, and utility agencies.
The site of the new Visitors’ Center has been prepared; utilities have been removed
from the two existing buildings adjacent to the Temple parking lot, and they have
been emptied. The Restoration Office also worked with the Village of Wilmette to
coordinate the completion of improvements to Sheridan Road along the Temple
site. The Village built a new sidewalk, retaining wall, and landscaping along the
perimeter of the House of Worship gardens using materials that coordinate with
the new terraces and gardens.
As this report is being written, the Restoration Office is meeting with pre-qualified
contractors for the new Visitors’ Center and is preparing estimates and making
bids for consideration by the National Spiritual Assembly.

Properties
127
 Affiliated
Association for Bahá’í Studies—North America Organizations
The Association for Bahá’í Studies—North America (ABS) is a membership organi- 129 ���Association for Bahá’í
zation serving Alaska, Canada, and the United States. Its Executive Committee is Studies—North America
appointed by and operates under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assem-
132 ���Association of Friends of
bly of Canada. Two full-time employees staff its office in Ottawa, Ontario. The
Persian Culture
Association currently has 1,897 individual members and 63 institutional members
worldwide. There are 18 affiliates in other areas functioning under the jurisdiction 134 ���Bahá’í Association for Mental
of their respective National Assemblies. Health
The mission of the Association for Bahá'í Studies is “to stimulate scholarly study 136 ���Bahá’í International Radio
of the Faith and its teachings, to promote a sound understanding of the Cause in Service
academic circles and to demonstrate its relevance to the study of social issues,” as
138 ���Health for Humanity
well as “to stimulate an appetite for learning within the Bahá'í community gener-
ally.”1 Aspects of this mission are pursued within the context of the global plans
of the Universal House of Justice for the expansion and development of the Bahá'í
community.
In advancing its mission, the Association is currently focusing on the following
developmental initiatives:
• Developing Bahá’í scholarship among students and young adults.
T he mission of the Associa-
tion for Bahá’í Studies is
“to stimulate scholarly study
• Developing university courses across disciplines on diverse aspects of the Bahá’í of the Faith and its teach-
Faith.
ings, to promote a sound
• Developing opportunities for the exchange, publication, and circulation of understanding of the Cause in
diverse forms of Bahá’í scholarship. academic circles and to dem-
• Developing The Journal of Bahá’í Studies into an outstanding forum for onstrate its relevance to the
Bahá’í scholarship so that it is acceptable in academic circles and accessible to study of social issues,” as well
wider audiences.
as “to stimulate an appetite
• Developing extension activities that stimulate Bahá’í scholarship through for learning within the Bahá’í
grassroots initiatives by Area Committees and Special Interest Groups, through community generally.”
the utilization of Bahá’í schools, and through other decentralized approaches
throughout the year.
• Developing an “outward-looking” orientation that engages diverse leaders of
thought through symposia, seminars, and other opportunities for dialogue and
collaboration.
• Developing the annual conference so that it serves the broad mission of the As-
sociation and advances the Association’s other major initiatives.
Highlights of ABS’s development during 2008–09 include:

Launch of new ABS website

1. Universal House of Justice, in a letter to an
The Association launched a new website this past year with the aim of making the individual, February 22, 2005.

Affiliated Organizations
129
 site more attractive and user friendly. The new features will allow users to search
for items and connect better with the aims and work of the ABS.

Faculty/graduate student program

A daylong special development program for university faculty (including pro-
spective faculty and advanced graduate students who are interested in academic
careers) was held on the first day of the ABS Conference in San Diego. Topics
included publishing opportunities and strategies, the development of university
courses that incorporate Bahá’í content, the mentoring of youth and young adults,
influencing discourse and practice in academic fields, support for the Bahá’ís in

T he 32nd Annual
Conference in San
Diego, California had
Iran who are denied access to higher education, the role of scholarship in the con-
text of the global plans of the Faith, and related issues.

Endowment fund prizes for distinguished scholarship

the largest representa-
An endowment fund was established in 2007 by anonymous donors. The purpose
tion from countries
of the endowment is to recognize contributions to Bahá’í scholarship and encour-
outside of North Amer- age further efforts through awarding prizes in various categories. Two prizes were
ica with about 1,400 presented this year: to Sovaida Ma’ani-Ewing for distinguished scholarship in the
attendees from 25 Book category and to Ariana Salvo for distinguished scholarship in the Graduate
countries. Thesis category.

Online bibliographic reference database

The Executive Committee is studying a proposal to create a comprehensive, search-
able, online bibliographic reference database to provide a powerful research tool

Riḍván 2009
130
for Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í researchers around the world who are interested in con-
ducting literature reviews of primary and secondary literature related to the Faith
dating back to 1844. This database will be housed within the ABS website—an
arrangement that will increase the availability of the database as a research tool.

Working with students and young adults

College Students and Young Adults Workshops were offered at Louhelen and
Bosch Bahá’í Schools using the Scholarship, Service & Social Action in the Con-
text of the Divine Plan workbook developed by the Association for Bahá’í Studies.
A successful Campus Association conference was held at McGill University April
5–6, 2008, at which students and young adults took part in participatory work-
shops to reflect on the relationship between scholarship, service, and, ultimately,
T he Executive Com-
mittee is studying
a proposal to cre-
social action, using the denial of education to Bahá’ís in Iran as a test case.
ate a comprehensive,
The Journal of Bahá’í Studies searchable, online
The Association published one issue of The Journal of Bahá’í Studies (Volume 17, bibliographic reference
Number 1/4, March–December 2007). Articles from back issues of the Journal are database to provide a
being converted into electronic form, proofread, and posted on the Association’s
website.
powerful research tool
for Bahá’í and non-
ABS Annual Conference Bahá’í researchers
The 32nd Annual Conference was held over Labor Day weekend, August 29–Sep- around the world.
tember 1, 2008, in San Diego, California on the theme “Religion and Social Cohe-
sion.” The conference had the largest representation from countries outside of
North America with about 1,400 attendees from 25 countries.
Mr. Paul Lample’s talk on “Learning and the Unfoldment of the Bahá’í Communi-
ty” set the tone for the conference and supplied many rich insights that informed
discussion and inquiry throughout the weekend. His talk can be downloaded from
the ABS website. The 26th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture was given this year
by Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam, who offered “Some Observations on the Scope and
Value of Bahá'í Scholarship.”
The 2009 ABS Annual Conference will be held August 13–16 in Washington, D.C.
on the theme of “Environments.” Further information is posted on the Associa-
tion’s website.

Affiliated Organizations
131
 Association of Friends of Persian Culture
F or the first time
in the history of
the Association’s an-
Background
In 1991, the Persian-American Affairs Office received permission from the National
nual conferences, a live Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States to establish an organization
voice report of the pro- devoted to the promotion of Persian arts and culture. Later, the name of the or-
ceedings was broadcast ganization was changed to the Association of Friends of Persian Culture. This As-
on a U.S. Persian tele- sociation is a nonprofit organization operating under the auspices of the National
Spiritual Assembly.
vision station. In addi-
tion, a detailed report Objectives
of the conference was The main objectives of the Association are to:
printed, in six parts, in • Assist people of Iranian descent to remain in contact with and to gain a deeper
a Persian newspaper in understanding of the cultural, artistic, and literary heritage of Iran.
Canada.
• Encourage children, youth, and young adults of Iranian descent living abroad
to familiarize themselves with and to gain a deeper appreciation of Persian arts,
literature, and culture.
• Help English-speaking relatives and friends of Iranians—as well as the general
public—gain an appreciation of Persian culture.
• Promote systematic and comprehensive study of Persian arts and culture.

Activities during 2008–09

A nnual Conference. The Association organized and conducted its 18th Annual
Conference on Labor Day weekend 2008, in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg,
Illinois. At the opening session, a message from the National Spiritual Assem-
bly of the Bahá’ís of the United States conveyed the enthusiastic support of the
Assembly for these conferences. Throughout the conference, different aspects
of Persian culture (particularly as they relate to the Bahá’í Faith) were discussed,
artistic programs were presented, exhibitions of the work of Persian artists
were organized, and participants were informed of the results and conclusions
of recent studies about Persian culture. The conference was attended by many
individuals (1,789 adults, 239 college students, 54 youths, and 135 children and
junior youths), the majority of whom were of Persian origin. Although most at-
tendees were from North America, many from across Europe, Australia, Asia, and
South America were also in attendance.
The Association’s Board of Directors was assisted in conducting the conference by
Task Forces for Arts, Children, Junior Youth, and Youth programs. The conference
included sessions in Persian with simultaneous translation enjoyed by the English-
speaking attendees via headphones. Sessions were also held for youth and junior
youth and classes for children ages 3–5, 6–8, and 9–10. Workshops on poetry
recitation and family issues related to pre-youth were offered.

Riḍván 2009
132
Special features of the conference included the inauguration of Young Profession-
als Networking Sessions, presentations by youth at the main sessions, and rec-
ognition of the contributions of Dr. Ehsan Yarshater, the author of Encyclopedia
Iranica, to greater appreciation of Persian culture.
Three well-known friends of the Faith accepted the invitation of the Associa-
tion and addressed the audience, and many more made artistic presentations. The
number of Iranian friends of the Faith in attendance was noticeably larger than in
previous years.
For the first time in the history of these conferences, a live voice report of the
proceedings was broadcast on a U.S. Persian television station. In addition, a de-
tailed report of the conference was printed, in six parts, in a Persian newspaper in
Canada.
T wo titles with
proceedings of the
conferences are cur-
Plans for the 19th conference are well under way. Many prominent guests have rently available and
accepted the invitation of the Board of Directors to speak or make artistic presen- three books will be
tations in what promises to be another successful annual conference. published shortly. In
P ublications. Efforts at publishing the proceedings of the conferences and other addition, CDs of talks
pertinent materials continue. Two titles are currently available and three books and music by perform-
will be published shortly. In addition, CDs of talks and music by performing art- ing artists are available
ists are available for purchase. More materials will be produced as this process
for purchase.
gathers momentum.
New Website. With invaluable assistance from experts in the field of web de-
sign, a new Association website was launched in 2008. Features of this website
include information about the Association and its activities, online registration
for the annual conferences, and access to conference presentations and other
materials.

Finances
Consistent with its status as a nonprofit corporation, the Association has oper-
ated completely independent of the National Bahá’í Fund for the past three years.
Sources of income include registration fees and other income from the annual
conferences, sales of materials, and contributions from individuals.

Affiliated Organizations
133
 Bahá’í Association for Mental Health
B AMH has been
granted the right to
confer Continuing Edu-
During 2008–09, the Bahá’í Association of Mental Health Professionals, incor-
porated in the State of Illinois as a nonprofit corporation, underwent an official
cation credits, spon- process of changing its name to the Bahá’í Association for Mental Health (BAMH).
This decision was voted at the organization’s annual meeting in September 2007,
sored by the American
in an effort to reflect more fully the comprehensive outreach orientation of the
Psychological Associa- Association. BAMH is committed to opening a space for the emergence of an
tion, for its annual and enriched understanding of mental health, one that recognizes and studies sys-
regional conferences tematically the intersection between spirituality and authentic mental health. The
and other more specific Association seeks to illuminate the role of social context in the pathogenesis of
educational and train- mental illness and to study the dynamics of comprehensive and systemic mental
health initiatives. It seeks new ways to reach out and be of service both to the
ing events.
Bahá’í community and to the larger professional community, as each struggles to
address the unique challenges of a global age.
An important advancement toward this goal has been the granting to BAMH
of the right to confer Continuing Education credits, sponsored by the American
Psychological Association, for its annual and regional conferences and other more
specific educational and training events. This newly gained privilege will help at-
tract to BAMH’s forums a wider range of professionals that seek new insights into
the dynamics of authentic mental health, and the application of such an enriched
understanding to both clinical practice and everyday human interactions.
The 2008 BAMH annual conference was held September 17–21, 2008 at Louhelen
Bahá’í School. It focused on “An Exploration of the Therapeutic Process: Spiritual
Literacy, Ethics & Intimacy.” The conference engaged in both a conceptual, as well
as an interactive, experiential articulation of the core of health for individuals and
communities. In addition, members of the governing board continued throughout
2008 to offer individual consultancies in the spirit of service, addressing specific
mental health issues arising in particular Bahá’í communities.
For summer 2009, BAMH has planned a regional conference at Bosch Bahá’í
School that will bring to colleagues and friends on the West Coast some of the
insights gleaned and processes developed at the 2008 annual conference at
Louhelen.
The Association is also compiling a list of references to publications in a Bahá’í-
inspired approach to mental health, in order to make it available to its member-
ship, to the wider Bahá’í community, and to the professional community. Further,
the Association is reevaluating and expanding its website, so that it can offer a
richer body of more specific information to its membership as well as to interested
colleagues in the field.
Among the remaining unaccomplished challenges that must engage the Board are
the following goals articulated in previous years:

Riḍván 2009
134
• Developing the capacity of BAMH to attract a larger and more sustainable and
active membership that can be mobilized to address, from an informed spiritual
perspective, issues of mental health in the current global crisis.
• Developing greater participation of minorities in the work of BAMH.
• Developing more specific and effective ways to support local Bahá’í communi-
ties in their meeting the challenges of the Five Year Plan.
• Developing more successful outreach to the larger professional community, as
well as engaging a range of non-Bahá’í groups that may be interested in the
issues addressed at BAMH forums.
T he Association is
also compiling a list
of references to pub-
lications in a Bahá’í-
inspired approach to
mental health, in order
to make it available to
its membership, to the
wider Bahá’í commu-
nity, and to the profes-
sional community.

Affiliated Organizations
135
 Bahá’í International Radio Service
T he content of radio
and TV segments
was aligned with the
Payam-e-Doost radio and Á’ín-i-Bahá’í television programs
Bahá’í International Radio Service oversees the operation of Payam-e-Doost, the
goals of the Five Year Bahá’í radio program in Persian that started as a weekly AM program in the Wash-
Plan and focused on ington, D.C. area on March 21, 1994 and commenced worldwide broadcasting on
introducing and re- April 21, 2001. Since that date, its 45-minute daily programs have been broadcast
on shortwave to Iran and the Middle East, as well as on two satellite systems. One
porting on the four
system transmits the signal to Europe, parts of South Africa, the Middle East, and
core activities around areas of Central Asia, while the other beams the programs to the United States,
the world and inviting Canada, and parts of Central America. Payam-e-Doost programs are also heard on
listeners and viewers to the Internet (www.bahairadio.org).
explore these activities. The first Bahá’í teleradio service was commenced on July 1, 2002. Through this
service, Persian-speaking individuals can access Payam-e-Doost radio programs 24
hours a day by dialing 212-990-6397.
Weekly television programs in Persian under the title of Á’ín-i-Bahá’í commenced
broadcasting in July 2005. These programs are aired on AFN-TV and Channel
One, both of which are Persian television programs broadcasting on HotBird 8 and
Telstar 12. HotBird is the satellite system most watched in Iran. A new satellite
television station—Pars TV—has been added to the others. With this addition, Á’ín-
i-Bahá’í programs are broadcast to Iran daily. Á’ín-i-Bahá’í television programs
may also be viewed on the Internet (www.bahaiview.org).
Á’ín-i-Bahá’í TV programs, as well as Payam-e-Doost radio programs, are ac-
cessed on GLWiZ—a Web-based application that gives access to favorite channels
through television or computer to subscribers.
Under the guidance and direction of the Bahá’í World Center, achievements during
2008–09 include the following:
• Payam-e-Doost radio programs continued with a shift to a magazine format
with more youth appeal and through shorter segments presenting subject mat-
ter relevant to contemporary Iranian culture. To ensure a wider range of listen-
ers, however, in-depth discussions of topics related to the Faith were offered as
well.
• The content of radio and TV segments was aligned with the goals of the Five
Year Plan and focused on introducing and reporting on the four core activities
around the world and inviting listeners and viewers to explore these activities.
• An agreement was made with Pars TV—a Persian satellite TV channel—to broad-
cast Á’ín-i-Bahá’í programs beginning on March 1, 2009. This addition to
Channel One and AFN-TV broadcasts makes Á’ín-i-Bahá’í programs available
to Iran on a daily basis.
• For the first time in the history of broadcast media, 20-minute coverage of the

Riḍván 2009
136
 10th International Convention for the election of the Universal House of Justice
was broadcast into the Middle East, specifically to Iran. Iranians witnessed
firsthand the democratic election of the Universal House of Justice, the interna-
tional governing body of the worldwide Bahá’í community.
• New segments were developed to cover current affairs related to Iran or of
interest and importance to the targeted audience in Iran. In addition, new
programs were produced to introduce Bahá’í websites/blogs and make them
available to the Iranian public as a means of ensuring circulation of accurate
information about the Faith.
• To further the creation of alliances with like-minded Iranian organizations and
individuals, radio and TV interviews/roundtables were conducted with friends of
the Faith on topics such as human rights in Iran, the prosperity of Iranians and
I ranians witnessed
firsthand the demo-
cratic election of the
their culture, and building the Iran of the future. Universal House of
• Collaboration with a number of task forces has increased the production of Justice, the interna-
various segments for both Payam-e-Doost radio programs and Á’ín-i-Bahá’í tional governing body
television programs. of the worldwide Bahá’í
• Á’ín-i-Bahá’í TV launched its new website (www.bahaiview.org) with the fol- community.
lowing new features: easier searchability, secure address to open up access in
Iran, downloadable short segments, feedback, surveys, and a whole new look.
• Steps have been taken to further expand the broadcasting of TV programs
tailored to a younger audience. This is also a response to the non-Bahá’í Ira-
nians who contact Á’ín-i-Bahá’í and appeal for more programs. The increased
number of such contacts via email and telephone from Iran, informing Á’ín-
i-Bahá’í of its vital role as the only means of obtaining accurate information
about the Faith, is another motivation for expanding Á’ín-i-Bahá’í’s offerings.
• Payam-e-Doost radio’s website (www.bahairadio.org) is under construction for
easier accessibility and a secure address in Iran.
The Bahá’í International Radio Service continues with its mandate to remove
misconceptions about the Bahá’í Faith among Iranians, to acquaint them with ac-
curate information about the Faith, and to create loving relationships among the
Iranian people.

Affiliated Organizations
137
 Health for Humanity
H H works with
local partner
institutions to identify
Mission and challenge
Health for Humanity (HH) provides volunteer medical services to communities
needs; short-term vol- around the world. Long-term capacity building—through which the host country’s
unteer specialists then medical personnel gain the knowledge and resources necessary to sustainably ad-
make one- or two-week dress the health issues of their communities—is one of the organization’s cherished
goals. HH works with local partner institutions to identify needs; short-term volun-
visits to provide medi-
teer specialists then make one- or two-week visits to provide medical training,
cal training, lectures, lectures, and consultation. Where additional training is needed, HH sponsors
and consultation. partner health professionals to fellowships at international training hospitals for
ophthalmologic subspecialties. In addition, HH offers its partners the Values-Based
Leadership program, which is designed to provide a spiritual framework in which
all can work.
The principal challenge facing the organization over the next several years is fo-
cusing its limited resources, both volunteer and financial, in a way that will most
effectively achieve HH’s mission. HH’s Board has formed a volunteer services com-
mittee to develop and explore new project sites—particularly those that can utilize
a greater number of volunteers. Two sites being considered are in Bangladesh and
Ecuador.
Highlights of HH’s activities during 2008–09 include the following:
• Medical training was provided by HH volunteers in the following specialties:
general cataract surgery, oculoplastic surgery and treatment, pediatric rehabili-
tation, general pediatrics, psychiatry, HIV/AIDS prevention and related mental
health issues, pediatric cardiology, and diabetes prevention. Additional training
in Values-Based Leadership was provided to health care professionals to aid
them in using their technical training to be of most service to their communi-
ties.
• Ten HH volunteers visited four current projects in Mongolia, China, and Alba-
nia.
• Four HH volunteers visited three potential projects for exploration in Brazil,
Ecuador, and Bangladesh.
• Two partner health professionals (one nurse and one ophthalmologist) were
sponsored for advanced training in India—for establishing an eye bank to sup-
port the donation of corneas and for fellowship training in glaucoma treatment.
• Five health promotion activities were offered by HH volunteers in the United
States on the topics of senior wellness, smoking prevention, drug abuse preven-
tion, healthy nutrition, and HIV/STD awareness and prevention.
• Four representatives of HH and one Mongolian ophthalmologist presented the
results of Values-Based Leadership Training in Mongolia to members of the

Riḍván 2009
138
 International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness at their meeting in Argen-
tina.

Current HH international projects

• China Blindness Prevention Project, initiated in 2007, Tianjin, China
Project Goal: Reduce the prevalence of blindness from cataracts in China, espe-
cially in remote rural areas.
• China Continued Medical Training, initiated in 1999, Yueyang, China
Project Goal: Support the Chinese government’s commitment to continuing
medical education through lectures and clinical training experiences.
• China Pediatric Rehabilitation, initiated in 1999, Chengdu, China
Project Goal: Improve the quality of life for children with disabilities by devel-
F ive health promo-
tion activities were
offered by HH vol-
oping the capacity for pediatric rehabilitation services. unteers in the United
• Mongolia Blindness Prevention, initiated in 2002, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia States on the topics
Project Goal: Reduce avoidable blindness in Mongolia by developing capacity of senior wellness,
for modern cataract surgery and vitreo-retinal surgery. smoking prevention,
• Mongolia Continued Medical Training, initiated in 2002, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia drug abuse prevention,
Project Goal: Support the Mongolian Ministry of Health’s commitment to con- healthy nutrition, and
tinuing medical education through lectures and clinical training experiences.
HIV/STD awareness
Current HH domestic projects and prevention.
• Ohio Senior Wellness Lecture Series, initiated in 1997, Youngstown, Ohio
Project Goal: Improve the quality of life and health of seniors by providing
health education seminars.
• Portland Smoking Prevention in Elementary Schools initiated in 2006, Portland,
Oregon
Project Goal: Educate greater Portland area children about the hazards of
tobacco use.
• United States Health Promotion Projects initiated in 2006, across the U.S.
Project Goal: Launch community health promotion activities throughout the
country to raise awareness on key health issues such as youth nutrition and
AIDS/HIV awareness.

Potential projects being explored

• Bangladesh Continued Medical Training exploration in 2009, Dhaka, Bangla-
desh
Project Concept: Support the Kumindini Welfare Trust’s Medical, Nursing, and
Dental Schools by sending volunteers from multiple specialties to offer lectures
and clinical training experiences.
• Ecuador Continued Medical Training exploration in 2009, Portoviejo, Ecuador
Project Concept: Partner with the Andean Parliament to offer training to com-
munity health workers, beginning with diabetes prevention and dental hygiene
education.

Affiliated Organizations
139
Appendix: Appendices
Annual Report of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace, 141 ���Annual Report of the Bahá’í
Chair for World Peace,
University of Maryland  University of Maryland

During 2008–09, the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace undertook activities in keeping 143 ���Membership of the National
with its established objectives for: Spiritual Assembly and
the Regional Bahá’í Councils
• Encouragement of multidisciplinary approaches.
144 ���Membership of key
• Facilitation of human and institutional capacities for dialogue and cooperation. consultative and
• Dissemination of knowledge germane to socioeconomic development. directorial bodies

• Cultivation of moral leadership.

The Chair continued to co-chair and develop the transdisciplinary Initiative for
Education in Peace, Cooperation, and Development (IEPCD). The IEPCD is creating
a campus-wide “Semester on Peace” during the fall 2009 term to bring forth the

T
qualities of peace that transcend all departments of the University (www.iepcd. he Chair continued to
org). The Chair’s next Interactive Dialogue in November 2009 will be a major event
in the Semester on Peace.  
co-chair and develop the
transdisciplinary Initiative for
The IEPCD is a producing a book, The Language of Peace, in which the Chair has Education in Peace, Coopera-
a chapter entitled “African Performing Arts: A Language of Social Connectivity,
Reconstruction, and Harmony,” to be published in 2009. The Chair is developing
tion, and Development, which
a companion website called a “Lexicon of Peace” that will create an expanded is creating a campus-wide
“global peace vocabulary” to facilitate dialogue across cultures.  “Semester on Peace” during
In April 2008, the Chair hosted Professor David Cadman, a past Chair lecturer and the fall 2009 term to bring
an advisor to the Prince of Wales to discuss his essay, entitled “Peace-talk,” at the forth the qualities of peace
University’s Academy of Leadership.   that transcend all departments
The Chair worked with the Phelps Stokes Fund to establish a Ralph Bunche of the University.
Society on campus to “develop globally conscious student leaders” and is its
Faculty Advisor. In November, the Chair partnered with Phelps Stokes to hold
a major leadership conference at the University. Over 200 attendees interacted
with outstanding speakers on opportunities for minority leadership in interna-
tional work.  
In terms of disseminating knowledge, the Chair is writing a book entitled Global
Mutual Aid, revising an article on President Eisenhower’s doctrine of “Waging
Peace,” and has an expanded version of its first Interactive Dialogue, The Human-
ity of Diplomacy, in the final stages of production. 
The Chair’s teaching program has consolidated around Professor John Grayzel’s
courses: “Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, and International Develop-
ment,” a requirement for all students in the Certificate Program on International

Appendices
141
 Development and Conflict Management, and his Honors seminar, “Creating Alter-
native Futures.”
With Chair support, Professor Suheil Bushrui taught his seminal class, “The Spiri-
tual Heritage of the Human Race,” and completed the Arabic translation of the
book by the same name—a milestone representing the first Arabic language work
to treat major religious and spiritual traditions in equally respectful terms.  
The Chair participated in a variety of conferences and dialogues during 2008–09,
including:

T he Bahá’í Chair
has refocused its
activities to reflect a
• Delivering the closing presentation at the University’s Confucius Institute’s
January 2008 conference.
• Speaking at the University of Virginia as part of the national “Denial Cam-
key assertion of its paign,” on the denial of higher education to Bahá’ís in Iran and the responsi-
founding document, bility of universities to assume global leadership in protecting the rights of all
The Promise of World people to higher education.
Peace, that “the prima- • Moderating a dialogue between the University’s “Beyond the Classroom” service
ry challenge in dealing program and Christopher Hedges, best-selling author of War is a Force that
with issues of peace is Gives Us Meaning.
to raise the context to • Addressing the Bahá’í Law Conference at American University on “Discourse vs.
the level of principle, Dialogue: Revisiting the Relationship between Law, Religion and Governance.”
as distinct from pure • Chairing a panel discussion on “The Value of an Internationalized Campus
pragmatism.” Community” at the Global Leadership Conference.
• Presenting to the Executive Committee of the U.S. Government’s Board for
International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) key research conclu-
sions regarding the Marshall Plan Productivity Program, highlighting, in particu-
lar, the application of group consultation to today’s development challenges.
The Chair continued to advise the USAID BIFAD coordinator on reformulating the
role of BIFAD and associated Land Grant Universities (for example, the University
of Maryland) to more effectively address a potential crisis in world food security.  
Although the Chair’s activities during the year fulfilled its established focus, the
Chair has determined that its extremely broad and varied involvement, especially
its engagement on the agendas of others with broad objectives for peace, is
worthy but problematic. Specifically, this approach does not allow the Chair to
produce its own demonstrable results on a scale to sustain an enduring program
commensurate with the University’s role as a major international research institu-
tion.
Therefore, the Bahá’í Chair has refocused its activities to reflect a key assertion of
its founding document, The Promise of World Peace, that “the primary challenge
in dealing with issues of peace is to raise the context to the level of principle, as
distinct from pure pragmatism.” The Chair has revised its mission statement to:
“Dealing with issues of peace in the context of fundamental principles.” Its new
program focus is: “Advancing Global Governance: From Pragmatism to Principle.”
Its revised objective is: “Creating a single program focus built on four components:
a body of information crafted for dialogue; a tool for policy; a methodology for
application; and a learning community.” Each component represents one or more
major deliverables for the coming year.

Riḍván 2009
142
Appendix: Membership of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
the United States, 2008–2009
Muin Afnani Dorothy W. Nelson
Kenneth E. Bowers, Secretary-General William L.H. Roberts, Treasurer
Juana C. Conrad, Deputy Secretary-General Erica Toussaint
Robert C. Henderson David F. Young, Vice-Chair
Jacqueline Left Hand Bull, Chair

Membership of the Regional Bahá’í Councils in the United States

Central States South Central States
Yvonne Billingsley Lupita Ahangarzadeh
Dana Farrar Aniela Costello, Cluster Development
Marianne Geula, Treasurer Aram Ferdowsi, Recording Secretary
Jena Khadem Khodadad, Vice-Chair Jack Guillebeaux, Vice-Chair
Patricia Kubala, Recording Secretary John Hatcher, Chair
Behrad Majidi Hoda Hosseini
Becky Smith, Secretary Sohrab Kourosh
Lynn Wieties, Chair Karen Pritchard, Treasurer
Breeana Woods Regina Rafraf, Secretary

Northeastern States Southeastern States

Nina Dini Ford Bowers, Treasurer
Brett Gamboa Navid Haghighi, Vice-Chair
Neal McBride, Treasurer Robert James, Chair
Chester Makoski, Secretary Ahmad Mahboubi
Mary K. Makoski Carole Miller
Joel Nizin, Chair Corinne Mills,
Vickie Nizin, Assistant Secretary for Administration Assistant Secretary Cluster Advancement
Katherine Penn Mahyar Mofidi, Secretary
Greg Wooster Janice Sadeghian, Assistant Secretary
James Sturdivant
Northwestern States
Doug Allen Southwestern States
Carol Brooks, Recording Secretary Shad Afsahi, Treasurer
Derek Cockshut Fariba Aghdasi,
Henri Cross Deputy Secretary Cluster Advancement
Frederick Delgado, Secretary Jerry Bathke, Chair
Dale Eng, Treasurer Gary Bulkin
Randie Gottlieb Randolph Dobbs, Vice-Chair
Shannon Javid, Vice-Chair Keyvan Geula
Omid Meshkin, Chair Marsha Gilpatrick, Secretary
Charleen Maghzi, Deputy / Recording Secretary
Farhad Sabetan
Appendix: Membership of key consultative and directorial bodies
National committees Wilmette Institute Editorial boards Association of Friends of
and task forces Roger Dahl World Order Persian Culture Board of
Nancy Davis Directors
Office of Review Betty J. Fisher
Manuchehr Derakhshani Goli Ataii
Task Force Arash Abizadeh
Betty J. Fisher Guitty Ejtemai
Shahin Borhanian Monireh Kazemzadeh
Gayle Morrison Changiz Geula
Charles Carnegie Diane Lotfi
Keyvan Nazerian Hermien Hoveydai
Gary Matthews Kevin A. Morrison
Mark Rossman Jaleh Joubine-Khadem
Richard Schickele Robert H. Stockman
Robert H. Stockman Manuchehr Khodadad
Martha Schweitz Jim Stokes
Geoff Wilson Fuad Ziai
Matthew Weinberg Herbert Woodward Martin,
Consultant in Poetry
Other advisory boards Health for Humanity
Bahá’í Center Assistance Board of Directors
Board Bahá’í Service for the Blind Encyclopedia Project
Val Abbassi
Ted Amsden Robert Dickson Larry Bucknell
Gity Banan-Etemad
Tandis Arjmand (retired) Bill Peary Betty J. Fisher
Jennifer Chapman
Farzad Ferdowsi Lynne Peary Firuz Kazemzadeh
Richard Czerniejewski,
Farshad Monfared John Simpson Todd Lawson
Vice-Chair
Sharon Dixon Peay Laurie Simpson Heshmat Moayyad
Kamyar Jabbari,
Lee Ratcliff Gayle Morrison
Chair
Virginia Rogers Sholeh A. Quinn
Financial Advisory Group (resigned March 2009)
Mahdad Saniee Martha L. Schweitz
Shad Afsahi Steve Jackson
Johanna Toloza-Parrish Robert H. Stockman
Ryan Armour William McMiller
Ron Lillejord Will C. van den Hoonaard
Nava Ashraf Robert Phillips
Wanda Wood, John Safapour,
Badi Azad
Program Administrator
Richard Bauman
Affiliates’ boards and Secretary
Gregory Belzer executive committees Geoff Wilson,
School and institute Ray Cameron Treasurer
Association for Bahá’í
advisory committees Robert Cook May Khadem,
Studies—North America
Zeeba Dalal Executive Director
Green Acre Bahá’í School Executive Committee (resigned January
Shariar Eshragh
LaRae Johnson Davis Lisa Dufraimont, 2009)
Faran Ferdowsi
Wandra Harmsen Vice-Chair
Ridvan Gurmu
Rabi Ann Musah Stephen Friberg,
Grant Kvalheim Bahá’í Association for
Farhad Rassekh Recording Secretary
Ron Lillejord Mental Health Board
Paul J. Robbins Michael Karlberg,
Neal McBride Dulamdary Enkhtor
Keivan Towfigh Secretary
Casey McCants Jack Guillebeaux
Mehran Kiai,
Sharon Dixon Peay Jason Ighani
Treasurer
Native American Bahá’í Karen Pritchard Elena Mustakova-Possardt
Pierre-Yves Mocquais
Institute Mehrdad Rassekh Michael Penn
Kim Naqvi
Alice Bathke Virginia Rogers Mary K. Radpour
Mehrzad Khorsandi Sahba
Jerry Bathke Kelsey Taylor Martha Schweitz,
Alvin Bitsilly Rebecca Wilson Chair
Nanabah Foguth Johan Wong
Rahan Khozein Journal of Bahá’í Studies
Elizabeth Louis Editorial Committee
Brad Rishel
Robert Turner (Carey) Alexander McGee,
Managing Editor
Redwan Moqbel
Peter Terry
Phyllis Perrakis
Deborah van den Hoonaard