# 1995 U.S. National Baha'i Convention

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> As many of you will remember, during the most recent US National Bahá'í
> Convention I posted coverage of the proceedings on Talisman. Subsequently,
> after encouragement from several people, I sent a letter drawn from my Talisman
> follow-up editorial to the National Spiritual Assembly. This morning I received
> their replies, both appended below. -David Langness
> 
>  National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States 
> Office of the
> Secretary July 25, 1995
> 
> Dear Bahá'í Friend,
> 
> We have been asked to inform you that because your May 11, 1995 letter raises
> questions of general interest to the community, the National Spiritual Assembly
> has decided to publish the letter and the response in the American Bahá'í.
> 
>  With Loving Bahá'í Greetings,  Mrs. Janet Rubenstein  Office of the
> Secretary
> 
> 
> 
>  National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States July 23,
> 1995
> 
> Dear Bahá'í Friend,
> 
> The National Spiritual Assembly appreciates your taking the time to share with
> it your impressions of the 86th National Convention and your ideas for
> stimulating the growth and development of the American Bahá'í community. At its
> June meeting, the National Assembly discussed the points raised in your May 11,
> 1995 letter and offers the following responses for your consideration.
> 
> The National Assembly regrets that your experience as a visitor to the National
> Convention did not leave you with the same "spiritual lift" that you have
> experienced from other National Conventions. Most disappointing was that you
> attribute this to "spin doctoring" done by the National Spiritual Assembly on
> the May 19, 1994 letter of the Universal House of Justice, in order to make a
> more favorable impression on the delegates and visitors.
> 
> You allege that the National Assembly has sought to avoid responsibility for
> the May 19 letter of the Universal House of Justice by suggesting that the
> letter was intended for others. Yet, the letter itself testifies that it was
> written in direct response to questions raised by the National Spiritual
> Assembly of the Supreme Body. As noted in the letter, the National Assembly
> requested a meeting with the House of Justice to present its concerns about the
> growth and development of the American Bahá'í community. The House of Justice
> states that the meetings were, "a new fact of history," and that their
> "...hearts were touched by the candour, courage, and sincerity with which your
> members presented your concerns, as well as by the spirit of optimism you
> displayed despite the overwhelming challenges and burdens which prompted your
> request for a meeting with us."
> 
> Their response, the May 19 letter, while applicable in principle to Bahá'ís
> everywhere, speaks specifically to the challenges facing the National Assembly
> and the American Bahá'í community. Moreover, the entire structure of the
> National Assembly's Annual Report, and of the National Convention itself, was
> conspicuously altered in response to issues raised in the May 19 letter, as is
> stated in the opening paragraph of the Annual Report.
> 
> The statements made at the Convention about the difficulties of administering
> the affairs of the Bahá'í community and that no university for Bahá'í
> administration exists, cannot be understood out of the context in which they
> were presented. Likewise, the statements about the intended recipients of the
> May 19 letter, which you heard "second-hand without attribution," cannot be
> accepted as a sound indicative of the position of the National Spiritual
> Assembly.
> 
> Since the National Assembly itself posed the questions and issues to the
> Universal House of Justice addressed in the letter, it would be unreasonable to
> conclude that the National Assembly would not ponder deeply and take action on
> the answers that it received. Indeed, the May 19 letter's specific relevance to
> the circumstances and conditions of the American Bahá'í community is precisely
> what prompted the National Assembly to share it immediately with the friends.
> 
> You complain that, "for the most part, open and frank consultation did not
> obtain during the Convention, because the Convention seemed structured to avoid
> it." You cite as an example that the consultation on the May 19 letter was
> "restricted" to the "closed Saturday morning post-balloting session only." The
> Convention agenda was presented to the delegates and ratified at the first
> session. Moreover, before the opening of the National Convention, the delegates
> attended a day-long deepening on consultation, conducted by the Counselors. The
> goal was the refinement of the delegates' consultative skills, and the
> fostering of an environment at the National Convention in which delegates would
> feel completely free to express their hopes, concerns and grievances. The
> results of this kind of training, conducted for the last several years, were
> noticeable in the frank inquiries from the delegates and the recommendations
> and suggestions they offered. That this Convention was no different can be
> observed on the highlights tape sent to every delegate for his/her
> post-Convention report. Moreover, this year, in the light of the May 19 letter,
> the National Assembly went to great lengths to survey the issues of concern to
> the delegates before the Convention, to provide question and answer sheets on
> troubling questions that circulate in the community but might not be raised on
> the Convention floor, and to open a room in which delegates could review the
> financial records of the National Assembly with the help of its Controller.
> 
> No restrictions were placed on the discussion of the May 19 letter. The May 19
> letter was the sole focus of consultation in the session after the delegates
> voted for the National Spiritual Assembly. However, frequent reference to its
> contents was made throughout the Convention. National Assembly members who
> spoke during the discussion of the May 19 letter, did so in response to
> questions posed by delegates. Toward the end of that session, the Convention
> Chairman asked the delegates whether they wished to extend the discussion into
> the afternoon session. The delegates voted not to do so.
> 
> Both the Counselors and the National Spiritual Assembly were deeply moved by
> the candor of the delegates. Perhaps the restraint that you stated you sensed
> in some of the delegates can be attributed, as one of the delegates said, to
> their consciousness of the need to present their views in a manner that
> reflects the spirit of the House of Justice's December 29, 1988 letter
> concerning individual rights and freedoms in the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
> The Supreme Body instructs us that, "content, volume, style, tact, wisdom,
> timeliness are among the critical factors in determining the effects of speech
> for good or evil. Consequently, the friends need ever to be conscious of the
> significance of this activity which so distinguishes human beings from other
> forms of life, and they must exercise it judiciously."
> 
> In the same letter, the Universal House of Justice further comments that the
> principle of judicious use of language also applies to the written word. In
> this context, we address your suggestion that The American Bahá'í become an
> "objective newspaper" conducting "real journalism," with its own independent
> board of Bahá'í professional journalists responsible for editorial
> decision-making. It was never the intention of the National Assembly for the
> American Bahá'í to serve as a "regular" newspaper. Though it is produced on
> newsprint as a cost-saving measure, The American Bahá'í is a periodical for
> publishing information on the policies and priorities of the Universal House of
> Justice, the Counselors and the National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies.
> In addition, it publishes news of the activities and opinions of the believers
> in response to the goals of the community. All articles are edited and reviewed
> following the publications review policies of the Universal House of Justice.
> 
> The National Spiritual Assembly will always require an organ for the
> dissemination of institutional and community news.
> 
> To change The American Bahá'í into an "objective newspaper," not "simply a
> house organ of the NSA" would not only deprive the National Assembly of a
> necessary institutional publication, but would also ignore certain cautions of
> the Supreme Body. You will recall that in its December 29, 1988 letter, after
> stating that the Bahá'í community's emergence from obscurity does not mark its
> attainment of maturity, the House of Justice asked:
> 
>  Has he [Shoghi Effendi] not advised us all that the subsequent stage
> of oppression must precede the stages of its emancipation and its recognition
> as a world religion? ... Those who are anxious to relax all restraint, who
> invoke freedom of speech as the rationale for publishing every and any thing
> concerning the Bahá'í community, who call for the immediate termination of the
> practice of review now that the Faith has emerged from obscurity -- are they
> not aware of these sobering prospects?
> 
> You asked that the National Spiritual Assembly decentralize and restructure
> "with an increased emphasis on teaching and refocusing finances.
> Decentralization is a major goal of the National Assembly. You may recall that
> the plan for reorganization of the national administration and the
> decentralization of several functions was first published in The American
> Bahá'í in September 1992. Most aspects of that plan have been implemented.
> However, financial restraints prevented the establishment of the Regional
> Teaching and Administrative Committees which the National Assembly had
> envisioned. In its letter of June 21, 1995, the National Spiritual Assembly
> announced its intention to proceed with the decentralization plans. Assemblies
> were invited to submit, by August 1, 1995, their suggestions, proposals and
> comments about how regional committees might best serve the Bahá'í communities,
> groups and isolated believers in their areas. Feedback from the Assemblies will
> be analyzed by the National Spiritual Assembly's Decentralization Task Force,
> discussed with the Continental Counselors and reported to District Conventions
> for further comments from the friends.
> 
> Decentralization, however, will not reduce the National Budget. It will expand
> the Bahá'í community's capacity better to manage the growth and development of
> the community as a whole. Throughout its discussions of this subject, the
> National Assembly has been mindful of Shoghi Effendi's admonition to strive for
> balance in order to avoid the "evils of overcentralization" and the "perils of
> utter decentralization with the consequent lapse of governing authority from
> the hands of the National Representatives of the believers..."
> 
> It may interest you that virtually all of the national agencies directly serve
> key aspects of the teaching and community development functions; this is not
> solely the work of the National Teaching Committee's Office. Decentralization
> of some teaching and administrative functions will reduce the heavy burden on
> the Bahá'í National Center and strengthen greatly the administrative foundation
> of the national community.
> 
> Currently, the agencies of the national administration are understaffed and
> under funded. Years of Fund deficits and repeated staff reductions have
> resulted in extreme austerity, with most of the friends at the National Center
> performing several functions at significant sacrifices to themselves and their
> families.
> 
> You state the "many NSA members serve as full-time paid employees, and some
> receive substantial perquisites." The reality is that three members of the
> National Assembly are compensated for their services -- the Secretary-General,
> the Assistant Secretary and the Secretary for External Affairs. The National
> Assembly annually reviews their status and establishes their compensation based
> on need, just as it does with other employees. There are no perquisites
> included.
> 
> The average level of compensation for staff of the National Assembly is
> $23,400, quite low considering the cost of living in Greater Chicagoland.
> 
> Moreover, despite an annual inflation rate in the Chicago area of 4%, the
> National Center personnel have only received increases totaling 3% over the
> last 14 years. A more detailed discussion of these and other questions can be
> found in the materials distributed at the National Convention.
> 
> We are saddened that the subject of compensation of the friends who serve the
> National Spiritual Assembly, at significant financial and professional
> sacrifice, has become a point of conjecture and contention among some of the
> believers.
> 
> The primary burden of the National Fund is properties, not staff, or the 3%
> spent on travel and other expenses. Maintenance and repair of the
> Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, the permanent schools and institutes, and the Bahá'í
> National Center costs millions of dollars each year. These funds are almost
> never available when needed and, therefore, must be borrowed. The accumulation
> of funds borrowed over time for building repairs accounts for the deficit in
> the National Fund. What you describe as "extraneous properties" are routinely
> sold, with the exception of those of negligible value for which buyers are
> difficult to find.
> 
> We hope that this information, and the detailed reports distributed at the
> National Convention will dispel the concerns held by a few members of the
> community.
> 
> The National Assembly agrees with your suggestion to create an "idea forum" to
> tap the creative talent of the community. As we stated in the Annual Report,
> the community regularly contributes volunteer services valued at over $4
> million dollars per year. Among those volunteers are Bahá'ís with expert
> knowledge and experience in a wide range of fields, who are regularly called
> upon to help evaluate and refine the function of the National Center offices,
> the Teaching Committee, the Treasury, Fund Development, the schools, the Bahá'í
> Publishing Trust, the Bahá'í Home, the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, property repairs and
> virtually all other functions.
> 
> In addition, social development efforts such as race unity, gender equality,
> and community development depend on the enthusiastic participation of a large
> number of believers. To help identify such human resources across the
> community, the National Assembly is establishing an electronic talent
> network.
> 
> Our Fund Development plans are described in detail in the National Convention
> materials.
> 
> Citing the assessment of the National Spiritual Assembly that too few of the
> friends are infected with a passion for teaching and, therefore, our progress
> is slow, you recommend that the National Assembly "stop blaming the Bahá'ís"
> and "take responsibility." The National Assembly's cares about the progress of
> the teaching work arise from an analysis of the patterns of teaching and
> proclamation in the community developed from the reports of the visits around
> the community by members of the National Spiritual Assembly and the National
> Teaching Committee, repeated surveys, and regular discussions with the
> Counselors and the National Teaching Committee.
> 
> The purpose of that segment of the Annual Report was to remind the friends that
> only the followers of Bahá'u'lláh have been given the "duty and privilege" of
> teaching His Cause and to call their attention to the need to intensify their
> teaching efforts and increasingly organize their activities around this
> important work. As for the activities you suggest, these are within the
> competence of Local Spiritual Assemblies to undertake.
> 
> We are in complete agreement with your suggestion to "take the Bahá'í teachings
> outside." Greater involvement in the life of society is one of the major goals
> of the Three Year Plan. As stated in the Annual Reports, the National Assembly
> is pleased with the community's progress on two fronts in this regard. The
> first is the Faith's leadership role in helping to shape national policy such
> as the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
> and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
> Women. The second is the national prominence the American Bahá'í community has
> gained through its leadership in race unity. Bahá'í communities sponsored over
> 1200 race unity events last year, in conjunction with other organizations,
> institutions and municipalities.
> 
> The pattern of practical application of Bahá'í principles has become one of the
> brightest aspects of Bahá'í life in the United States. As the pattern continues
> to grow, the teaching work will accelerate and the influence of Bahá'í thought
> will become evident.
> 
> Likewise, the National Spiritual Assembly agrees that there is the need for
> activities that would enrich the spiritual life of the believers. The Bahá'í
> Writings repeatedly stress the importance of the friends' obedience to the laws
> of God and application of the teachings and principles to their daily lives as
> the true means to becoming more spiritual. When the friends study deeply and
> put into practice the Sacred Scriptures their spiritual lives cannot help but
> be enriched. Also recommended for such study are the compilations entitled,
> Trustworthiness, Spiritual Foundations: Prayer, Meditation, and the Devotional
> Attitude, the Bahá'í Life and The Importance of Deepening our Knowledge and
> Understanding of the Faith.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá reminds us that the Nineteen Day Feast provides the means for
> helping the individual believer and the community attain a more spiritual life.
> In time, the friends will come to appreciate the significance of the Feast more
> fully.
> 
>  As to the Nineteen Day Feast, it rejoiceth mind and heart. If this
> Feast be held in the proper fashion, the friends will, once in nineteen days,
> find themselves spiritually restored, and endued with a power that is not of
> this world.
> 
> The Master also encouraged the friends to conduct "spiritual meetings" of
> prayer and music.
> 
> As you noted, the study of mysticism represents a fertile field for spiritual
> growth. In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a Local Spiritual
> Assembly, the following statement is made about mysticism:
> 
>   ...The Guardian feels ... should study more deeply the teachings,
> and meditate on what he studies. We liken God to the Sun, which gives us all
> our life. So the Spirit of God reaches us through the Souls of the
> manifestations. We must learn to commune with Their Souls, and this is what the
> Martyrs seemed to have done, and what brought them to such ecstasy of joy that
> life became nothing. This is the true mysticism, and the secret, inner meaning
> of life which humanity has at present, drifted so far from.
> 
> At the end of your letter you indicate that you are offering your comments with
> "love, obedience and respect." The National Spiritual Assembly finds it
> difficult, however, to reconcile this with the words you have chosen to use in
> your letter and with its overall tone. You have implied that the National
> Spiritual Assembly has deliberately misled the friends to serve its own
> purpose, has acted improperly and has lost the trust of the American Bahá'í
> community. To allege that the National Assembly would employ the political
> device of "spin doctoring" information that it presents to the believers is
> unconscionable and contrary to the spirit and form of Bahá'í Administration.
> Turning again to the National Assembly's Annual Report, you will note that it
> follows the guidance of the Universal House of Justice in the May 19 letter:
> 
>  Do as Shoghi Effendi advised you: 'Banishing every vestige of
> secrecy, of undue reticence, of dictatorial aloofness, from their midst, they
> [the National Spiritual Assembly] should radiantly and abundantly unfold to the
> eyes of the delegates, by whom they are elected, their plans, their hopes, and
> their cares. They should familiarize the delegates with the various matters
> that will have to be considered in the current year, and calmly and
> conscientiously study and weigh the opinions and judgement of the
> delegates.'
> 
> The aspersions that were cast on the integrity of the National Spiritual
> Assembly and its members by a slanderous mailing that had been distributed
> throughout the community, created an atmosphere of distrust that even made a
> few believers withhold contributions from the National Fund. To dispel their
> doubts, the National assembly made available to the delegates its financial
> records and made an effort to answer any questions that the delegates may have
> had while setting before them the "plans, hopes and cares" of the National
> Assembly for the final year of the Three Year Plan.
> 
> In the conclusion of the May 19 letter, the Universal House of Justice offers
> the National Spiritual Assembly and the American Bahá'í community assurance and
> encouragement that we can meet the increasingly difficult challenges we face
> with "undiminished hope and confidence."
> 
>   The divine promises to your community are certain; the blessings of
> Bahá'u'lláh are assured as you strive to fulfill His purpose. The wings of the
> beloved Master remain spread over you that you may succeed in discharging the
> tasks He has especially entrusted to your care. And our love ever surrounds you
> and your cherished community, growing stronger at every moment. Step forward
> then to meet the requirements of the hour with undiminished hope and
> confidence.
> 
> The National Spiritual Assembly appreciates the seriousness of your issues and
> hopes that its remarks will allay your concerns.
> 
> You are in our prayers and in our hearts.
> 
> National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States (signed)
> Robert C. Henderson
>
> — *1995 U.S. National Baha'i Convention (Used by permission of the curator)*