From the Table of the National Spiritual Assembly
16 December 2019
6 Masá’il 176 B.E.
GC-34469
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Contents:
– Guiding the work of the community
– Continental Fund
– Quotation for study
– Other topics
– Bahá’í Books UK
To all believers in the United Kingdom
Dearly loved Friends,
The National Spiritual Assembly is pleased to share with you some of the subjects upon which it has been reflecting at its most recent meetings, including during its much valued consultations with Counsellor Shirin Fozdar-Foroudi.
Guiding the work of the community
In paragraph 43 of its letter to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, 29 December 2015, the Universal House of Justice stated that, “a National Spiritual Assembly ultimately has responsibility for fostering all aspects of a Bahá’í community’s development…As the capacity of the friends increases and the size of a community grows, the work of a National Assembly in its manifold dimensions becomes commensurately more complex. Therefore, and in view of the magnitude of the task before the institutions in the coming Plan, National Assemblies—as well as Councils—will benefit from periodically considering, in collaboration with [the Counsellors], whether their administrative operations, and indeed elements of their own functioning, could be adjusted or enhanced in ways that would better support the growth process.”
In light of this, the National Assembly has been devoting much time in recent months, including with Counsellor Shirin Fozdar-Foroudi, to examining its many and diverse areas of responsibility. To this end, it has begun by addressing the processes by which it oversees expansion and consolidation, the spiritual health of the community, the flow of funds, public affairs and properties, as well as other key areas of its work. In doing so, it is learning about defining strategies and setting out aims, goals and objectives for these, and looking to see how progress can be monitored and measured. This development is stretching the capacity of the National Assembly, as it learns to operate in this more systematic manner, ever mindful of the spiritual forces that operate and must imbue all of its efforts.
Continental Fund
The Continental Fund was established by Shoghi Effendi in 1954 and, since 1968, has supported the growing work of the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members. The European Board of Counsellors has recently informed the National Assembly that a growth in collaboration among different countries and clusters is increasing demands on the work and time of the Board members thus requiring more support from the Continental Fund. The National Assembly allocates 20% of contributions to the National Fund to international funds, with 20% of that figure going to the Continental Fund. In addition, this year the National Assembly will contribute £50,000 from its growth fund to the Continental Fund. The Friends are naturally free to also make personal donations to the Continental Fund, including for the deputization of teachers serving the training institute.
Quotation for study
We have mentioned before that at the beginning of every meeting, the National Spiritual Assembly reads and reflects upon the following quotation from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Such continues to be the spiritual impact of this passage upon its consultations, that the National Assembly wishes to share it again with you. It commends the study of this paragraph to all institutions and agencies of the Faith at the start of their meetings:
The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be brought to naught. The second condition is that the members of the assembly should unitedly elect a chairman and lay down guide-lines and by-laws for their meetings and discussions. The chairman should have charge of such rules and regulations and protect and enforce them; the other members should be submissive, and refrain from conversing on superfluous and extraneous matters. They must, when coming together, turn their faces to the Kingdom on high and ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one’s views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The honoured members must with all freedom express their own thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set forth the truth, and should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the majority. It is again not permitted that any one of the honoured members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not right, for such criticism would prevent any decision from being enforced. In short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony and with love and purity of motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of estrangement prevail the result shall be darkness upon darkness…. If this be so regarded, that assembly shall be of God, but otherwise it shall lead to coolness and alienation that proceed from the Evil One…. Should they endeavour to fulfil these conditions the Grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them, and that assembly shall become the centre of the Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of Spirit.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 87
Other topics
Here are a few of the other topics that you may be interested to know the National Assembly has been giving time to:
- The study of the 1 December 2019 message of the Universal House of Justice on social media and non-involvement in politics;
- Reflection on new guidance received from the Supreme Body on engagement with the media and public information work;
- An examination of insights gained in recent years concerning the identification, orientation and accompaniment of pioneers;
- Membership of the Regional Bahá’í Councils and their functioning;
- The acceptance of students from the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education at British universities;
- Establishing structures and systems for the management of the Bahá’í Training Centre;
- Restoration of the chair of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the National Ḥazíratu’l-Quds, and a proposed display of archival materials at 17 Royal York Crescent, Bristol;
- The search for suitable land for a future national House of Worship.
The National Assembly continues to pray at each of its monthly meetings for the entire Bahá’í community, and by name for those who are facing particular tests or challenges. Please also pray for the National Assembly that its efforts may be blessed by the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,Patrick O’Mara,
Secretary
Bahá’í Books UK
Bahá’í Books UK would like to inform the friends that it is not taking online orders until after the holiday period. Books will continue to be available from the bookshop at 27 Rutland Gate, from the regional book agents, and at the annual conference of the Bahá’í Society for Persian Arts and Letters.
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